How have you reduced your social media screen time? Tips & suggestions please ✌️
I'd love to know any strategies/methods that have *actually* worked for you in reducing your time on social media – particularly mindless reels scrolling.
Thank you!
Replies23
- 1. I set a timer on my iPhone (idk if you can do it on androids). Any time it goes beyond an hour of screen time in the day, the app is locked. Of course, I can cheat and unlock it but at least I am conscious about the time I’ve spent and that more than this is too much.2. I took the social apps off of the suggestions screen. So that I’m less tempted.3. Deleting the app from time to time also works sometimes.
- For reducing time on socials, I think the most effective strategy is to delete the apps. When I had seperate phones, I would only have social apps on my work phone, or I delete them and just re-download when I need to post. I prefer using the desktop version of apps, as then it feels like I'm using them on my own time frame. I also don't have notifications on for anything (whatsapp included). Hope thaht helps, Lex x
- Big fan of the one sec app. Gives you a pause to breathe while it really makes you question if you want to open a specific app again....https://one-sec.app/
- I decided what I needed to look at and what I didn’t.
- @Dorrell Merritt LOVE all of this and about creation of valued opportunities over possible missed opportunities on instagram/social media. :)Thanks for sharing!
- I might be a minority voice here, but the actual signing in and out of Instagram, changed the way I saw social media and took it back to a time when the internet, was not ubiquitous and addictive; when it was something you could only use in the comfort of your home, once a day, for a few hours. Also, I find not following many accounts, means that my feed isn't jam-packed with information and images. These days, I quite literally sign in once a week, have a look around, and sign out.I think that what I may have missed out on in terms of 'opportunities' and 'networking' on IG, I gained in creating work naturally, away from trends, algorithms and inflated egos, which in the long run has been way more valuable, and has worked wonders for my creativity and mental health.
- What helped and works well most of the time is:- Initially not having social media apps on my devices e.g. I don't have social media apps on my phone.- Making a conscious decision not use social media before 12 noon, doing this has helped me focus better and get in the right frame of mind in the mornings.
- @Dina Grishin Yes, definitely! :)Books are my new social media, the only thing is everyone seems to rely on SM so much and share opportunities there, it can often feel you're missing out by not engaging as much but they key is to limit the time, so still engage but for much more limited periods too!Certainly, I feel way clearer with less time online/screen time!Let me know how you get on.
- I find having very few social media accounts quite helpful. Perhaps curating or prioritising the types of content that you'd like to consume, or setting up a time limit on devices is always an option.
- put a screen time limit on your phone, if you have an iphone it will shut down after you have reached your daily limit
- @Linsey M We've got this! I have faith our detox will last.And I second your point about books. I've started reading more and it's much more satisfying than Instacrack haha.
- @Dina Grishin Pleasure, enjoy reading your newsletters :)Yes, feel the same about staying off devices and it is tricky to begin with but once you're out of the constant checking, gratification and being online, it gets way easier and clearer.Hope your detox lasts and mine too.For me, it feels so much better already by not having any social media on my phone. It was also a wake up of how much I would use it for the moments where I could be reading, listening to podcasts, contemplating or doing nothing!
- @Linsey M thank you for the mention! Yes, I had a profound experience going phone-free for 6 days and wrote about it in my newsletter here - https://preview.mailerlite.io/emails/webview/59418/98541443915712098I've come back from that phone detox and have found myself genuinely disinterested by my phone and its apps, which pre-holiday, would have felt like an impossible destination.I think weening ourselves off devices that have purposefully been made to be addictive is hard. It relies on will power.The way to go about it is by making phonefree existance super appealing and enticing.I stumbled upon this on my holiday when after a day of being without my phone, I started getting incredible creative ideas pop up in my head. It felt like they had always been there, but I had been prioritising staring at my phone rather than at my thoughts. And I needed those creative ideas in my business!Don't get me wrong, the first 24 hours weren't easy. I kept reaching for my phone and was worried that I would be bored.But then I just let myself be bored. I stared up at the clouds and just sat there contemplating life, and that's when the best ideas came to me.So now that I'm back, I have this desire to spend more time in contemplation rather than in my phone. I see my phone as a blocker between me and my creativity.Hoping this isn't the post holiday glow though and it'll last at least until the end of the year!I know not everyone can go phonefree for 6 days, but I reckon even a 24 hour phone fast would help!
- It is such a tricky one and I'm sure everyone has different ways of tackling it.Personally, social media is so enticing, its made that way, ways in which I limit it is• Recently removed all social media apps from my phone (and I'm debating removing emails too)• Only check social media on an ipad for a limited time• Put in time slots where I can use it - (as lets face it today, often it's used for business or connecting with friends). Half an hour/hour, whatever works for you but only do this at specific times 9-10am or 7-8pm etc.. but stick to them• Try to gently tell friends you don't use instgram or social media as much to connect but add alternatives so this limits screen time too.• Create habits of doing something else, take a note pad with you, a reading book or camera etc...Genuinely, as I have reduced social media scrolling, I feel a lot better and more present, less consumed by random stuff and happier to be reading more books too - so much better than flitting from this to that and concentrating on one thing more.Hope some of these help!Recently read @Dina Grishin newsletter on a similar subject outlining the benfits of less screen time. I'll dig it out.Have come across many other writing about the positives of less social media!Good luck and let me know what works for you.
- The most important thing EVER for me is to find tools to help me bring awareness.Screen Time has been a life saviour, it's free on iPhone and also other phones have great alternatives!I talk about my personal experience in here too BTW: https://altmarketingschool.com/phone-screen-time/
- This only works if you don't sync your apps across all media devices but I don't have any social media apps on my phone. I only have insta on my ipad which I keep at home so I can't mindlessly scroll when I am out and about.I also have notifications turned off. I think this is really helpful because when you see a message that says 'you have 3 new notifications' you can't help but be curious. It's like a pavlovian response. Most of the time it's really not important and it wouldn't have made a difference if you had just seen them 5 hours or even 5 days later. If you don't see the notifications at all that allows you to decide when you want to check the app, rather than be drawn in by curiosity and ending up scrolling for 20 minutes.I tried using the settings to limit my screen time to 15 min but you can always click ignore so that didn't work for me.
- Turning phone onto black and white mode helps reduce time on social.
- Hi BrendanI've used all the tricks, such as turning the phone screen black and white, putting apps to time control, moving app to the last screen and they didn't work for me.I've then put boundaries on using it: Mon to Sat 9am-8pm, and am taking time off outside these hours. Works so far, not every day is perfect but puts me in a habit. I also have notifications disabled.Why asking and what works for you?Kat
- I have done the following:1. Deleted accounts on platforms that were simply a chore with little or no reward2. Removed from my phone all apps which have a desktop equivelent3. Turned off notifications for all the remaining apps on the phone with the exception of a well known messaging app4. Limit when, and how long for, I access social media other than the one messaging appWhen people get annoyed about slow responses to messages, I gently remind them that other messaging methods are available, and work well 😄.Good luck with your mission!
- I bought a new phone. I haven't put any social media apps on it. I can use the old phone to check and post through wifi. I seem to have a lot more time to do other stuff like thinking. It's nice.
- I have an app blocker on my phone! I set it up so I only spend up to 20-minutes on Instagram a day. Any longer and it will block me from accessing it. This has been great to stop the endless scrolling.
- Hi BrendanThere is a trick to controlling how much time you spend on social media, and that is to turn it from a passive decision into an active decision.Let me explain,Have you heard of Parkinson’s Law? Whilst there is allot of stuff behind it as a theory created in 1955, what it simply states is:‘Work expands to fill the time available to it’It is as simple as it sounds if you are prepared to spend all your time at work it will fill all the time you give it irrespective of what you are doing. There is always enough work to fill the time you have – and you may become very inefficient in doing the work you need to do.Think of social media in the same way – if you let it fill your time (just as Parkinson demonstrated) it will take the time you give it – and more if you let it. There is always enough social media to fill the time you have available.So rather than passively sitting there scrolling through stuff – most of which of little or no benefit to you. Actively decide to manage it, give it a set time, know what you want to look at before you go on, turn off notifications so it’s not constantly crying for your attention. Make it something you do deliberately and also do so on your terms.Because now knowing Parkinson’s law – you know the consequences and what it will happen if you don’t.Gavin
- Download ScreenZen on iOS and Intention as a chrome extension. Can set it up to prompt you if you want to continue after 5 minutes or a set time. Useful trigger.
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