Breaking Social Media Addiction: My Year Without Facebook

Before I begin this blog, ✨ I wanted to share something I'm really proud of. I haven't fallen into the trap of TikTok, the 21st century's biggest time-suck!
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This November will mark my 10th anniversary on Facebook. ヾ( ˃ᴗ˂ )◞ • *✰ A decade ago, I created my account, and while it initially served as a source of entertainment and connection with unexpected friends, ٩(^ᗜ^ )و '- I soon found myself spending an excessive amount of time mindlessly scrolling through content. ( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) 

As I've matured, 🧑🏻 I've become more aware of my social media habits and begun to question the value I derive from them. 🤔 Facebook, particularly, no longer seems to contribute to my overall sense of fulfillment. ˙◠˙ It had become my default activity for boredom, almost like a bad habit. 😕

Facebook was a great way to share videos and show what I can do. ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ But it also took up a lot of my time. ⌛ Facebook is just a company doing its business, 🧐 but it's up to me to control how I use it. 🤓 That's why I'm trying a year without Facebook to break free from my attachment to the platform.
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I've tried a social media detox before, but even after months, I relapsed and got addicted again. It's truly difficult because nowadays, most of my schoolwork and communication happen online. I need to be on social media to stay informed.

While I tried detoxing before and relapsed after a month, I decided to take it more seriously this time. I knew I needed an accountability buddy. Last year, I reached out to Jushua, my trustworthy high school best friend who knows me well.

My plan was to have him change my Facebook password. When my account is accessible, my feed seems to know exactly what I want to see, keeping me glued to it. By locking down my profile, I wouldn't be able to log in and spend excessive time on Facebook.

Here's the compromise: Joshua will keep my Messenger login active, allowing me to stay connected with friends. Unfortunately, there's no way to lock down Messenger without completely isolating myself. I am not a cave man, lol.

So, Jushua now holds the reins to my profile and password. Here's the real challenge: I've offered him ₱10,000 if I reset the password. While I don't have that much money readily available, I'm determined to pay him if I break the agreement.

This shows how serious I am about this. I started this challenge in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Last year was a struggle. I found myself habitually checking my mom's Facebook, my sister's Facebook - as soon as I got home. Thankfully, the pull of the platform wasn't as strong.

Over time, I managed to switch to using only Facebook Messenger, even though it meant missing out on school information shared by classmates. At one point, I even considered installing the discontinued Lite version of Messenger. Since it wasn't available on the Play Store, I'd have had to download an APK file online, which can be risky. However, I knew the limited features of the Lite version would make it less addictive. The original Messenger seems designed to be addictive, with features like stories and highlights that can easily eat up your time.

Luckily, before starting the challenge, I unfriended a significant number of people, bringing my friend list down from 2,500 to 500. This helped reduce the amount of content in my feed.

I Conqured Facebook, Now YouTube's Got Me!

I managed to drastically reduce my Facebook addiction, but YouTube has become my new challenge. It's so addictive that I often get sucked into a rabbit hole while searching for a specific tutorial.

To combat this, I've made "Fliptop" videos my go-to when feeling bored. This way, I can limit myself to that content.

A tip I picked up from others trying to be productive on YouTube is to focus on long-form content. These videos are generally more genuine and informative compared to short-form ones that keep you hooked with constant cliffhangers and scrolling.

Yesterday, it was interesting - I started watching a video tutorial from a short-form content creator. Just two minutes in, the fast-paced editing exhausted me! It felt more like entertainment than actual learning. You just watch instead of watching and learning.

Humans are naturally drawn to easy solutions. Our brains favor energy conservation, seeking out actions that require less effort. Completing tasks, even simple ones, triggers dopamine release, a neurotransmitter tied to pleasure and reward, motivating us to repeat the behavior. Additionally, life's inherent stresses can push us towards easier paths to manage our emotional well-being.

Social media capitalizes on this desire perfectly. It provides a constant stream of easily digestible content – scrolling requires minimal effort compared to more demanding activities. Furthermore, social media feeds often showcase a curated version of people's lives, creating an illusion that everyone else has it easier. Platforms also leverage instant gratification by offering likes, comments, and shares for minimal effort, further reinforcing the preference for immediate rewards over delayed ones.

While the desire for ease serves us in some ways, social media's easy entertainment can come at a cost. Constant exposure to short-form content can shorten attention spans, making it harder to focus on complex tasks. Comparing our reality to others' highlights can breed feelings of inadequacy. Additionally, social media can become a procrastination tool, delaying more important tasks.

We're human, and sometimes our emotions can get the best of us, influencing our decisions. That's why having someone to hold us accountable or help set boundaries can be incredibly valuable.

While achieving a perfect social media detox might be tough in today's world, it's definitely possible to create healthier boundaries. Let's all strive to be more mindful of our online activities and make the most of each day.

Last night, Facebook caught me using the Lite version and wouldn't let me access the platform. I needed to use Messenger itself to check my messages, so I installed it. Thinking my login information was saved, I almost went through the reset password process (which would have cost me the ₱10,000 bet with Joshua!). Luckily, I stopped myself in time.

Fortunately, Jushua was free to meet up this morning. We met at 5:30 AM by the provincial capitol, and he helped me log in to Messenger. Haha, this challenge has definitely made me do some crazy things! But that's alright, I'm working on self-improvement, and even this craziness is hopefully helping me become the better person I want to be.