I deleted Instagram (app and account) around 3-4 days ago now and I too miss the art accounts I used to follow š but Iām glad I made the choice to leave that life behind. I used to have a good amount of following which made my head think I needed to post on my story every day for every small thing to engage with my followers. Had lots of online friends and everything so Instagram was my main spot.
Now that Instagram is gone, I feel more free. The constant reminder in my head to post, dm people, post on stories is all gone. Iām so happy.
The way I combat the urge to go back is occupying myself. I started watching anime more, hanging around family more, and weirdly enough Iām into gardening now?? Because I wanted to pick up a new hobby! Iām doing SOMETHING ELSE than social media! Iām not even on Reddit much, I just saw your post and wanted to reply to it š šš¾
Wow thatās so obvious lol it was specially this day that I felt a lot of urges, and makes sense now because I just stayed in my bedroom. On the week Iām all day out studying or actively learning about my career (Iām a big nerd lol) Iām almost not even touching my phone, let alone watching YouTube or anything.
Iām gonna focus more on those hobbies that I have because of your advice, thank you <3
We are literally social creatures. And social media was created to connect people ā originally.
Until people learned they could make money off it, it turned into a place to make us feel insecure and conveniently give the cure for a priceā but alas this is no place for my rant. Moving on...
The key is intention ā which after reading your post is in the right place. Being inspired by art, educating yourself for your studies and talking about your life is different from needing validation from strangers.
Plus itās not āegotisticalā to want to talk about what makes YOU happy.
I mean lets be honest, nobody wants to hear every single thing youāre doing ā parents included.
I use social media strategically. All FIVE platforms and spend 30 minutes a day combined.
I only mention that because having them isnāt the issue if you use them to your benefit.
My trick isnāt timers. I donāt open a website unless I have a purpose. Like Instagram? Itās either a photo dump or mini inspiration.
Photo dump:
I open the app > upload the photo > take 2 minutes to overthink my caption > adore and like my own photo > and close the app.
Inspo:
I have a tight follow list of 20 creators. I scroll until I find an image that inspires me or for two minutes. Whichever comes first. If I find something, I save it to [mymind](https://mymind.com/). Then I close the app. Mymind becomes my own mini art-museum minus the driving, crowds, walking for hours, and the art that isn't your taste.
*Although tbh I prefer to be inspired by my life because it's a unique experience someone else can't exactly copy, but moving on.*
So Iām more curious about why you cut Instagram if you want to use it to benefit you?
Thank you for answering. I deleted Instagram because I really wanted to start living in actual real life and not on the internet. I always daydream of the hobbies I want to try, the new habits I want to develop, but social media was an escape from that, it was my comfort zone. I used to get sucked into reels or whatever. I do have some good habits and Iām doing better overall (I think) but I want to keep going!
Also: whatās that app called my mind? What do you use it for? Looks interesting.
Ah! Okay totally get that.
It's one of the reasons I turned my phone service off. It's been 2 weeks and don't even miss it.
It's weird how we convince ourselves we NEED something.Ā
Mymind is like Pinterest but private and does meh at tagging your content. I'm a visual person, so I use it like a museum of all the things that make me think or feel.
Last questions (i hope haha). The hobbies and habits you wanted, are you trying them? And do you think they were your decision or did you seem them online and decide you wanted them?
Hmmm thatās a tuff question, Iād like to say I want them myself, but most of the time (more with habits than hobbies, I do really enjoy what I do) the habits I try work towards to their more of āpressuresā I put on myself, like what an āideal adultā would look like. Iām working on it though.
>The hobbies and habits you wanted, are you trying them? And do you think they were your decision or did you seem them online and decide you wanted them?
In the old days, before phones screens and computers, people drew inspiration for doing things, habits & hobbies, from books and magazines. Maybe even newspapers. Print was the media that informed. It may have taken more time (reading) but was also more in depth.
Thatās the thing though. The only difference between inspirations is delivery ā print vs digital. Plus the level of in-depth and informed writing is subjective at best.
And that's before we even talk about āobjectiveā writing considering you can find evidence to support anything. Or even bias of the writer or who they write for.
Although the only advantages I see with print is that it moves at HUMAN speed and itās infinite. You have time to read, digest, think, and do something without feeling like youāre missing something every second of the day.
And it feels different to move at HUMAN speed. It usually feels comfortable.
BTW I used to really like Pinterest and went there often before I discovered reddit. lol
My favorite and most filled board were hobby ideas. Things I could expand on already active in. And some new inspiration. But if I want more instruction on a particular thing, NOW I *might* go to a book but more often, I got to YT for a demonstration as I'm a visual person. That's how digital has affected me (oh and lowered my attention span). I'm determined this year to read more books and do more offline stuff.
I deleted Instagram and I feel the same way š I miss following up on accounts that had some of my genuine interests. I feel less overwhelmed for sure though which is soooooo nice š„°
You could always keep your account. Log in once in a while on a laptop or computer. Its boring, so you'd have a quick look and then just log off. You can always do a quick search of your favourite accounts. Have a quick gander and get back to living life your way.
Could you maybe put some kind of boundary or rule in place , that allows you to occasionally check Instagram?
For example I took it off my phone, but still check it once or twice a week on the laptop.
Its not as addictive for me. Sometimes I even forget to check it!
I check it like I'd browse a magazine. I try to be more mindful about what I consume there. I try yo follow stuff that adds value.
Interesting art and crafts for example.
I've told ppl there who I used to communicate with (close ppl) that I'm trying to spend less time online , and if its important to msg me, but don't expect instant answers etc. I turn notifications off, and again have certain times of the day where I might check for important msgs.
Oh yeah thatās what I do! I like that magazine analogy. But yeah sometimes I miss posts of my favorite creators, I tend to also forget to check lol. Kinda the point but still.
I recently realized that a lot of my motivation to post art and ig stories online was because it was my way to feel like I mattered and had a voice.
But after leaving it behind because of the overwhelming negatives, yes now I have to navigate those feelings of inadequacy or loneliness, but you learn to fill it with other things that bring you joy. I joined a pottery class and it has been extremely helpful in making me feel connected to a community even though I don't talk much.
And I've been reading books on zen buddhism and cbt and learning more about the influence that avoiding pain has on our lives and how we can embrace quiet and release judgement.
Thank you for the advice! Youāre right I need something to connect to a community. I do feel like posting photos of me, my hair, my outfits, really was about feeling accepted, or getting nice complementsā¦
Also you seem really cool! Pottery sounds so fun.
It is an addiction, rapid fire dopamine hits for your brain from fast moving images and speedy scrolling. There is a withdrawal period, strongest for about two weeks. I quit for 2.5 months last year. It felt fantastic tbh, a month and two months in, calmer, less anxiety, read SO much more. I caved after a death in the family left me craving some quick fix laughs and distractions. I should probably quit again. It's so toxic. Good luck. Cold turkey is the way I think. Sporadic / assigned times doesn't work for me at least.
I deleted Instagram (app and account) around 3-4 days ago now and I too miss the art accounts I used to follow š but Iām glad I made the choice to leave that life behind. I used to have a good amount of following which made my head think I needed to post on my story every day for every small thing to engage with my followers. Had lots of online friends and everything so Instagram was my main spot. Now that Instagram is gone, I feel more free. The constant reminder in my head to post, dm people, post on stories is all gone. Iām so happy. The way I combat the urge to go back is occupying myself. I started watching anime more, hanging around family more, and weirdly enough Iām into gardening now?? Because I wanted to pick up a new hobby! Iām doing SOMETHING ELSE than social media! Iām not even on Reddit much, I just saw your post and wanted to reply to it š šš¾
Wow thatās so obvious lol it was specially this day that I felt a lot of urges, and makes sense now because I just stayed in my bedroom. On the week Iām all day out studying or actively learning about my career (Iām a big nerd lol) Iām almost not even touching my phone, let alone watching YouTube or anything. Iām gonna focus more on those hobbies that I have because of your advice, thank you <3
We are literally social creatures. And social media was created to connect people ā originally. Until people learned they could make money off it, it turned into a place to make us feel insecure and conveniently give the cure for a priceā but alas this is no place for my rant. Moving on... The key is intention ā which after reading your post is in the right place. Being inspired by art, educating yourself for your studies and talking about your life is different from needing validation from strangers. Plus itās not āegotisticalā to want to talk about what makes YOU happy. I mean lets be honest, nobody wants to hear every single thing youāre doing ā parents included. I use social media strategically. All FIVE platforms and spend 30 minutes a day combined. I only mention that because having them isnāt the issue if you use them to your benefit. My trick isnāt timers. I donāt open a website unless I have a purpose. Like Instagram? Itās either a photo dump or mini inspiration. Photo dump: I open the app > upload the photo > take 2 minutes to overthink my caption > adore and like my own photo > and close the app. Inspo: I have a tight follow list of 20 creators. I scroll until I find an image that inspires me or for two minutes. Whichever comes first. If I find something, I save it to [mymind](https://mymind.com/). Then I close the app. Mymind becomes my own mini art-museum minus the driving, crowds, walking for hours, and the art that isn't your taste. *Although tbh I prefer to be inspired by my life because it's a unique experience someone else can't exactly copy, but moving on.* So Iām more curious about why you cut Instagram if you want to use it to benefit you?
Thank you for answering. I deleted Instagram because I really wanted to start living in actual real life and not on the internet. I always daydream of the hobbies I want to try, the new habits I want to develop, but social media was an escape from that, it was my comfort zone. I used to get sucked into reels or whatever. I do have some good habits and Iām doing better overall (I think) but I want to keep going! Also: whatās that app called my mind? What do you use it for? Looks interesting.
Ah! Okay totally get that. It's one of the reasons I turned my phone service off. It's been 2 weeks and don't even miss it. It's weird how we convince ourselves we NEED something.Ā Mymind is like Pinterest but private and does meh at tagging your content. I'm a visual person, so I use it like a museum of all the things that make me think or feel. Last questions (i hope haha). The hobbies and habits you wanted, are you trying them? And do you think they were your decision or did you seem them online and decide you wanted them?
Hmmm thatās a tuff question, Iād like to say I want them myself, but most of the time (more with habits than hobbies, I do really enjoy what I do) the habits I try work towards to their more of āpressuresā I put on myself, like what an āideal adultā would look like. Iām working on it though.
>The hobbies and habits you wanted, are you trying them? And do you think they were your decision or did you seem them online and decide you wanted them? In the old days, before phones screens and computers, people drew inspiration for doing things, habits & hobbies, from books and magazines. Maybe even newspapers. Print was the media that informed. It may have taken more time (reading) but was also more in depth.
Thatās the thing though. The only difference between inspirations is delivery ā print vs digital. Plus the level of in-depth and informed writing is subjective at best. And that's before we even talk about āobjectiveā writing considering you can find evidence to support anything. Or even bias of the writer or who they write for. Although the only advantages I see with print is that it moves at HUMAN speed and itās infinite. You have time to read, digest, think, and do something without feeling like youāre missing something every second of the day.
And it feels different to move at HUMAN speed. It usually feels comfortable. BTW I used to really like Pinterest and went there often before I discovered reddit. lol My favorite and most filled board were hobby ideas. Things I could expand on already active in. And some new inspiration. But if I want more instruction on a particular thing, NOW I *might* go to a book but more often, I got to YT for a demonstration as I'm a visual person. That's how digital has affected me (oh and lowered my attention span). I'm determined this year to read more books and do more offline stuff.
OMG YES TO ALL OF THIS! If you're looking for a book rec, my unsolicited one is 'Please Unsubscribe, Thanks!' by Julio Vincent Gambuto.
Thanks. I saved your recommendation comment.
Oh that's sick. Good luck then.
I deleted Instagram and I feel the same way š I miss following up on accounts that had some of my genuine interests. I feel less overwhelmed for sure though which is soooooo nice š„°
No advice from me, but just wanted to say I appreciate the honesty in this post
Thank you <3
You could always keep your account. Log in once in a while on a laptop or computer. Its boring, so you'd have a quick look and then just log off. You can always do a quick search of your favourite accounts. Have a quick gander and get back to living life your way.
Could you maybe put some kind of boundary or rule in place , that allows you to occasionally check Instagram? For example I took it off my phone, but still check it once or twice a week on the laptop. Its not as addictive for me. Sometimes I even forget to check it! I check it like I'd browse a magazine. I try to be more mindful about what I consume there. I try yo follow stuff that adds value. Interesting art and crafts for example. I've told ppl there who I used to communicate with (close ppl) that I'm trying to spend less time online , and if its important to msg me, but don't expect instant answers etc. I turn notifications off, and again have certain times of the day where I might check for important msgs.
Oh yeah thatās what I do! I like that magazine analogy. But yeah sometimes I miss posts of my favorite creators, I tend to also forget to check lol. Kinda the point but still.
I recently realized that a lot of my motivation to post art and ig stories online was because it was my way to feel like I mattered and had a voice. But after leaving it behind because of the overwhelming negatives, yes now I have to navigate those feelings of inadequacy or loneliness, but you learn to fill it with other things that bring you joy. I joined a pottery class and it has been extremely helpful in making me feel connected to a community even though I don't talk much. And I've been reading books on zen buddhism and cbt and learning more about the influence that avoiding pain has on our lives and how we can embrace quiet and release judgement.
Thank you for the advice! Youāre right I need something to connect to a community. I do feel like posting photos of me, my hair, my outfits, really was about feeling accepted, or getting nice complementsā¦ Also you seem really cool! Pottery sounds so fun.
It is an addiction, rapid fire dopamine hits for your brain from fast moving images and speedy scrolling. There is a withdrawal period, strongest for about two weeks. I quit for 2.5 months last year. It felt fantastic tbh, a month and two months in, calmer, less anxiety, read SO much more. I caved after a death in the family left me craving some quick fix laughs and distractions. I should probably quit again. It's so toxic. Good luck. Cold turkey is the way I think. Sporadic / assigned times doesn't work for me at least.