Have you ever deleted Instagram (or social media) and it's improved your self esteem?

kitchenboard · 2022-07-17T14:21:44+00:00

Find myself scrolling instagram, feeling shit if folk don't reply to me and constantly wondering what people are up to (I live overseas now). Want to delete but feel like I'll miss something or something bad will happen if I do.. Anyone did this before?

AdInfinitum12 · 17/07/2022 15:23

I got rid of mine in 2016 and have never looked back.

The only exception is I have a Facebook page under my maiden name with no photos or friends. I only use this for Marketplace as it seems to be the best place to buy/sell 2nd hand things nowadays.

courtrai · 17/07/2022 15:23

I just have - well deleted Facebook about a month ago and Instagram today. It's incredibly freeing but I do have big chunks of time with nothing to do now

DorritLittle · 17/07/2022 15:23

Yes I did, two years ago. I was following a lot of 'mummy bloggers', comparing myself to them and buying lots of crap. I now just have Facebook for my friends' updates. That's enough for me.

Mydogatemypurse · 17/07/2022 15:24

Yes a few years ago. Never regretted it.

DiscoStusMoonboots · 17/07/2022 15:27

I've got rid of everything except Instagram. At first it was tricky (especially on the bus trip home when I would usually go for a mindless scroll for 30 mins) but now it feels great. My husband is completely addicted to his phone, which only makes me feel more 'free', if that makes sense?

YungDumbThrills · 17/07/2022 15:29

I came off Facebook last September, and haven't looked back. It's done wonders for my mental health!

Confusion101 · 17/07/2022 15:31

I deleted it years ago, opened new pages during lock down out of boredom, and deleted them all again when it ended! It made a huge different to my self esteem! I couldn't recommend it enough.

A lot of my friends / family send me their photos privately on WhatsApp with a little "I know u aren't on social media but wanted u to see this anyway" which I really appreciate and makes me feel very wanted.

I have better convos with people too because neither of us know what the other is up to e.g. "I went to the zoo yesterday" old response would've been "oh yah saw that on social media" and end of convo... new response is "oh wow how was it" convo is extended!

U can temporarily disable your pages if u want to give it a trial run! You won't look back!

XSnoe · 17/07/2022 15:34

I couldn't do without social media tbh, well Facebook at least. I'm not extremely close with my wider family but we enjoy the updates of our lives on Facebook and I'd miss a lot without it.

E.g. someone in my family has just died, and I wouldn't have known about it has it not been for Facebook.

XSnoe · 17/07/2022 15:34

If I were to delete, it would be Instagram. That's the one that gives me low self-esteem from comparing myself to others because it's so... Image based?

Hobele · 17/07/2022 15:37

No, but I only follow cat stuff anyway. 😃

NuffSaidSam · 17/07/2022 15:41

I've never really had any of them and I'm not sure if it means I've got higher self esteem, but it definitely means I'm able to get on with my life and not compare myself constantly to what other people are doing. It also means I've a got a more realistic idea of what people look like/are doing because I'm engaging with real people in real life and not social media bullshit.

SamphirethePogoingStickerist · 17/07/2022 15:43

I'm just off Twitter. It's my first time on it. I've been on it for about 3 weeks and it is way too weird for me. I can't even begin to describe the abuse I received today. It's utter childishness made me snigger, but was really unpleasant and revealed a truly unpleasant, aggressive streak. It got a lot of likes very quickly and I thought - why am I bothering?

I have a real life. I'll just forget Twitter exists 🙃

NuffSaidSam · 17/07/2022 15:43

E.g. someone in my family has just died, and I wouldn't have known about it has it not been for Facebook.

If someone in my family died and not a single person reached out via phone/text/email/in person to break the news I'd be wondering what on earth is wrong with my entire family and our relationships, not being thankful that I had facebook.

Unsureaboutwhattodo · 17/07/2022 15:46

I deleted Facebook and Instagram a few years ago. I do have WhatsApp, but don't consider it social media for me, as it is primarily used for the kid's school stuff. I have to say, I don't miss FB and Insta, but I have found other ways to waste my time online 😬

Fairislefandango · 17/07/2022 15:46

I have a break from social media occasionally, but only because it's a massive time sucker (especially MN!). I don't find social media has any effect on my self esteem at all tbh (I never feel bad or jealous or inferior from looking at SM). If it did, I would ditch it altogether.

LadyVictoriaSponge · 17/07/2022 15:51

NuffSaidSam · 17/07/2022 15:43

E.g. someone in my family has just died, and I wouldn't have known about it has it not been for Facebook.

If someone in my family died and not a single person reached out via phone/text/email/in person to break the news I'd be wondering what on earth is wrong with my entire family and our relationships, not being thankful that I had facebook.

This with bells on.

Confusion101 · 17/07/2022 15:52

I would highly recommend the book how to break up with your phone for anyone who wants to reduce screen time, or just understand the effect phone use has on us! It was interesting to read how phones and the apps we use are designed to be addictive and what we can do it reduce that!

Original poster

kitchenboard · 17/07/2022 15:54

Confusion101 · 17/07/2022 15:52

I would highly recommend the book how to break up with your phone for anyone who wants to reduce screen time, or just understand the effect phone use has on us! It was interesting to read how phones and the apps we use are designed to be addictive and what we can do it reduce that!

I read this years ago!! I was absolutely great. I was studying abroad and successfully battled my addiction. However, when I got social media back, I was bombarded with questions why or what happened or "am I going to delete again" or "you're always making new accounts" just bloody couldn't be bothered! So stuck to it.

OP posts:

Topseyt123 · 17/07/2022 15:59

I only ever really use WhatsApp. I've not looked at Instagram for years and years. I hardly ever look at Twitter either. I just have virtually no interest in any of them.

JhonSnoy · 17/07/2022 17:17

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Crimeismymiddlename · 17/07/2022 17:56

Got rid of Facebook because I found myself knowing far too much about people have no seen in years, and in some cases decades! It just felt a bit sad.
I do prefer life without it.
Still have instagram for the scrolling.

FloodTheBathroom · 17/07/2022 18:15

I got rid of Instagram and Twitter. It's just so much better! Any close friends I am in contact via WhatsApp and anyone else, well, that's life. I stopped comparing my life with others and just got on with it instead of resenting how hard my life seemed to be compared to theirs.
I've gone back to Instagram a little bit as I made a new friend and needed to DM her through it. The feed doesn't seem to refresh much now and it's the same old posts so I don't scroll anymore.

Delete! You'll feel so much better.

djdkdkddkek · 17/07/2022 18:17

I have no social media anymore. Don’t regret it one bit, tho i think people are mistrustful of me

im also starting to turn my phone off for hours on end
oh my goodness I love it!!! I have no need to check it because it’s not on. Just love it

ilyx · 17/07/2022 18:22

I still use Twitter but got rid of Facebook ages ago, definitely prefer life without Facebook

TFMinx · 17/07/2022 18:24

Got rid of Facebook 18 months ago and I would honestly never go back; haven't missed it one little bit.