Last year, I muted everyone I followed on social media. That helped me spend less time on my phone and feel calmer. But I kept opening Instagram, so I decided to stop using it.
I am not exaggerating when I say I checked it more than 100 times a day. How often do you open it?
When I felt bored in Bali, I would reach for a social media dopamine shot again and again to distract myself from loneliness. That was when I began to dislike the app.
Showing off
I began to feel that some people were using holidays to show off rather than to explore and enjoy themselves. Seeing those carefully chosen moments made me compare my life with theirs and fed my FOMO. I found it stressful and sometimes anxiety-inducing. Research also suggests that heavy social media use can affect your mental health.
I also found much of Instagram’s content shallow. On Twitter, by contrast, I learned from the accounts I follow.
Purpose
Turning off notifications and muting people was not enough for me. Instagram still gave me reasons to keep checking in.
Even when I muted someone, I could see their stories. Then I would look for new likes or followers too. Eventually, I deleted the app from my phone.
That worked for me. I have not checked it in months. Perhaps I have missed dozens of similar baby photos and festival selfies from acquaintances. I am fine with that.
I still use Instagram to upload photos that I can embed in blog posts. That is the one purpose it serves for me now.
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