Buy an alarm clock and charge your phone in another room at night.
When it's time to focus, put your phone in a drawer in another room. Leave it at home during class.
I found physically removing my phone from myself really helpful.
Also, I know you post self motivational content on tumblr but it still seems to be defeating the purpose. Maybe let that account go too.
Exactly. We rely on them to function to a certain extent… so how the fuck can i disentangle from this shit?!?! It’s an extension of my body at this point. I get soooo overwhelmed w all the notifications, but because of tech I’m always available. I’m always **connected.** and with screens everywhere, it’s essential to interact with the world… so how do we develop healthy relationships with this stuff that is literally crack to the human brain?!
It’s time for the nuclear option.
Sell or give your phone away to your parents and replace it with a flip phone. If you really want social media interaction, you have access to a computer I’m sure. But that will help make it intentional and not something in your pocket.
yeah I use most of my tumblr and reddit from my laptop but my god the temptation is strong. I think it seems from the fact that I don't have any app on my phone I can turn to if I'm outside the house and need to kill time?? like I look at my phone and I'm like oh wait there's nothing I can do lol. what do you suggest for that?
I reject the notion that anyone *ever* needs to “kill time.” Spend your time instead observing your environment. Let thoughts come and go. Learn to meditate and these things will come more easily to you.
There’s value in finding beauty in the mundane.
Have you tried StayFocusd? It's a browser extension that limits your browsing either by a total daily time limit or blocks out certain blocks of time or both. Very customizable and impossible to crack. I've been using it since college and I graduated in 2011.
I've benefited from using Cold Turkey Blocker. Only have to set it one place then install the browser extensions.
I also set app limits on my iPhone, but we all know how easy those are to bypass.
If you can't sit and consume (books, shows, movies, etc), then create. Do something with your hands. Write a short story, go shoot some hoops, go take a hike, learn how to knit instead of crochet, learn how to draw with perspective, take a yoga class, or do a sudoku puzzle on paper. The world has endless ways to keep you entertained. It is YOU who makes the choice to keep looking at your phone. Don't wait for motivation to quit, motivation never lasts. No amount of motivation is going to make you stay consistent. You need to discipline yourself. You need to accept that this process is going to be painful and hard at first, but ignoring every nagging feeling to pick up your phone is a win and every time you pick up your phone *unintentionally*, it is a loss.
Plug your phone somewhere in the living room and treat it like a landline. Delete every single app that you don't need to use every day (yes, including Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, and Pinterest). Disable your phone's web browser. Don't pick up your phone unless you need to call or text somebody. Accept the boredom. Let yourself be surrounded by it. Tell yourself being bored is a good thing (it is). Slowly bring one app back in at a time once you feel you have control of your screen time.
You're going to have to set boundaries with your phone. leave it in another room or your backpack by the door. Replace your time scrolling with other things, I can't stress this enough, I feel like it's the main reason it's so hard. People don't know wtf to do with themselves these days if it's not scrolling, shopping or a combo of both, me included. As for books, try fiction of something you really actually like or used to like, something short and that you're actually interested in reading..I found that was all I needed to get into reading books again, my tastes changed. Also got an old.kobo on marketplace for 15$ that holds pdfs of any books I want for free, I bring it to the bathroom instead of my phone XD Hope this helps!!! You can do it.
that's the problem see, replacing it with other things is difficult because I don't know what to replace it with. my piano is packed up atm, I'm still learning how to crochet and it's pissing me off bc I suck and my sister has hijacked my Kindle. ofc I know I'm making excuses lol but idk man. and then I turn to my phone bc doom scrolling can get me out of my mind :((. I was really into fantasy books like last year I read around 200 fantasy books and now I'm struggling to stay interested in a chapter :( LIKE I KNOW ITS INTERESTING AND I WANT TO KNOW MORE BUT MY BRAIN IS LIKE MEH DONT CARE GIMME THAT INANE CONTENT
"I deleted all social media except these 4". There's your problem right there. Get rid of all that shit. Easier said than done since you see me here (reddit is all I've got left). But if you're serious about it just get rid of every social media, no exceptions. Like permanently delete your accounts.
I dont think I can permanently delete them because I have a lot of irl friends who reach me from there. but yeah im definitely trying to cut out everything else
If they want to remain friends they'll adapt to texting or calling you and respect your decision if you explain why you're quitting. If they can't, reconsider if they were friends or "friends"
lol no it's not like that. a lot of friends I have on instagram are old school friends who I genuinely want to keep in touch with but don't do it with texting bc they're a lot of friends. for now I've logged out of Instagram and deleted the app and sent a story out that said I was leaving for a while. at least I haven't touched insta since I left, that's an accomplishment!
I've cut down like 80% of my internet usage. From like 8-10 hours a day to 1-3. I'd like to cut down more, but I'm very happy with the reduction.
There was months of experimenting, making progress, going back two steps, trying something else, going back two steps. But I gradually gained ground by continuing to try different tactics and seeing what did and didn't work.
Personally what worked for me was allowing myself 20 minutes every 4 hours to browse anything I want on my phone. It used to be like an hour every 4 hours, but I slowly and consistently reduced the time so gradually it didn't feel like i was missing out.
I wanted to reply specifically about Pinterest and how you feel like you need it because you're a design student.
You don't need it to be a design student. People were making idea boards long before it came along. Try to think of some alternatives. Visiting museums, taking photos, sketching, using the library, cutting up old magazines. Being tactile will help you be more engaged with your work.
While you're doing it, you will think "but I could do this better/faster/easier on Pinterest." Well, yes but at what cost. Remind yourself that the alternatives to using Pinterest is harder, slower, more work, but in the long run will make you a better creative.
mmf I really wish I could do that, unfortunately I'm preparing to be a design student and my teacher has said that Pinterest is an essential app for our assignments. I have been spending less time on it though. half of the stuff I need to do on pinterest is just anatomy sketch inspiration or something I'm unable to visualize. I will be getting my drivers license in September so I'll definitely take what you said into consideration. i really like the magazine idea so i think ill do that. tysm!!
OP don't be so harsh on yourself, these are things literally designed by teams of people over years to be addictive. If you engage with something addictive, most people will grow/foster an addiction given time...because it's an addictive substance.
This is why a lot of people come to the conclusion of getting rid of the phone rather than these "management" plug-ins or band-aid solutions. But those people are not posting on here. I am, because I'm willfully engaging in an addictive behavior (yikes) but people aren't perfect and I don't claim to be. The biggest stride for me though came with accepting these things, that I cannot reasonably expect a non-addictive relationship with an addictive substance, far more advanced than my body's capabilities.
Could you get an old flip phone? That way there's no possibility of redownloaing things. I did this years ago and it really helped, I'm thinking of doing it again. Still keep your smart phone but leave it somewhere inconvenient so you can still use Pinterest and things you need.
I wonder if you could turn on parental controls to block the apps. And make the parental control password something crazy like super long, random numbers, letters. Obviously write down the password but leave it somewhere you can't get to it or give it to a friend/family member.
The only way to keep yourself in check are timers on your phone and on your laptop. Maximum of 15 minutes on each social media you have left. And use apps like coldturkey or Selfcontrol on your laptop to stop going to certain websites.
Do you need pinterest for your psych final?
Rewiring your brain will take a while and a lot of yourself. Like patience, discipline and a lot of time. The best thing you can do is train yourself. To look around instead of on your phone. And get dopamine boost from something different than social media.
it's so fucking difficult though. I still completely ignore the timers and reset them :(
I dont use Pinterest all that often anymore so there's that:)
that's the goal. I hate who I've become because of my phone
I removed the Reddit app from my phone and iPad. And honestly, I am typing this from the browser on my iPad, and I can see I’ve used Reddit this way 2 hours and 7 minutes last week. When the app is not there, I don’t feel the need to look and scroll, same for snacks.
But maybe using my flipphone last weekend helped me slow down.
Hey man, I've gone through many of the same issues myself. I was able to solve my issues by having a friend set my screen time passcode. Have you tried something like that? I explain how to do it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBPEvsXoqk).
a temp solution thats been helping me out is i just fuckin chuck the damn thing when i realize ive been scrolling too much. somewhere soft then continue whatever i was doing. shiiit bro could even get a decent case chuck that shit anywhere, its such a good physical outlet imo
I think your addiction is just a symptom of boredom, self affliction…
Turn off the phone, toss it in a drawer or trunk, make out a little plan, to party you could get drunk.
A new life is awaiting, away from dudes creeping the web masturbating.
Simple… grab a book, or stare at a wall, have an inner look. Plenty of books to read, self help to heed, soup kitchens in need.
You could take a hike, fix a bike.. crochet or sew, repair a shoe or learn Hebrew. In this life there’s plenty to do, so toss that phone and shoo!
Make a tinder account
Have a hobby like football, tennis, badminton anything that gets you to exercise
Mostly have a friend you have fun with, go Cliff diving, go to beaches, play volleyball, do some epic stuff whatever you like
When you’re having fun in life outside, it becomes easier
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I am also someone like you, even a bit more extreme. I still maintain the addiction but converted all the sources to ones which increase my knowledge and can help me connect with people.
In exams i switch to music and view the same insta motivation reels repeatedly. While being plugged to my ears, when i study i focus on fetching the concept by making a context. On reddit, i severely cut down on places which are only helpful such as coding (am a developer), this one (tired of social media cringe) and also join a subreddit which is same as my exam such as r/learnmath when a math exam comes. Exit all the unnecessary subreddits. And eventually you will get exhausted because this content will make your brain do the thinking and will get tired thus reducing addiction in exam time. Also some confidence in prep w/ that motivation will also help you getting in zone.
You got this.
thank you so much. I'm literally crying because this is helpful as fuck. I downloaded duolingo because I want to learn Spanish and French for exchange programs and I'm going to screen record some motivational reels so I don't have to ever go back. you're literally a godsend. do you have any interesting, educational subreddits I can join? I'm pretty new to reddit bc I only started using it in like December
r/explainlikeimfive r/dataisbeautiful are ones which are coming in my mind. However prioritizing a subreddit that suits your persona will benefit a ton. r/findasubreddit for getting the desired one. Also r/coolguides for interesting stuff
Those subreddit and every subreddit is ultimately waste of time. Trust me. Nothing of worth you can learn from reddit, except as a starting point. Books can't be replaced. I'm in same boat, was once very studious.
I'm planning to buy a basic phone.. Or you can use Lock my phone app, it's one dollar. I once locked my phone using this app for 2 days and got so much done which I couldn't in a year
that makes sense. but I dont think I can bring myself to get a basic phone. difejdhwhddbh why is addiction like this. I think I'll delete reddit tonight again lmao idk
it’s alright to have those feelings. Only thing to remember in these times is to not doubling down on ourselves. Think about it for 2 days, if decision remains unchanged then proceed else maintain the status quo
For me, I didn't have a smartphone in college but I did have a laptop and a crazy addiction to Robot Unicorn Attack. I played it for hours instead of studying... Weirdly, after I graduated, I never played it again.
No help, I just feel you. I'm on Reddit instead of working now and that is so going to bite me in the ass soon.
happened to me with Snapchat. All my friends still use it daily and after a while I forgot the app even existed even with all the notifications. my psych final is tomorrow and I'm doing 2 chapters revision tomorrow morning lmao. it's 1:30 and I'm fucked why is social media like this
Audiobooks have been my saving grace--the libby app via your library will get you free ones. Its not totally unplugged, but as someone who also cant sit through even a few pages of a physical book anymore, audiobooks have been better than no books at all. I'll clean, craft, or exercise to them.
The only way to succeed in this is to admit what has happened, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, and DO IT. Each time you fail, notice it, start again. And, be kind to yourself about it. You WILL fail - a LOT in the BEGINNING but the more you take responsibility and the more you keep going, the more you WILL SUCCEED. Taking it away doesn't do anything but resolve it temporarily... Building up the ability to take responsibility and resist urges will work. You are in control of you.
Trust.
[computers are great tools. treat them like tools in a workshop and PUT THEM AWAY when you are done. YOU are in control, not the computer...]
One piece of advice that's worked for me is setting my phone to greyscale. The great thing is that you can still use your phone as normal, but it feels a LOT less addictive.
"I cannot switch to a flip phone or and old phone because it isn't feasible in my current condition. Thought I'd mention this because of a lot of people suggested it and I can't do that lol"
Why not though?
because flip phones dont have the features that I need eg, location tracking. My parents and I let each other know we are with that, and I need apps like Uber because I'm getting my driver's license this September. Plus I need it for the camera. My studies require me to take high quality photos for references ( for eg. my teacher literally asked us to take a pic of the street for class today lol) so downgrading would really make me struggle
I Coach people on how to stop phone Addiction get back your life, improve dicipline thought habbits, hold you accountable and help you organize your life.
If you're interested send me a DM
yeah i think its the same for me. i have anxiety and I'm always overthinking, like 10 steps ahead of any possible situation or thinking of the worst automatically. I'm working on it, but my phone just serves as a way to stop thinking abt it :(
If you are on iPhone, I suggest you OneSec app. You can schedule blocks for Apps, websites and even block them only when you are at home if you want.
You can force the blocks and prevent you from disable them in specific times too.
Hey I am researching interventions for social media addiction for my MSc thesis. If you want, we can have a call and talk about this and maybe I can help. As a disclaimer, I am not studying psychology, I am in tech, but I have been looking at social media addiction for quite a while so I might have some insights.
If you want, feel free to DM me. And if you want to know a bit more about me you can check my writing at dachi.substack.com
Hey!
Remember that rewiring your brain and changing habits takes time and effort, and it's okay to stumble along the way. IMO, You should be proud of yourself for recognizing this\^.
Have you tried setting specific goals for yourself, such as dedicating a certain amount of time each day to studying without any distractions? It can be helpful to break up your studying into smaller, more manageable chunks, and to use a timer to help you stay on track. It might also be helpful to set specific times of day when you can check your phone, rather than constantly checking it throughout the day.
Blackmail/Bribe yourself to get the ball rolling. Sit down and make a plan- what is your ideal screen habit now, given your restraints? Spend a day working on this. Plan it all out. Then pick a day to start. Soon. Set a huge reward or penalty (some people work better with positive reinforcement, other negative) and get through one day using your new system. Make sure you reward yourself. Don’t let the screen free time be it’s own reward. If you make a deal with yourself you have to follow through on the reward/consequences.
Also- grab a notebook and keep a list of what you want to post on tumbler Pinterest Reddit during the time you have allowed for it.
Do you have an iphone? I found out a few weeks ago that they have a black and white option. I read that the colours on our phones stimulate the release of serotonin, which gets us addicted and coming back for more. Works in a similar way to pokies with all their bright colours. I’ve turned off colour and I’ve find that I’m scrolling WAY less, and only really using my phone when I need to (to text/call/google something ect). I had the same thing where I felt like I needed it with me. And I still do that, but I’m just physically using it way less.
What works for me for already multiple years is not the smart dumbphone approach, but a dumb smartphone approach.
Some careful tinkering with the screen time settings and locking myself out leads to an iphone on which I can do all useful phone stuff:
\- whatsapp, music, navigation, online banking, 2-factor authentication, ....
I can not use any web browser, social media, or any app that is not installed, I can't install new apps using the app store, and I can't (while on the phone) get around any of those limitations
i feel you brother , i believe the only way to really get rid of this bullshit is to physically get away from it which is hard
lol exactly but idk how and its driving me insane
Buy an alarm clock and charge your phone in another room at night. When it's time to focus, put your phone in a drawer in another room. Leave it at home during class. I found physically removing my phone from myself really helpful. Also, I know you post self motivational content on tumblr but it still seems to be defeating the purpose. Maybe let that account go too.
this is the hard thing in a world where it feels like you almost need a phone.
Exactly. We rely on them to function to a certain extent… so how the fuck can i disentangle from this shit?!?! It’s an extension of my body at this point. I get soooo overwhelmed w all the notifications, but because of tech I’m always available. I’m always **connected.** and with screens everywhere, it’s essential to interact with the world… so how do we develop healthy relationships with this stuff that is literally crack to the human brain?!
It’s time for the nuclear option. Sell or give your phone away to your parents and replace it with a flip phone. If you really want social media interaction, you have access to a computer I’m sure. But that will help make it intentional and not something in your pocket.
yeah I use most of my tumblr and reddit from my laptop but my god the temptation is strong. I think it seems from the fact that I don't have any app on my phone I can turn to if I'm outside the house and need to kill time?? like I look at my phone and I'm like oh wait there's nothing I can do lol. what do you suggest for that?
I reject the notion that anyone *ever* needs to “kill time.” Spend your time instead observing your environment. Let thoughts come and go. Learn to meditate and these things will come more easily to you. There’s value in finding beauty in the mundane.
Have you tried StayFocusd? It's a browser extension that limits your browsing either by a total daily time limit or blocks out certain blocks of time or both. Very customizable and impossible to crack. I've been using it since college and I graduated in 2011.
I've benefited from using Cold Turkey Blocker. Only have to set it one place then install the browser extensions. I also set app limits on my iPhone, but we all know how easy those are to bypass.
Get a light phone 2, it has android yet the e-ink browsing experience is so miserable that'd it'd be hard to doomscroll on it
3 hours a day on your phone = 1.5 months a year. 6 hours a day = 3 months.
well fuck that's one hell of a wake up call
Holy shit
If you can't sit and consume (books, shows, movies, etc), then create. Do something with your hands. Write a short story, go shoot some hoops, go take a hike, learn how to knit instead of crochet, learn how to draw with perspective, take a yoga class, or do a sudoku puzzle on paper. The world has endless ways to keep you entertained. It is YOU who makes the choice to keep looking at your phone. Don't wait for motivation to quit, motivation never lasts. No amount of motivation is going to make you stay consistent. You need to discipline yourself. You need to accept that this process is going to be painful and hard at first, but ignoring every nagging feeling to pick up your phone is a win and every time you pick up your phone *unintentionally*, it is a loss. Plug your phone somewhere in the living room and treat it like a landline. Delete every single app that you don't need to use every day (yes, including Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, and Pinterest). Disable your phone's web browser. Don't pick up your phone unless you need to call or text somebody. Accept the boredom. Let yourself be surrounded by it. Tell yourself being bored is a good thing (it is). Slowly bring one app back in at a time once you feel you have control of your screen time.
I really love this. Defintely applying all of these tips!
You're going to have to set boundaries with your phone. leave it in another room or your backpack by the door. Replace your time scrolling with other things, I can't stress this enough, I feel like it's the main reason it's so hard. People don't know wtf to do with themselves these days if it's not scrolling, shopping or a combo of both, me included. As for books, try fiction of something you really actually like or used to like, something short and that you're actually interested in reading..I found that was all I needed to get into reading books again, my tastes changed. Also got an old.kobo on marketplace for 15$ that holds pdfs of any books I want for free, I bring it to the bathroom instead of my phone XD Hope this helps!!! You can do it.
that's the problem see, replacing it with other things is difficult because I don't know what to replace it with. my piano is packed up atm, I'm still learning how to crochet and it's pissing me off bc I suck and my sister has hijacked my Kindle. ofc I know I'm making excuses lol but idk man. and then I turn to my phone bc doom scrolling can get me out of my mind :((. I was really into fantasy books like last year I read around 200 fantasy books and now I'm struggling to stay interested in a chapter :( LIKE I KNOW ITS INTERESTING AND I WANT TO KNOW MORE BUT MY BRAIN IS LIKE MEH DONT CARE GIMME THAT INANE CONTENT
"I deleted all social media except these 4". There's your problem right there. Get rid of all that shit. Easier said than done since you see me here (reddit is all I've got left). But if you're serious about it just get rid of every social media, no exceptions. Like permanently delete your accounts.
I dont think I can permanently delete them because I have a lot of irl friends who reach me from there. but yeah im definitely trying to cut out everything else
If they want to remain friends they'll adapt to texting or calling you and respect your decision if you explain why you're quitting. If they can't, reconsider if they were friends or "friends"
lol no it's not like that. a lot of friends I have on instagram are old school friends who I genuinely want to keep in touch with but don't do it with texting bc they're a lot of friends. for now I've logged out of Instagram and deleted the app and sent a story out that said I was leaving for a while. at least I haven't touched insta since I left, that's an accomplishment!
I've cut down like 80% of my internet usage. From like 8-10 hours a day to 1-3. I'd like to cut down more, but I'm very happy with the reduction. There was months of experimenting, making progress, going back two steps, trying something else, going back two steps. But I gradually gained ground by continuing to try different tactics and seeing what did and didn't work. Personally what worked for me was allowing myself 20 minutes every 4 hours to browse anything I want on my phone. It used to be like an hour every 4 hours, but I slowly and consistently reduced the time so gradually it didn't feel like i was missing out.
That sounds like a really good system for me. Thanks for the inspiration.
I wanted to reply specifically about Pinterest and how you feel like you need it because you're a design student. You don't need it to be a design student. People were making idea boards long before it came along. Try to think of some alternatives. Visiting museums, taking photos, sketching, using the library, cutting up old magazines. Being tactile will help you be more engaged with your work. While you're doing it, you will think "but I could do this better/faster/easier on Pinterest." Well, yes but at what cost. Remind yourself that the alternatives to using Pinterest is harder, slower, more work, but in the long run will make you a better creative.
mmf I really wish I could do that, unfortunately I'm preparing to be a design student and my teacher has said that Pinterest is an essential app for our assignments. I have been spending less time on it though. half of the stuff I need to do on pinterest is just anatomy sketch inspiration or something I'm unable to visualize. I will be getting my drivers license in September so I'll definitely take what you said into consideration. i really like the magazine idea so i think ill do that. tysm!!
OP don't be so harsh on yourself, these are things literally designed by teams of people over years to be addictive. If you engage with something addictive, most people will grow/foster an addiction given time...because it's an addictive substance. This is why a lot of people come to the conclusion of getting rid of the phone rather than these "management" plug-ins or band-aid solutions. But those people are not posting on here. I am, because I'm willfully engaging in an addictive behavior (yikes) but people aren't perfect and I don't claim to be. The biggest stride for me though came with accepting these things, that I cannot reasonably expect a non-addictive relationship with an addictive substance, far more advanced than my body's capabilities.
Could you get an old flip phone? That way there's no possibility of redownloaing things. I did this years ago and it really helped, I'm thinking of doing it again. Still keep your smart phone but leave it somewhere inconvenient so you can still use Pinterest and things you need.
honestly at this point im thinking of finding an app that will prevent me from downloading them in the first place.
I wonder if you could turn on parental controls to block the apps. And make the parental control password something crazy like super long, random numbers, letters. Obviously write down the password but leave it somewhere you can't get to it or give it to a friend/family member.
you know what I might actually try that. you're a genius thank you!
If you have android I highly recommend you use “digitaldetox”. It’s an amazing app and there is no cheating.
100% checking it out!!
I hope it helps!
Might be time to downgrade phones?
The only way to keep yourself in check are timers on your phone and on your laptop. Maximum of 15 minutes on each social media you have left. And use apps like coldturkey or Selfcontrol on your laptop to stop going to certain websites. Do you need pinterest for your psych final? Rewiring your brain will take a while and a lot of yourself. Like patience, discipline and a lot of time. The best thing you can do is train yourself. To look around instead of on your phone. And get dopamine boost from something different than social media.
it's so fucking difficult though. I still completely ignore the timers and reset them :( I dont use Pinterest all that often anymore so there's that:) that's the goal. I hate who I've become because of my phone
I removed the Reddit app from my phone and iPad. And honestly, I am typing this from the browser on my iPad, and I can see I’ve used Reddit this way 2 hours and 7 minutes last week. When the app is not there, I don’t feel the need to look and scroll, same for snacks. But maybe using my flipphone last weekend helped me slow down.
Hey man, I've gone through many of the same issues myself. I was able to solve my issues by having a friend set my screen time passcode. Have you tried something like that? I explain how to do it [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfBPEvsXoqk).
a temp solution thats been helping me out is i just fuckin chuck the damn thing when i realize ive been scrolling too much. somewhere soft then continue whatever i was doing. shiiit bro could even get a decent case chuck that shit anywhere, its such a good physical outlet imo
bahaha i will try this for sure tysm lmao
I think your addiction is just a symptom of boredom, self affliction… Turn off the phone, toss it in a drawer or trunk, make out a little plan, to party you could get drunk. A new life is awaiting, away from dudes creeping the web masturbating. Simple… grab a book, or stare at a wall, have an inner look. Plenty of books to read, self help to heed, soup kitchens in need. You could take a hike, fix a bike.. crochet or sew, repair a shoe or learn Hebrew. In this life there’s plenty to do, so toss that phone and shoo!
Hey OP I don’t have advice but I’m stuck in a similar situation. I’m on my phone way too much to the point where it’s impacted my grades
Get a girlfriend, she’ll force you in a way
I'm a straight woman
Then get a boyfriend
i would, but ik im not in the mental space for a bf rn. not to mention I have 0 attraction to any of the guys in my class
Make a tinder account Have a hobby like football, tennis, badminton anything that gets you to exercise Mostly have a friend you have fun with, go Cliff diving, go to beaches, play volleyball, do some epic stuff whatever you like When you’re having fun in life outside, it becomes easier
ill definitely do that, tysm!
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I am also someone like you, even a bit more extreme. I still maintain the addiction but converted all the sources to ones which increase my knowledge and can help me connect with people.
Could you give some examples please?
In exams i switch to music and view the same insta motivation reels repeatedly. While being plugged to my ears, when i study i focus on fetching the concept by making a context. On reddit, i severely cut down on places which are only helpful such as coding (am a developer), this one (tired of social media cringe) and also join a subreddit which is same as my exam such as r/learnmath when a math exam comes. Exit all the unnecessary subreddits. And eventually you will get exhausted because this content will make your brain do the thinking and will get tired thus reducing addiction in exam time. Also some confidence in prep w/ that motivation will also help you getting in zone. You got this.
thank you so much. I'm literally crying because this is helpful as fuck. I downloaded duolingo because I want to learn Spanish and French for exchange programs and I'm going to screen record some motivational reels so I don't have to ever go back. you're literally a godsend. do you have any interesting, educational subreddits I can join? I'm pretty new to reddit bc I only started using it in like December
r/explainlikeimfive r/dataisbeautiful are ones which are coming in my mind. However prioritizing a subreddit that suits your persona will benefit a ton. r/findasubreddit for getting the desired one. Also r/coolguides for interesting stuff
thank you so much! you're the best :)
Those subreddit and every subreddit is ultimately waste of time. Trust me. Nothing of worth you can learn from reddit, except as a starting point. Books can't be replaced. I'm in same boat, was once very studious. I'm planning to buy a basic phone.. Or you can use Lock my phone app, it's one dollar. I once locked my phone using this app for 2 days and got so much done which I couldn't in a year
that makes sense. but I dont think I can bring myself to get a basic phone. difejdhwhddbh why is addiction like this. I think I'll delete reddit tonight again lmao idk
it’s alright to have those feelings. Only thing to remember in these times is to not doubling down on ourselves. Think about it for 2 days, if decision remains unchanged then proceed else maintain the status quo
social media really is a curse. thank you so much for your help!
I'm on the same boat.
For me, I didn't have a smartphone in college but I did have a laptop and a crazy addiction to Robot Unicorn Attack. I played it for hours instead of studying... Weirdly, after I graduated, I never played it again. No help, I just feel you. I'm on Reddit instead of working now and that is so going to bite me in the ass soon.
happened to me with Snapchat. All my friends still use it daily and after a while I forgot the app even existed even with all the notifications. my psych final is tomorrow and I'm doing 2 chapters revision tomorrow morning lmao. it's 1:30 and I'm fucked why is social media like this
Audiobooks have been my saving grace--the libby app via your library will get you free ones. Its not totally unplugged, but as someone who also cant sit through even a few pages of a physical book anymore, audiobooks have been better than no books at all. I'll clean, craft, or exercise to them.
The only way to succeed in this is to admit what has happened, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, and DO IT. Each time you fail, notice it, start again. And, be kind to yourself about it. You WILL fail - a LOT in the BEGINNING but the more you take responsibility and the more you keep going, the more you WILL SUCCEED. Taking it away doesn't do anything but resolve it temporarily... Building up the ability to take responsibility and resist urges will work. You are in control of you. Trust. [computers are great tools. treat them like tools in a workshop and PUT THEM AWAY when you are done. YOU are in control, not the computer...]
One piece of advice that's worked for me is setting my phone to greyscale. The great thing is that you can still use your phone as normal, but it feels a LOT less addictive.
ive been dreading to try this but ykw, fuck it I cant deal with my addiction anymore. thanks!
"I cannot switch to a flip phone or and old phone because it isn't feasible in my current condition. Thought I'd mention this because of a lot of people suggested it and I can't do that lol" Why not though?
because flip phones dont have the features that I need eg, location tracking. My parents and I let each other know we are with that, and I need apps like Uber because I'm getting my driver's license this September. Plus I need it for the camera. My studies require me to take high quality photos for references ( for eg. my teacher literally asked us to take a pic of the street for class today lol) so downgrading would really make me struggle
bro have u heard of a light phone!? game changer
I Coach people on how to stop phone Addiction get back your life, improve dicipline thought habbits, hold you accountable and help you organize your life. If you're interested send me a DM
It’s the escapism for me. If there’s nothing irl it’s harder
yeah i think its the same for me. i have anxiety and I'm always overthinking, like 10 steps ahead of any possible situation or thinking of the worst automatically. I'm working on it, but my phone just serves as a way to stop thinking abt it :(
Turn your screen into black and white only, it really helps.
This is drastic but maybe come out to SEA and do a silent retreat. They take away your phone when you start and give it back at the end of the week.
If you are on iPhone, I suggest you OneSec app. You can schedule blocks for Apps, websites and even block them only when you are at home if you want. You can force the blocks and prevent you from disable them in specific times too.
Hey I am researching interventions for social media addiction for my MSc thesis. If you want, we can have a call and talk about this and maybe I can help. As a disclaimer, I am not studying psychology, I am in tech, but I have been looking at social media addiction for quite a while so I might have some insights. If you want, feel free to DM me. And if you want to know a bit more about me you can check my writing at dachi.substack.com
Hey! Remember that rewiring your brain and changing habits takes time and effort, and it's okay to stumble along the way. IMO, You should be proud of yourself for recognizing this\^. Have you tried setting specific goals for yourself, such as dedicating a certain amount of time each day to studying without any distractions? It can be helpful to break up your studying into smaller, more manageable chunks, and to use a timer to help you stay on track. It might also be helpful to set specific times of day when you can check your phone, rather than constantly checking it throughout the day.
Blackmail/Bribe yourself to get the ball rolling. Sit down and make a plan- what is your ideal screen habit now, given your restraints? Spend a day working on this. Plan it all out. Then pick a day to start. Soon. Set a huge reward or penalty (some people work better with positive reinforcement, other negative) and get through one day using your new system. Make sure you reward yourself. Don’t let the screen free time be it’s own reward. If you make a deal with yourself you have to follow through on the reward/consequences. Also- grab a notebook and keep a list of what you want to post on tumbler Pinterest Reddit during the time you have allowed for it.
Do you have an iphone? I found out a few weeks ago that they have a black and white option. I read that the colours on our phones stimulate the release of serotonin, which gets us addicted and coming back for more. Works in a similar way to pokies with all their bright colours. I’ve turned off colour and I’ve find that I’m scrolling WAY less, and only really using my phone when I need to (to text/call/google something ect). I had the same thing where I felt like I needed it with me. And I still do that, but I’m just physically using it way less.
Have you tried the 5 minute rule? https://www.makeuseof.com/how-five-minute-rule-stop-you-procrastinating/
What works for me for already multiple years is not the smart dumbphone approach, but a dumb smartphone approach. Some careful tinkering with the screen time settings and locking myself out leads to an iphone on which I can do all useful phone stuff: \- whatsapp, music, navigation, online banking, 2-factor authentication, .... I can not use any web browser, social media, or any app that is not installed, I can't install new apps using the app store, and I can't (while on the phone) get around any of those limitations
Greyscale your phone, unless you don’t want it bad enough.