Social media detox: anyone want to join me?

[Jogrunwalksleep]

I am in desperate need of a social media detox and wondered if anyone wanted to join me, as I think I'll find it hard. I want to spend a week without using Facebook, messenger or Whats App. It makes me anxious and I am terribly addicted. Terribly. It's a problem and I think it comes at the expense of my mental health.

It's not a forever thing, I thought I would try for one week as I think I could do that relatively quietly, and then reassess.

I see MN as different because it doesn't make me anxious as it's not in the same category for me.

Any takers?

So wiggles you can reduce all of your MN time apart from posting here for support perhaps

I found quite a good article although I don't think I'm at the more extreme end of the spectrum. Doesn't mean I don't need a detox though

adaa.org/social-media-obsession

I take every January off and a week or two throughout the year. I prefer being off it but I have some lovely on line friends from MN who I am also on FB with. I’d miss them too much if I came off for good.

How’s day one gone?

I’m finding it embarrassingly difficult

I logged out and deleted FB app on Saturday. My finger goes without thought to where the icon was in my phone. It’s an awful habit.

I did this at Xmas took Facebook off my phone but left it on my laptop now I have to bother to log in and fire up the laptop..usually once a week or if it’s someone’s birthday I feel so much better. Don’t miss it at all.

I’ve still got insta on my phone but that’s Mainly used for work and recipes. I don’t see WhatsApp as a social media app as I use it instead of texting and I’m obviously quite unpopular as I’m not on lots of WhatsApp group chats, the two I am I have on muted notifications so only look when it suits me.

Im doing the same. I took f.b and messenger off my phone Saturday evening and deactivated last night. Its not permanent as I like to share pictures of my boys so family can see them. Im going to try a week at least. I get over invested on things that don't concern me on f.b. I need to find things to occupy my mind.

Funnily enough i deactivated my FB account friday and im actually enjoying the freedom a bit.

I caved 😫

I know, I know!

It’s my ex’s birthday today and I’ve deleted them all again as I just don’t want to know what’s going on. Except I do, obviously!

My screen time was down 3 hours yesterday though, so baby steps!

Well if it makes you feel any better I've done f all this weekend and I'm married with 3 kids. Dh never wants to go anywhere or do anything. I said right shall we get the food shop done then so we can salvage the rest of the day. He just gave me a dirty look and said why what do you want to do? I give up

I swear I had a better attention span before

It had become a place of bullying, lies and flirting

Really? Just who were you FB friends with?!

I don't have FB but have WhatsApp and Instagram. Insta not a problem but WhatsApp gives me terrrible anxiety as people know when your online and I can't cope with more than one chat at once. I wanted to ease off it after Xmas and I told my friends and one of them was very hurt and quite iffy to me about it. So I stayed on. Someone made a comment about people blowing hot and cold on it and I experience that .
Now what I do is go to airplane mode if I want to read messages . Do what needs to be done exit the app then go back online . That way I am avoiding long chats . But I would love dearly to delete it

I deleted Facebook last year and I don’t miss in one bit! I use Instagram a lot but I’ve made sure to only follow people that I actually like and interact with. I find Instagram a different place to Facebook. Instagram seems to be a happy place but Facebook was full of people moaning and repeating the same old crap 🤷🏼‍♀️

This is a great idea. I am certainly going to limit my social media/phone time but I don't think I can go cold turkey right now. I've recently started seeing someone who seems to add random girls to his insta (says hes not on dating apps any more but this seems too convenient) but today I found myself literally on there all day stalking him/these girls/feeling inadequate at all the beautiful perfect people and lives I see.

I put my phone down and refused to look at it for 1 hour...then when I got to 2 hours I felt SO much better I went another hour. It all does become addictive, and it really is affecting my MH.

A while ago I set a limit on my screen time on my phone and it gives you a 5 minute warning to let you know you've nearly run out of time - but recently I've found that I'm getting that warning in the middle of the day instead of late at night.

I only really use WhatsApp and Insta, so will pop on here and really try and reduce my time with both. It really does help you bring focus back to the present instead of focusing on things that really do just waste a lot of time.

I have turned off my notifications now on WhatsApp.

Came off fb over a year ago, wouldn't go back, not on any social media.

I’m using sm less but just spending longer on other websites! I think I need to use my phone stats better, set more limits

I came off FB a while back but missed lots of things from the kids groups. I’m now back on it but only follow certain things so hardly anything comes up on my feed. I do feel better for not using it much and haven’t yet felt I’ve missed out on anything.

MN on the other hand .... I spend far too much time reading this and really need to stop and do something else with my time.

Maybe pop it upstairs for a few hours or just opt not to use it between certain hours , I'm waiting to get flamed by WA friend but I just can't cope anymore. Need downtime

I've been off social media for almost a month now, and decided I would make it 3 months. I've never posted much at all, just realized how ridiculous it all was, and decided not to check up on FB (the only social network I'm on) anymore. Deleted the app and I really don't miss it one bit.

I did this last year. The catalyst for me was Facebook fucking advertising at me constantly. I got sick of having adverts shoved down my throat so I deleted my account and have never looked back.

Never had Twitter or Instagram though. Not enough friends for Snapchat and WhatsApp, but I do use WhatsApp to send multimedia messages for free like pics of my kids to my mum.

I still spend too much time on my phone on Mumsnet though

I unfollowed all my friends and most of my groups on facebook so now its just sponsored ads and I hardly ever look except photos of two friends who live far away occasionally, so about a minute a week. Initially I liked instagram but it's all about having a 'brand', being a great photographer, or having a special interest. There's nothing there for me. I've never really done quick instant messaging - I am in a couple of friendship whatsapp groups, have a few close friends I am in touch with on it. I find you have to arrange to call people these days so I do that.

I'm only allowing myself maximum twenty mins on mumsnet a day and only after 7pm.

Ug I caved, saw a bloke messaged, had a long chat with him, then he just left the conversation hanging after leaving a question on read but stayed online thus making feel crazy and reminding me why I need to detox