How to Quit Social Media - top tips (2023)

Written by David Ancor
2023-03-26T20:00:00Z

How to Quit Social Media - top tips (2023) | BeTimeful

If you are reading this, you are probably looking to quit social media because you’re wasting time scrolling social media platforms for hours; HOWEVER, you might also feel a little anxious about cutting ties and feeling left out. Luckily we created BeTimeful with you in mind. By installing BeTimeful on your Android or iPhone, you can continue to stay connected without getting distracted by the Newsfeed:

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Download BeTimeful on Android or iPhone. BeTimeful makes sure you don't hooked into scrolling for hours. With BeTimeful, you don't need to delete social media apps or use any blocker.

🔥 You can finally stay connected, productive, and NOT distracted with BeTimeful's Andriod App and iPhone App!

✅ Access DM's without getting distracted 🤝

✅ Message your friends, prospects, and clients 📩

✅ Post videos, Reels, and all your content 📲

✅ Take a 1, 5, or 10-minute break to scroll or search for content ideas 🕝

✅ Hide any distracting apps from your phone 🔒

BUT if you are keen on getting those pesky social media apps off your phone, for once and for good, below are the best scientifically-backed research you can find online (summarized for your ease of reading).

1. Define the situation

To overcome any challenge you need to fully comprehend what you’re up against. This is the hardest part, but before you run away trust me that it will be easier following the next sentence.

Is social media bad for you? Well, no, according to studies only excessive ‘social comparison’ is bad for you. This is a social-psychological trait of human beings probably evolved through survival instincts so don’t take this personally. Even if we’re not aware of it, our brains are engaging in social comparison (which often occurs while scrolling the news feed since its algorithm is designed to show you a highlight reel) is the cause for the prolonged and excessive negative emotions.

[trigger warning] The demographic that is most damaged by this is ages between 12 and 17. Physical hormonal fluctuations along with fluid self-esteem are is a recipe for disaster. Especially since teens are spending 4, 5, 6, and sometimes 12 hours a day … scrolling on social media.

Another important definition is what is Social Media. Does Netflix count as social media? Does texting count? No, those do not count as social media because social media refers to any online publication where you share media with friends, family, and the public. Most social medias have a ‘Feed’ that keeps people hooked.

2. Don't quit social media, make it less addictive instead

Getting rid of social media cold turkey right off the bat might not be the best solution despite the initial reaction. An interesting study by Best et al. they 527 participants aged 14-16 and the results showed that 48 percent used social networking sites to seek help (1). An interesting finding in this study was that young men & women who reported messaging online friends about personal problems showed statistically significantly higher levels of mental well-being.

This is another reason we suggest adding BeTimeful to your browser or downloading the BeTimeful App so you can stay connected and not be distracted when the newsfeed is gone.

Quitting social media can lead to withdrawal symptoms similar to quitting drugs or smoking such as anxiety, stress, and boredom.

3. Reframe the situation

The next step is to reframe this situation not as a problem but as an opportunity.

The first step is to clearly envision what you could achieve if you give up the bad habit of spending hours on social media. To do that, let’s take a look at the amount of time you actually spend on social media and let’s do some basic math:

Daily Amount of hours on social media: Times x365 to get the year. If you continue at this rate for the next 60 year years. Here is what you could have accomplished:

If we take an average of 2 hours per day times 365 then times 60 we get 43,800 hours which is 260 weeks or ⅔ of a year.

In that time you could have finished a PhD, save enough money to buy a car or invest in a house.

Take note of all the things you could have accomplished and then ask yourself whether you’d be proud of yourself at the end of your life to look back and see what you could have accomplished if you have been able to get less distracted.

4. Replace the habit

Now that we have defined our challenge and what we can achieve if we overcame our bad habits, it’s time to use this energy to build new habits!

Building new habits requires a couple of critical ingredients:

The first is productivity. Working on accomplishing a goal will give you the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. The goal is to replace as much of your dopamine hits from social media with the satisfaction of achieving goals. If you need help with productivity, we have the top productivity hacks to stay focused and the top productivity coaches blogs.

Next, since achieving your goals is like being challenging, you want to make sure you can stay motivated. We have written our ultimate guide to staying motivated for your benefit. Motivation is like holding water in your hand, squeezing it doesn’t work. You need to learn to recover and give yourself time to replenish your energy levels.

Lastly, replacing the habit of scrolling social media is a great time management skill! We highly recommend managing your time by blocking extended periods of deep work.

One approach is to get inspired by the best books on focus such as Atomic Habits (here are some Atomic Habits quotes) or you can read any of Cal Newport's books, such a Deep Work by Cal Newport.

5. Set time limits

If you’re taking a break to go on Social media, take note of the time and set an alarm or time for a maximum of 20 minutes. Not to keep tooting our own horn but BeTimeful helps you set limits so your phone has no social media until you need a timed break.

6. Turn off Notifications for prolonged periods

Push notifications make it harder to focus. With constant reminders and interruptions, social media pulls you back into scrolling. Turning off all notifications except emails can ensure less distraction and increased focus. Try out BeTimeful which has a unique feature of enabling focus mode instead of website blocking that takes out.

7. Detox with a friend

A dopamine detox is another good way to get a handle on your social media consumption. You can learn more about what a dopamine detox is here. A great idea is to do a dopamine detox challenge. This will help you to take control on the habitual need to get your dopamine hit from social media. Extra support makes quitting easier. Tagging along with a friend or buddy to accomplish this activity will make you more accountable and smoothen the process. One is more likely to stick to the goals with a buddy to lean on. Check out Top 7 productivity Tools and Apps for Students (2022) for helpful tips.

8. Practice Mindfulness

Practicing mindfulness not only helps with stress management but also helps with being more conscious and mindful about what we do and where we invest our time. There are many videos that can help you relax and calm down. Check out Top 18 time management tools for more information on organizing your schedule.

9. Assign Physical Reminders

Combat the urge to dive into the digital deluge with simple, yet effective physical cues. Wrapping a rubber band around your phone can act as a tactile reminder of your commitment to limit social media use. This method, akin to the concept of a string around the finger, is a tried-and-true technique to prompt mindfulness. Moreover, embellishing your device with stickers or setting a motivational quote as your lock screen can serve as a visual nudge towards your goal of reducing social media distraction. If the habitual impulse to scroll is what you're battling, these small changes can create a big impact in checking your impulses and supporting your journey to understand what causes social media addiction.

10. Get a Real Alarm Clock

In our always-connected world, it's tempting to start and end our day in the same way: with screens. By reverting to a real alarm clock, you sidestep the siren call of notifications that lead to unintentional mornings spent on social media. This change is more than nostalgic—it's strategic. It places boundaries on your digital time and is a significant step towards embracing a life with no social media. Waking up with an alarm clock instead of your phone can greatly minimize the urge to engage in social media distraction and is a practical approach to beginning your social media detox.

11. Embrace Self-Care

Elevate self-care to the forefront of your priorities. By dedicating time to personal reflection, you can explore and develop your interests and hobbies. Whether it's fulfilling your reading list, commencing a fitness regimen, or engaging in volunteer work, these activities enrich your life beyond the screen. They're not just pastimes—they're investments in your well-being. Engaging in these acts of self-care can be a cornerstone in overcoming instagram addiction and is a testament to the joys of a digital detox. Take pride in the moments you reclaim for yourself; these are the steps that foster resilience against the lure of social media addiction and encourage a healthy, balanced life.

12. Tackle one social media platform at a time

Tackling social media addiction and distraction is not an easy task. We recommend tackling on platform at a time. If you want to know how to stop watching youtube or you are addicted to YouTube, this guide is for you. We recommend download BeTimeful to remove YouTube's Shorts or recommended videos.

Instagram: Instagram addiction can be notoriously hard to handle - however, with BeTimeful you can remove the newsfeed so you slowly reduce the habit of geting the dopamine hit from opening instagram. Wi

The benefits of breaking free from social media addiction will help you realize how much more is there to achieve and you will start embracing your life. Check out Break Social Media Addiction with a free browser extension! If you are thinking of starting your digital detox journey. Or, try out BeTimeful to experience the phenomenal shift in your browsing activity. If BeTimeful's News Feed Blocker is not enough reduce your screen time consider reading this review of Atomic Habits by James Clear or this summary of Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Sources:

Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. J. (2014). Social work and social Media: Online Help-seeking and the mental well-being of adolescent males. British Journal of Social Work, 46(1), 257-276. doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcu130

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