Back in September when I ranted about my instagram problems I decided to stop using instagram on my phone only. And I’m happy to report back that it was surprisingly easy to not install it again. I go weeks without thinking about it. When I end up opening the app on my tablet it feels more intentional, almost like I’m giving consent into mindless scrolling. I know what I’m getting into and it never goes for too long. After a big detox, now when I do browse the infinity scroll I can’t help but cringe at the amount of ads blasted everywhere! The friction becomes too big and I just close it and do something else.

The pressure of being seen online (show what I am doing, what I’m eating, where I’m traveling) to show that I exist has disappeared. I have shifted to more personal connections with a few dear friends. A friend recently travelled to Japan and instead of swiping the stories I asked her about her trip while she was there. We talked and shared tips and even asked for photos. It was nice to connect deeper than just a swipe to next story interaction. Another friend went on a trip to Alaska and I got a full tour of their adventure.

One downside is the isolation. Since I decided to swim against the current, it’s up to me to reach out to friends and catch up. A skill that social media has damaged more than I thought. Back in elementary school it was so easy to just call someone’s land line ask to speak with ‘A’ and spend hours on the phone. I thought I was going to be fine since I do have a couple of friends that still enjoy talking on the phone, but I find it hard to reach out. I’m still working on this barrier I would like to add more friends to the phone rotation.

But I’m happy with my decision and will see if I can keep it going for all of 2026.

M