Have you ever felt depressed while scrolling through Facebook? Or completely inadequate while wasting time on Instagram? Lately, I’ve been feeling a lot of both. 

So I took matters into my own hands, and deleted the Facebook and Instagram apps from my phone. 

I’ve been taking a break from social media since mid last week. My accounts are still active, but the compulsion to constantly open the apps is gone. I still have both Facebook and Instagram installed on my iPad, so my access isn’t completely removed, but I check them maybe once a day, if at all.

And it’s one of the best feelings in the world. I almost feel like leaving it this way for good. 

You may be wondering why I did it. 

So, why did I do it?

Let me start this off by saying this isn’t the first time I’ve done this. I do this from time to time, usually, when I’m going through some kind of rough patch in my own life.

When I find myself checking Facebook or Instagram compulsively, and scrolling mindlessly, gaining absolutely nothing from the experience besides a bad mood, I know it’s time to take a break. 

Somehow, when my mood is a bit low, seeing other people’s updates and photos, only makes me feel worse. Does everyone have it better than I do? It sure seems that way. It can all feel extremely one sided, and even the occasional “like” or comment on something I post doesn’t spark enough dopamine to counter it.

Social media is a funny thing. It supposedly connects all of us, and gives us a tool to interact with each other easily. But, from my experience, it often just adds to my feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even the more ‘real’ posts leave me feeling emptier, and it comes to a point where I have to physically set myself boundaries as an act of self care. 

So, did deleting the Facebook and Instagram apps help?

I can only speak for myself, but without a doubt, it did. It was refreshing and relaxing not to have fingertip-access to those apps this week. I found I could actually think about myself, and try to provide what I needed without the distraction of the constant scrolling. 

Facebook and Instagram feed on comparison in an almost subliminal way. But it gets under your skin, nevertheless. Once that was eliminated, I was physically able to focus on myself, and my own needs. And the background noise of everyone else’s stories was gone, leaving me with much needed quiet and calm. 

Even if I do reinstall Facebook and Instagram on my phone, I really hope I’ve learnt enough from this experience to not fall into the same old traps. 

Someone once told me that the telephone was invented for the caller’s convenience, not the receiver’s. In other words, the person receiving the call shouldn’t feel compelled to answer, but can instead decide if it’s convenient for them or not. 

I’m choosing to rethink social media in this way. If it was invented for the user’s convenience, surely I should benefit from it? 

One thing’s for sure, I don’t want to ever go back to being a slave to Facebook or Instagram. 

The power in how I use them is mine. It’s time I claimed it back.