Has anyone come off social media

[RooRem2]

And has it helped? I don’t know what’s wrong with me but for the past couple of days I’ve been feeling really tearful and down. About everything and nothing really if that makes sense🤔 I was scrolling through Facebook earlier and I don’t know why but it was really making me feel worse. I feel as if I want a more personal life but I don’t hardly post I just usually scroll through. I don’t even know if my moods and Facebook are connected🤷🏻‍♀️ I hope this makes sense to someone because it doesn’t to me😂

I unfriended people who's posts didn't bring me joy and I have weeks at a time away from it. Really helped. Like you, I never post on it myself but scroll through and it never made me feel good! The only things that do genuinely bring me happiness on it are groups - either local ones or for hobbies. I'm tempted to do what my sister has done and literally delete all my friends but just keep a profile for groups.

Yes, a few years ago. Was a massive timewaster. Gave up Twitter and Instagram recently, too. My time is spent reading and learning.

Stopping myself going on FB helped hugely tbh. I haven’t deleted it as I have photos and memories on there but I moved the screen icon and stopped notifications. I couldn’t believe how hard it was to not check it in the beginning, now I never even think about it and the last time I popped on was when someone messaged me and said they would be posting pictures of an event and they knew I was interested and wanted to see the set up.

I no longer have to see photos of people all (seemingly) having a nicer house/holiday/birthday than me or feel (ridiculously) down about Sarah getting more likes for her stupid cat picture than I did for my life changing news.

Honestly, come off it. Give it a time limit of a fortnight or month or something then reassess.

Like above posters I came off it, deleted app but kept acc open to save pics. Not been on it for months and feel way better. Got too much going on at minute to waste time on it. I really feel it does more harm than good. Hope you feel better soon.

Yep, deleted everyone off it and didn’t reply to pm’s. I now have lots of posts about cats and cooking that does make me happy. SM is all about bragging/showing off. Or asking for attention about those situations when something has gone wrong. I stopped engaging after a so called friend laughed about her impending lock down due to Covid after I had told her difficult I found it (over 9 months in the uK vs her 5 days in Australia). She thought it was fabulous she had 5 days off work. I had to work and home school for over 3 months during this. I was also subjected to her new home build plans. I was meant to be helping her design a butler pantry when I had to queue for over an hour to do my shopping. I definitely saw her true colours!

Yes, two years ago I got rid of my sole social media account.

Result? Far better peace of mind and I'm getting more done...DIY, OU course, etc!

Don't regret it.

Yes, have been off FB for a decade, Twitter and Instagram for a bit less. Thoroughly recommend it for mental health and privacy. I like a quiet life though, keeping in touch with only people I trust and enjoy via wattsapp.

Watching everyone’s “best lives” made me feel insecure, no doubt about it. Without these comparisons you can figure out what you actually want from your life to suit your actual circumstances and personality and not worry about what everyone sees of you on SM.

I don’t recommend it if you want to stay “relevant” in any social circles because you will be left out of large groups if you go quiet.

I deleted most 'friends' but kept people (6 of them) who are close friends. I found the whole SM thing awful. I'd get zero likes for something great but a popular woman at work got hundreds for posting her broken fingernail!! I felt ignored a lot on FB and knew it wasn't good for me.

No regrets!

Me. A decade off FB & a couple of yrs off Instagram and Twitter.

thank. God.

I'm still on Facebook but don't really go on it much and have only got 30ish "friends". I did delete Instagram the other month and feel great for it.
I've also cut down on reading the news. Once a day as a catch up but trying not to doom scroll because it makes me feel shit.

Oh yes! Deleted FB/Instagram years ago! So many people these days cannot imagine a social-media-free world. But it exists and is a much calmer/peaceful one! (MN doesn’t count 😂)

I would love to come off it really but I have a book group and we stay in touch between meet ups on there. I definitely post less than I used to

I deleted my FB account and had some time away from it. I ultimately set up a new account but with zero friends and only used for groups I belong to.

I don't really post on instagram or twitter but do have accounts. I've just got the Rebel Badge Book and so I'm spending my time doing badge related tasks rather than wasting time on social media (or indeed too much time on Mumsnet!)

I came off social media (fb/ insta/ everything else) New Year's Eve 2018. I saw loads of posts of people summarising their year. Everyone looked so happy and I'd had probably the worst year my life. It's been one of the best things I've ever done for myself.

it really isn't good for you to see a constant highlights reel of everyone's life. And I find I'm more present when doing things instead of trying to take pics to impress people. I love people not knowing what I'm up to all the time. There's been lots of controversy at work over what people have posted. I'm well out of it and never intend on going back on.

still waste loads of time on MN though 🤦‍♀️

I live abroad so Facebook is an easy way I keep all my family and friends updated and I can also see little bits of my friends' lives. So I don't think I could delete it completely. However, I unliked all the news pages, and pages which brought a lot of stressful news stories / or posts which had so many ridiculous, uneducated comments underneath. I'm slowly deleting friends too who I don't speak to anymore, plus I've set an app timer for 30 minutes a day for Facebook and 15 minutes for Instagram. I always hit my Facebook timer but it's rare for me to use up the Instagram one as I'm barely on that. It's helped a lot mentally to reduce the time and mainly not to see the negative comments (like anti-vax, COVID deniers, pro-brexiters etc).

My web browser needs a timer too but I find this one difficult to keep to! 🙈

Thanks everyone! Seems like it’s helped you all! I’m so tempted to do it, I think I’d be bored for a little white😁 but I know it’ll be worth it. I’ll get some books or download games on my phone instead. Hopefully it helps my mood🤞🏼

Little while that was meant to say!

you don't have to delete your accounts, just don't check them anymore and someday when you are feeling better you could look at all of it and have a laugh or not, like reading a magazine. Chances are if you delete yourself from it, not many will notice and then if you ever want to look again, it's like this grandiose announcement of your return. On WhatsApp, just mute/archive groups. And feel free.

I unfollowed everybody and only use Facebook for my hobby and interest groups.
I don't use other names social media.

I still go down a Mumsnet or Reddit rabbit hole occasionally 😆

Please help me. We now have social services section 47 involvent and my husband wont let me back in house.

I have unfollowed loads of people yesterday and look forward to extra spare time now. Such a boring waste of a life.

Three good friends are still important to me on there and a few others but that's about it.

If you mean leave Facebook then ask about leaving Facebook.
No one who responds on this thread can answer yes to what OP wrote.
isn't there still a Facebook forum on this social media site that is MN?

I've stopped Facebook and Instagram the past few days. CoMparison really is the thief of joy. I find I'm looking at all these lovely holidays people are on that I can't afford and days out with their kids etc and I just can't do it. So I've taken myself off. Still go on Twitter though I find the people I follow don't really post about stuff like that and it's all jokey stuff. I also found I was spending a LOT of time scrolling and not paying my kids any attention. All awful really when you think about it

For social purposes I haven't had any for years. I can't see what they're useful for given that if anyone were meaningfully involved in my life I have their contact info to message or email or actually just see them anyway. I certainly have never had any interest in posting myself showing what I'm doing or whatever, just find it all a bit weird.

I have a private (anonymous/no friends from real life involved ) Instagram account that I use a bit like pinterest for things I'm interested in as I think some of the content on there is great. Mostly home inspiration and things related to hobbies.

If it isn't actively benefitting you OP then get rid, it isn't obligatory.

Yes, Facebook years ago. Everyone was getting married, going to Mexico, falling in love, buying houses, etc etc etc. Meanwhile I was sitting at home watching Shit Factor every Saturday night. Plus there was so much bullshit on there. Dog ear filters by fully grown adults and people making out their marriages were perfect even though in reality I know at least one of them were regularly falling out over his infidelity. Didn't miss it at all and don't now. It's mostly bullshit.