Tell me about how/why you quit social media

[Anonymous]

i quit FB only 3 weeks ago. the Social Dilemma freaked the crap out of me. i still have Insta though, so i'm not totally off. i do feel like i miss out on school information, but i was spending way too much time scrolling.

[Anonymous]

It cheapens human relationships. "Sry for your loss" when someone posts about a family death.

People receive only positive feedback and have personal echo chambers.

It's jarring when someone is nice in real life but their FB persona is narcissistic, documenting every weekend outing, twee porch happy hour, political virtue signaling.

I was addicted to feeling smug and superior about other people. That's gross. So I deleted. I wanted to have more grace for others and not judge them for groveling to the masses for dopamine hits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never had a single social media account. I guess I don't know what I am missing. I am 50 with 2 college kids, social life, close family.

Same here. I’m 48 and no social media accounts either. Very happy without it.

Honestly, how do you manage? I despise Facebook, but it’s how parents in my kids’ classes and some activities share info, so I don’t feel like I can quit.

DP. You have to be okay with missing some stuff. Anything really important going on with the school will be communicated through schoolwide emails or direct communication with the teachers. If you want to be more involved, you can volunteer for positions with the PTA. Same with sports.
But there is going to be gossip and small events that you will just miss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All y’all realize dcum is social media right? I also don’t use the big 3 but my addiction here is real.

Ha! I am the same way .
I am too big of an introvert for Facebook. The last thing I want to do when I have time alone is see what my 300 closest friends and relatives are up to. But I love this anonymous Internet forum. I have to cut myself off at 45 minutes a day .

[Anonymous]

^^^. I do have an account though. I love Facebook birthdays, and I do wish everyone a Happy Birthday!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It cheapens human relationships. "Sry for your loss" when someone posts about a family death.

People receive only positive feedback and have personal echo chambers.

It's jarring when someone is nice in real life but their FB persona is narcissistic, documenting every weekend outing, twee porch happy hour, political virtue signaling.

I was addicted to feeling smug and superior about other people. That's gross. So I deleted. I wanted to have more grace for others and not judge them for groveling to the masses for dopamine hits.

This is really interesting to me. I felt the opposite about Facebook. I was one of the people groveling for the dopamine hits. I would find myself posting photos just because I knew they would get likes and that would make me feel good. And then if I posted a photo that didn't get likes, I'd feel bad, even if it was a photo of something that made me happy. So dumb.

I also knew lots of people who would just instantly get tons of likes and comments on their stuff, and I was comparing myself to them and concluding that people didn't like me or that I didn't "matter" in my social circle. It was really messed up and played directly into my depression and self worth issues.

I quit to escape that cycle. Facebook could make me feel good, when I'd get the validation I was seeking. But it was short-lived and very cheap. What I actually needed was to learn to love myself and worry less about what others thought of me. And that just wasn't possible when I could essentially poll all my Facebook friends on whether or not they liked me by just posting something and seeing how they responded.

You were addicted to judging other people. I was addicted to being judged. It was messed up.

[Anonymous]

I quit FB eight years ago after an old high school friend got into an argument with one of my aunts over something silly. I just didn't need that kind of drama in my life.

No regrets.

[Anonymous]

I haven't completely quit facebook but have deleted the app from my phone and only check every few days now. The misinformation being forwarded was just too disturbing and when I tried to nicely post concern I was called names. Decided it just wasn't worth it anymore.

[Anonymous]

Yes, just cold turkey. Sick of Pollyanna, conceited people posting pictures of themselves. I cannot believe how narcissistic people are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All y’all realize dcum is social media right? I also don’t use the big 3 but my addiction here is real.

No, DCUM isn’t social media. It’s an Internet forum.

NP. Spoken like a true addict.

[Anonymous]

I haven't quit all social media, but I have severe limits on it. I use the screentime app on my phone and only my husband has the password to make changes. I also use StayFocusd and Freedom (husband controls Freedom password, too). This way, I only have 30 mins of time a day for social media, and I use it all on facebook and dcum. I never have enough time for instagram which is great for me because instagram makes me so depressed.

[Anonymous]

I quit Instagram because of the vanity! I was getting sucked into the vanity. If we look back at all of the selfies ( self absorbed photos) lacking any friends in them it just looks bizarre. The longer I’m off the more the selfies look desperate for attention and need of validation. I have found that I have so much more time for real productive things! I still keep an Instagram but it’s only to follow fashion, arts, politics, fitness etc. I’m on and off fast, maybe 1-2x a week!
I feel fantastic being off ( from the usual time suck) my well being is back and I feel like myself again. Oh, and if I do something social I don’t have this feeling of having to document it all! If I do great.. if I don’t that’s great too.

[Anonymous]

Only had Fb and quit a few years ago (I'm in my 30s).

It was a big waste of time. To be honest, it became stressful for me to manage shared information. I have a dysfunctional family and managing who could see what and who was friends with whom that would ultimately see what I posted and get back to me on became too much drama. So I stopped posting for a long time- I would just skim my feed now and then.

Then it became a big why? Do I really need to be taking up mental energy thinking about the details and struggles of old HS friends, previous co-workers, various people I haven't seen in years? No I don't. I keep in touch with those that matter and the rest of my energy I put into my own spouse and children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I quit Instagram because of the vanity! I was getting sucked into the vanity. If we look back at all of the selfies ( self absorbed photos) lacking any friends in them it just looks bizarre. The longer I’m off the more the selfies look desperate for attention and need of validation. I have found that I have so much more time for real productive things! I still keep an Instagram but it’s only to follow fashion, arts, politics, fitness etc. I’m on and off fast, maybe 1-2x a week!
I feel fantastic being off ( from the usual time suck) my well being is back and I feel like myself again. Oh, and if I do something social I don’t have this feeling of having to document it all! If I do great.. if I don’t that’s great too.

I'm only on Instagram and haven't taken a selfie yet. I've never been on Facebook, too much politics, too much bickering and too much of seeing everybody's "perfect" life. I only do Instagram because I like photography and it seems to be only pictures and not much talk, which suits me fine.

[Anonymous]

I quit social media because anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of obnoxious people who will try to get you fired if you disagree with them.