Anyone else want to give up social media/forums/ internet but can't?

[Rubyconnie]

My mental health is fried.
I shouldn't be on here. I shouldn't bebon FB or X.
I gave up tiktok a while ago but still doomscroll for hours a day

I have an addiction to my phone but I also have MH issues which mean that the things I read and see affect me in such a negative way that it is now impeding on my ability to live a normal functioning life.

My phone contract ran out and I want to just get a shitty flip phone to have during the day.

Could I do that if I transfer the sim? Could i have the sim to this phone in a normal non smart phone during the day then put it back in this phone at night to do things like check my bank and stuff?

I want to do that but then how would I do all the things that are so tied into the internet now? Everything from GP appointments to loyalty cards at shops and messages from my kids school all require internet and smart phones.

I feel so trapped

Does anyone not have a smart phone? How do you navigate modern life without one?

I could have written your post. So no advice, but I totally get it. I use my phone to run my business and need social media for that so it's really hard to get rid of it! I got rid of TikTok a few years ago and was happier, but then FB introduced reels and now I just doomscroll those. I hate it, but I actually don't know how to stop.

Can you replace the doom-laden apps with things that give you a better reward? Duolingo, Sudoku, that kind of thing?

I've deleted them all so many times.

I delete FB but then I need to get rid of something locally and its the best way to advertise stuff to be collected quickly, so I redownload it and end up sucked in again.

Or I delete X but then someone sends me a link and I can't see it without an account so I log in again.

I have removed all of them and i just end up finding something, somewhere to doomscroll to.

And I end up reading something that puts my head on a wobble for days because I just can't think normally (I have OCD)

I really just want to smash my phone to bits sometimes and be done with it.

I can't even make a Drs appointment without it though

I'm sorry you are feeling the same way :(

Can you limit how much time you spend on the apps with a 'digital wellbeing' app? So you can still access them but only during certain times Or for a certain amount of time each day

Or get one of the devices (like 'Brick' but there are others) that block certain apps on your phone so you can still use the NHS app etc but have to physically go and untap to use the ones you choose to block

It's so hard. They are designed to be addictive so self control alone doesn't seem to cut it for long. I go through the same cycle of thought as you re wanting a basic phone. Good luck