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What it’s like to have a social media detox

theguardian.com

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Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#41

Post by amelius »

dijit wrote: post #4

Honestly, it's very difficult to cut social media. We like to tell ourselves that those who managed to quit (and are informing us of how bad it is) are being snobs or acting superior: but the truth is unfortunately that we are just feeling defensive of our inability cut the habit. I managed to get off of facebook and my mental health improved greatly, enough that I actually notice it. However, that was insanely hard…

> I can't quit because I feel like I'll be out of the loop

The main insight is that FOMO can apply to "a normal life without social media" too ...

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#42

Post by corobo »

It pains me to see a friend of mine constantly, just forever, in a depressed state. I do realise of course that social media isn't the only, or even probable, cause of depression in the first place but god damn does it keep you there!

Constantly getting wound up over rage bait material. The people posting these things literally did it that way so that you have a passionate response and engage ffs! Anger is easier to manufacture than happiness and you fall for it every time!

I used to call it as I saw it whenever they tried to share the rage with me but I realised all that was doing was making them dislike talking to me. At least the attempts to share the rage with me stopped.

Pull the thorn out of your brain and you might not be so pissed off and miserable all the time!

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#43

Post by TheCondor »

dijit wrote: post #4

Honestly, it's very difficult to cut social media. We like to tell ourselves that those who managed to quit (and are informing us of how bad it is) are being snobs or acting superior: but the truth is unfortunately that we are just feeling defensive of our inability cut the habit. I managed to get off of facebook and my mental health improved greatly, enough that I actually notice it. However, that was insanely hard…

I wish you the best.

I do pick up on the part about Twitter leaving you feeling angry. Is that due to conflict or politics or something? Do you like to feel angry? It’s just an observation but I think that feeling may be key

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#44

Post by suprfnk »

dijit wrote: post #4

Honestly, it's very difficult to cut social media. We like to tell ourselves that those who managed to quit (and are informing us of how bad it is) are being snobs or acting superior: but the truth is unfortunately that we are just feeling defensive of our inability cut the habit. I managed to get off of facebook and my mental health improved greatly, enough that I actually notice it. However, that was insanely hard…

Cutting out WhatsApp and losing connection with half of your family, vs cutting Twitter/Tiktok/Instagram and losing connection with random people on the internet.

In my opinion, that's the wrong way around.

I specifically have Telegram and WhatsApp to keep in touch with family & friends. I specifically don't use those other websites because of the reasons you mention.

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#45

Post by rvz »

Like what I said yesterday, the only solution is to delete your social media accounts. [0]

The solution is obvious but perhaps the digital crack / cocaine is so addictive to many, I don't think people have the guts to delete their accounts let alone avoid the site in the first place.

Until you are off of social media, then you can see that you are not missing out on anything. If celebrities can do that, what is your excuse?

The mistake one can do is to open another account or attempt to replace it with another, which solves absolutely nothing.

[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34161859

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#46

Post by d_watt »

contravariant wrote: post #36
vladvasiliu wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a sibling said, I'm not sure WhatsApp is "social media". To me (a very occasional user), it's just a messenger (which may come with strings attached since it belongs to facebook, but still). Am I missing something? Other than that, on what do you think you'll miss out, especially since whatever you're looking at leaves you angry? As someone who never really got hooked into facebook nor twitter [0], I don't get the…

There's probably some linguistic confusion surrounding the word 'media'. WhatsApp is without a doubt a medium for social activity, in the same way that telephone lines and the postal service are. However 'media' has kind of stopped being the plural for 'medium' and is now a term on its own. This means you can interpret also social media to mean the social exchange of information media, though perhaps it is more accur…

Moreover, I'd say "social media" has also stopped being a term where the component words matter. I'd argue in today's society "social media" itself is a standalone noun referring to many-to-many internet platforms where you are able to see other's content without an active subscription (as opposed to messengers, RSS, etc).

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#47

Post by europeanguy »

dijit wrote: post #4

Honestly, it's very difficult to cut social media. We like to tell ourselves that those who managed to quit (and are informing us of how bad it is) are being snobs or acting superior: but the truth is unfortunately that we are just feeling defensive of our inability cut the habit. I managed to get off of facebook and my mental health improved greatly, enough that I actually notice it. However, that was insanely hard…

WhatsApp isn't social media

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#48

Post by Tycho »

Going to give everyone some frank advice.

Instagram and TikTok - Delete this nonsense if you have any self respect. Why would you, a grown adult, be engaging with a platform where people share information via frivolous pictures and video clips.

Facebook - Yes you should have a Facebook account, and you should use it to stay in touch and up to date with friends and family. You should log in every few days and “like” some posts, give people a little bit of validation which they’ll appreciate. Occasionally post a holiday snap or a funny anecdote.

Whatsapp - women probably should not join whatsapp groups (except immediate family), but it is a good medium for banter among male friends.

Twitter - It’s reasonable to spend a lot of time reading Twitter, given the quality of content and its primacy in global discourse. You must disable “media preview” so that it’s text-only by default. Your account should be anonymous, or at least, not obviously associated with your real name and real identity, given that it’s public by default. In general it’s a mistake to become too invested in your online persona - I suspect most social media addicts make this mistake. Contribute sparingly. Forget “the algorithm” - carefully curate your feed and unfollow anyone with a bad signal-to-noise ratio, or who tweets excessively.

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#49

Post by schipplock »

Tycho wrote: post #48

Going to give everyone some frank advice. Instagram and TikTok - Delete this nonsense if you have any self respect. Why would you, a grown adult, be engaging with a platform where people share information via frivolous pictures and video clips. Facebook - Yes you should have a Facebook account, and you should use it to stay in touch and up to date with friends and family. You should log in every few days and “like” s…

  > You should log in every few days and “like” some posts, give people a little bit of validation with they’ll appreciate. Occasionally post a holiday snap or a funny anecdote.
why? :(

Re: What it’s like to have a social media detox

#50

Post by kranke155 »

Tycho wrote: post #48

Going to give everyone some frank advice. Instagram and TikTok - Delete this nonsense if you have any self respect. Why would you, a grown adult, be engaging with a platform where people share information via frivolous pictures and video clips. Facebook - Yes you should have a Facebook account, and you should use it to stay in touch and up to date with friends and family. You should log in every few days and “like” s…

Women should not join WhatsApp groups because ?
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