Not long ago, people said they would run away from Instagram. Before that, it was Facebook.
With every social-media controversy, people talk about getting their accounts closed forever. Only a few actually do. Roughly 70% of Americans will use social media in 2021, according to a Pew Research Center survey, stagnant for five years. In February, Meta Platforms Inc. reported that Facebook’s daily active users had fallen for the first time in at least a decade, but said on Wednesday that the population was rising again.
Social-media apps are designed to keep people coming back. The dopamine rush that comes from other people’s choices can make you feel celebratory. But there is a downside. Constant exposure to other people’s lives can affect your body image, sleep, anxiety levels, and productivity.
“Those feelings drive people to think about how much time they want to spend on social media,” said Kate Rosenblatt, senior clinical manager at TalkSpace, an online therapy company.
Many people who have given up on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram say they are happier with it, but they also feel they miss some things. Here’s what they want others to know—both the good and the bad.
Withdrawals fade quickly.
When you’re used to checking an app every day or several times a day, you sometimes open the app without thinking and scroll through your feed.
Artist Kimberly Cutty, 28, said, “I was so immersed in negative memes, clapbacks and spirals of conflict that I noticed on Twitter that when I first left, my muscle memory made me want to open the app and start scrolling. asked for.” in North Hollywood, Calif., who left the stage in April 2021.
She said, “I got over that within a week. I’d just put my phone away. And before I knew it, I couldn’t feel the urge to scroll and see what was happening in the world.” “
You are still connected to the world.
Social media started out as a way to connect with friends, but the platforms evolved into being a place for companies and people to share news and politics—Mr. Musk called Twitter the “real city square” of the world. But with that growing role came misinformation and other issues. Cutting social media out of your life may prompt you to find other sources of news. And just because you’re not on Facebook doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on big cultural moments and trends.
“I came to Twitter in 2008 because it was a different and newer communication method,” said Christopher Britton, 34, who runs a marketing business in Inlet Beach, Fla. “At the time, I was worried about not happening. – Relevant said.” He deleted his Twitter account in 2011, and is now reported via Reddit, Apple News, and other sources.
“And my Messages app is as good as any social-networking site when I keep in touch with people I know,” Mr Britton said.
the people are nice.
You don’t have to be on social media long enough to encounter Facebook rants or Twitter feuds, where you know they communicate differently in person. When you don’t see those posts and interact with people in real life, your views may change.
“When you’re behind a keyboard wall, it’s very easy to post rude content,” said JJ Garcia, 54, a business analyst in New Braunfels, Texas. But in person, to talk about your neighbors Seems less inclined to do that stuff. And you can connect with them better when you’re not seeing all their opinions online.”
You may have trouble sending or donating money.
On Facebook, you can add your payment information to buy and sell items on Marketplace, send money to family on Messenger, and donate directly to causes. Leaving Facebook could make it more cumbersome, said Bobby Buchler, a 57-year-old retired high-school teacher from Las Vegas who left the social network in 2019.
“On Twitter, I follow organizations that save dogs. And they post on Facebook to donate, or link to posts they make on Facebook,” Mr. Buchler said. “But I just can’t see it because I don’t want to be on Facebook.”
People don’t remember you—or don’t remember your birthday.
Kristen Womack was active on Facebook and Instagram, running groups, sharing articles and running a small-business account. But when he left Facebook in 2016 and Instagram in 2020, it went unnoticed.
“Not a single person said, ‘Oh, wow, I don’t see you on Facebook or Instagram anymore. I miss you,'” said Ms. Womack, 42, product manager at Microsoft Corp. in Minneapolis. “Once you leave the party, it’s like you’re not left out.”
And those birthday reminders and comments on your Facebook wall? Say goodbye to them Although it might not be a bad thing to do so.
“There are 300 people on Facebook on my birthday, and then you have to respond to and like random people’s comments,” said Verlin Campbell, a 42-year-old IT project manager in Los Angeles. “Now my conversations are more real. On my birthday, like 20 people messaged me. I’m happy with that.”
You feel more productive.
Quitting social media gives you more free time—sometimes there’s more to do than you know.
“I was surprised to find out how much time I wasted scrolling. You hop on your computer to write, and it’s easy to delete,” said Lindsey Zeitzman. The 39-year-old online life coach in Willard, Minn., left Instagram in 2020.
“Now, in those intervening times when I have a few minutes, I read books, I’m more present with family, or I cook without picking up my phone,” she said.
Friends get lost.
Social media can make you feel like you’re in touch with people because you double-tapped a post, or someone commented on a photo of you. Once you leave, some of those relationships fade.
Oliver Murray, 18, of Fayetteville, Ark., said, “It hurts me to think about it. The freelance digital artist says she lost touch with some online friends when she deleted her Instagram account in 2019. Shares artwork on Tumblr, and Twitter, where they don’t feel pressured to post constantly.
“I got annoyed with all the superficial vanity posts,” he said. “I would go back to Instagram if Elon Musk ruined Twitter.”