Hey, I’m a drummer wanting to become a session musician but I don’t like social media and only use it for my drumming but I’m addicted to it. I post on stories constantly and always look back to see who saw it and likes it. Seriously I’m on it all the time and post about me playing drums on the time with no views or likes and it makes me depressed. Now I want out of it cause it makes me anxious but I have a couple of group chats on there and I always find my way back. Please help me out on what to do. Thanks!

Okay so this has been an on going battle for the last year or so now. Sorry, this will be long. I really need help and advice. I feel like I'm starting to look stupid now.

October 2023-February 2024 I was off of all socials and honestly guys it was the best thing I ever did. I never felt more free and had no anxiety. Just for context I really only use Instagram and Snapchat. I deleted Twitter October 2023 permanently, and TikTok back in 2020 (will never look back, that app is the devil lol).

However, March 2024 came around and I got the bug again. So I told myself I was ready to go back and I did. Now the first few weeks were fine, but I slowly found myself back deep into where I was before October 2023. Now this year I got married, bought a home, had a bridal shower, bachelorette etc... Now even though all these things were lowkey, I suddenly felt the urge to have to share it all online. All my friends are on it and were sharing and I wanted to be included, so I kept it all throughout these events which brings me to August 2024.

August 2024, I felt fed up again and deactivated once again. I was off for a few weeks when I thought maybe the solution was that I could create a new account and just keep a certain amount of people on there. Kinda like a burner account? I felt excited about it and I did it. As of right now I have only 60 people and it won't really grow from there. First few weeks felt fine, but then my wedding came in October and I was GLUED. I wanted to see what everyone was posting about my wedding, and I hated that I spent time caring and looking, and also sharing my own pics when 90% of those 60 people were at the wedding!!! I even put my profile on public if other people wanted to see like who am I? I am not the main character lol nobody cares

Well now that all those things are over, and I made this new account, I want off and I think I want off for good this time. No new accounts. No trying again. I want off and gone. I feel stupid now because I've deactivated so many times, made a new account, and now potentially going to delete again. I guess no one cares but I feel stupid. What do I do? It makes me so anxious but it also does make me anxious that I will really be out of the loop. There are some accounts that are inspirational that I do like following, but it is what it is.

I've tried to put my phone away by 8pm and not look at it in the morning until I'm ready for work and heading out the door. I really want my time to be spent on other things. I love music, reading, bible study, walking, hiking, crafts.... but I feel like such an odd ball since everyone else in my life is glued to social media and their phone.

Any words or any advice would be so helpful. I really want to make a decision for January 1st and start clean. Thank you and sorry for the super wordy story.

earlier today I was looking at my time spent on my phone, something I've been doing a lot, and I noticed it said I spent 40 minutes on the alarm clock app. After a bit of thinking, I realized it was because I accidentally set an alarm for when I'm usually at work, so I wasn't home to turn it off, and it just beeped on and on and on. Underneath the time spent on the app, there was a message asking if I wanted to set a restriction for the alarm clock. I thought, "that's so silly, there's nothing to do in that app. It's just to set up alarms." And then it clicked on me. Every app should be like that. Every app should have a reason to use it, and when that activity was done, you're done using the app. That's how it used to be, but now that corporations profit off of our attention and time, everything you do in every app is stretched to its maximum amount of time. They don't want you to do the thing and leave the app. That's why we need to delete for good every social media app, or have a really strict way of using it.

Curious if anyone here incorporates physical minimalism into their lifestyle along with digital minimalism.

Do you find that focusing on one makes it easier to manage the other? For example, has reducing physical clutter made you more mindful of your digital habits, or vice versa? I’d love to hear how the two approaches intersect for you.

Thinking about adopting it as well.

So I recently started a social media detox. I literally deleted all main social media. The first couple days were rough. I had to download the apps back so in other words it was a relapse. But then on the 9th I decided to try again. This time it was different I felt more relaxed and determined to achieve this goal I set for 3 months without social media. However I want to achieve more and use a dumb phone/ flip phone instead. I live with my grandparents and they say why don’t you just keep your phone. Blah blah blah. But I’ve seen on YouTube and articles, people are actually enjoying no smart phone. I really would love to go back to have a flip phone truthfully. I could use my laptop for main technology stuff, possibly use my social media on there.

Used to spend a lot of time scrolling on short form videos. Instagram I could delete, so that was simple enought, but youtube was way harder to limit. But I found something that actually makes the app nice to use.

If you delete your watch history and then disable it, youtube has no idea what to recommend to you. The Shorts tab literally stops working, the main page has nothing but a search bar. If don't subscribe to a bunch of junk, youtube has nothing worthless to show you by default.

Sometimes I still catch myself opening youtube, kind of looking for that dopamine hit and just find a blank page with a search bar. You don't end up on an endless loop of worthless garbage if you actually have to search for it.

Even if you search for something and then click on a short, youtube will show you that short and allow you to scroll like, 3 more videos before giving up on recommending anything.

In order to disable your watch history, go to the setting on the youtube app, and then Your data on Youtube. You'll find there the options to both disable and delete your previous watch history.

It is as of now 12:38 and I meant to get off at 8:45. Is there such thing as an extension that automatically shuts your computer off at a set time? If my PC just blacked out I don't think I'd turn it back on.

For a couple years now I've mostly been reliant on social media sites in order to get my news. Only when I'm really interested in something will I actually read a major news publication about it. Does anyone know any websites or apps that I could use just to get a basic idea on what's happening in the news which isn't overly biased?

Kinda a rant but I've been increasingly concerned of the ecochamber of politics on social media. I feel like there's no variation of beliefs and people often leave out facts to push their own narrative. Which I guess happens in written media as well but to a lesser extent. Idk

Also pls ignore the typo on the title I can't fix it

Can anybody recommend a good android app and website blocker that doesn't require accessibility permissions?

I've tried using AppBlock on my current phone but the accessibility permission keeps turning off and every fix I've found doesn't seems to work.

I'm in dire need as my ADHD makes self regulating usage really difficult. Thanks!

If anyone has a recommendation for extensions on any browser that blocks websites after a certain number of visits you put yourself, please let me know!

Anyone using such combo? I’m using my work iPhone as the only device right now, due to boredom in work I scroll way too much. I’m thinking about using phone only for navigation, camera, music and communication and buying iPad for enterntainment but in more mindful way. I think it would be easier to drop tablet in a drawer than a phone that I need for my work.

For anyone that has completely given up social do you have tips for keeping up on local events. I really like that aspect of being on Facebook but I would like to completely get rid of my account.

I have struggled with a phone addiction ever since I had gotten one (13) and I am now 20 and I am truly realizing the affects it has had on my life. However , each time I have tried to stop I just relapse. I have given myself two options and its either to buy a flip phone or dumb my phone down. The issue is, with how bad this addiction is I am scared to dumb my phone down as I feel like I would have to urge to revert it every hour. However, with a flipphone, it would be harder to keep contact with friends and family when they need me in case of any emergency. I need advice on how to go around this and if anyone has ever gone through similar things or what works best for them.

I have a lot of stuff because I always want to be prepared for sudden waves of boredom, which come to me often. This is a photo of all the stuff I carry around with me, not usually all at the same time though. I usually have a couple of pencils with me, but my fudgin badass wizard wand stick took their place, so they couldn't fit into the photo. But I usually carry mechanical pencils with me too, and a digital camera (that I took this photo with). I have had my flip phone (Nokia 2780 Flip) for a few months now, and I don't see myself ever switching back to a smartphone. Ever since I got rid of it, I've felt better and more productive, and I read a lot too, which I didn't do much at all when I had a smartphone....Thank you for reading all of this, and I wish you good luck on your life journeys!!!:-) Edit: I edited it cos I couldn't see the pic, sorry.

https://preview.redd.it/kxvul9aqm56e1.jpg?width=3178&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3b2dd76342031c3e2cc100ebbbc1849bb29d24c4

I am deleting Facebook, Instagram, Facebook Messenger and Tik Tok till March 18 ( probably deleting Tik Tok forever), and dating apps.

Advice for a 30 year old that has been locked in on all of these things for 15 years, who is quitting cold turkey? It feels weird since most connections I have made these days came from the internet! 🛜

I have too many devices and I feel extreme tech overload. I want to simplify. These are the following items I have and how I want to consolidate:

1. iPhone SE 2020 (since 2020)
2. MacBook Air laptop 2021 (had it since 2022, was actually a gift from work so didn’t spend on it)
3. Apple Watch series 9 (since March 2024)
4. iPad Air 2022 model (since March 2024)

I want to sell them all, get the biggest iPhone I can find to use as a tablet and phone in 1, and a kindle for reading. So essentially I want to trade all these for 2 devices. I’m scared I’ll regret it. Honestly I’m not using the laptop or Apple Watch at all. I use the tablet several times a week and the phone daily. If you’ve done this, do you miss any gadgets?

I didn't know how else to phrase the question. I already ordered my dumbphone and it's getting here by Christmas

I've been lurking through this subreddit and r/dumbphones where people post their "set up"

And I've seen some common items pop up: -notebook/diary -pocket knife/multi tool -MP3s -cameras

I assume the MP3 is because dumbphones have very little memory and some don't even have earphones plug, and the camera is for the same reason: limited memory

What are some other items you think are very useful?

How To Reinvent Your Life In 4 Months (My Full Step-By-Step Process) | Cal Newport

I'm trying to escape the trap of using my phone immediately when I wake up. As such, I'm very interested in a physical alarm clock. However, as a college student, my wake up time differs substantially throughout the week depending on what classes I have that day. As the title implies, I would really like an alarm clock that lets me set individual alarms for each day of the week.

I do not need advice on changing my sleep schedule, I need a clock that actually works for my needs. Which is really hard to find for some reason. The only viable option I've found so far has been the Sony ICF-C303, but you can only find them on eBay, generally in so-so condition. I would really like a modern clock that I can sync to my phone, but if I have to set it manually, that's okay too. I don't really want a smart speaker, either, especially because I intend on leaving my phone downstairs while I sleep and I don't know if the Bluetooth range would work.

Am I being too picky? It seems really difficult to find what I think is a fairly simple product.

While phone addiction isn’t currently classified as a disorder in the DSM-5, it’s becoming increasingly clear that excessive phone/internet use shares many characteristics with recognized behavioral addictions.

By adapting the framework for determining other addictive behaviors, I’ve created this handy self-assessment so that you can be more conscious of your own relationship with technology, and (if needed) use the results to create an action plan for how to approach your use more intentionally.

https://open.substack.com/pub/apolloanderson/p/am-i-addicted-to-my-phone?r=m1j0d&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

NOTE: I am not a medical professional, and the results of this self-assessment are not intended to provide a medical diagnosis or replace professional advice. This tool is designed for personal reflection and awareness of potential behaviors associated with phone overuse.

Hi, i've(18F) been trying to be less dependent on my phone lately. I haven't used social media for the past 6+ months(maybe more, didn't really count). Never went phonefree tho. Yesterday i tried not using my phone or pc for a day. Experience itself wasn't really hard, i just had fun with my hobbies which made me really happy, seeing my progress. What was terrifying tho, was that how dependent i was to the phone itself. Not like craving dopamine style but *actually* dependent.

I couldn't check the time because there isn't a clock in my room and i don't wear a watch, couldn't know the date if i forgot it because i don't have a calendar in my room, couldn't set an alarm before going to sleep because i don't have an alarm clock, had a hard time tuning my guitar because i am bad at tuning by ear and i don't have a tuner and always used a tuner app up until this point, couldn't find references for things to draw without pinterest, etc. The list can go on but this was so unsettling for me.

Made me remember the reason why smartphones became so popular. "They have everything on them", which is a dangerous sentence. Because once you put **everything** on a device that's as small as your hand, it becomes dangerous. You become reliant on it and once it's gone, poof. You can't do shit. This was really eye opening for me, i'm looking to buy a watch, a tuner/metronome(while learning to play by ear),a calendar and i have already bought an alarm clock. We really shouldn't let these things take over our lives.

Stay safe and offline.

I said I was going to detox from reddit, but here I am. I need help. BAD.

I think about Reddit all day long. On my lunch break at work, I go to my car to check my phone because I can't have my phone in the building or on me during work. I don't even have the app on my on my phone but I waste practically my whole break refreshing the reddit home feed on my browser. It is pathetic.

Then when I get home, I spend most of the evening on reddit doing the same thing...constantly refreshing. I don't have any other social media besides discord but I don't find it addicting.

It's 5 am and I can't sleep (I work 2nd so don't have to get up super early but I have stuff to do before work) . I think my excessive reddit and internet use has really fucked up my sleep schedule and I feel sleepy all throughout the day recently. My therapist has not been helpful in helping me regulate my internet use. I keep her because she helps me in other areas.

I think I love the social aspect of reddit the most. I love posting excessively and receiving validation.

Anyone have any words of encouragement for me? I am kinda afraid to leave reddit permanentaly but need to leave for a while to focus on goals and try to develop hobbies. I just feel like reddit is where I can speak my mind and my inner thoughts.