curbing the addiction

i'm stepping back from instagram and tiktok

I am actually addicted to my phone. I get these urges to just pick up my phone and start scrolling. My phone is all consuming and I am ready to start taking steps to get rid of this addiction.

I know what you are all syaing, “yay, another substack think piece on why phones and social media are bad” and you’re not wrong, but this is my version of the story and why I chose to put limits on my phone.

Short background: About a year ago, my best friend told me that she was leaving social media. Honestly, we lived in different states and yes we called and facetimed often, but we still sent each other videos and posts all the time. I wanted to get into social media marketing, so my brain was like “NO!! HOW WILL YOU BE CONNECTED?!?” but she said “well, I still have text and we can call each other.” I was like, “Well, yes!”

Fast forward a year and now I am in the same predicament. I found myself actually addicted to my phone. Scrolling on TikTok and Instagram for an embarrassingly long time. Hours… literal hours of scrolling on these apps. It was getting really scary, hours of my day wasted on mindless scrolling. So, I decided to start the process of getting rid of my social media. I don’t know if I will get rid of them permanently, but my goal is to get to a place where I don’t NEED to scroll, that I find myself writing and reading more, and that I am doing things that make my mind work!

The steps I am taking:

1. Focus on the app(s) that you really want to step away from.

   For me, my main focus was instagram. I am in a weird time in my twenties where everyone is either in a relationship, getting engaged, or travelling abroad. Instagram is the place where you go to post your “perfect life” the highlights of your life, its polished and clean. It was getting to me. I was comparing my life with others that are not in the same situation as me, people from my past that I don’t care about suddenly are making me upset. “Why do they get to travel? Why do they get to find love and be happy? Why do they get to glow up and look good?” these things circled my brain and it was getting unhealthy. If you want to see what I was thinking during that time, look at this post about fomo. I also wanted to get away from TikTok too, just because it was stealing my attention away from other things i love like reading and films.

fomo.

2. Set time limits on your phone.

Again, this is like a “duh” moment, but having that reminder and sticking to it really makes a difference. I set a 30 min per day limit on instagram and 2 hours for TikTok to start. After the first 2 weeks, I noticed that it still was a lot of time. I lowered the time on instagram to 15 mins and TikTok to an hour. I think after a few weeks of this, I will shorten both of them again, at least TikTok.

3. Be aware of other app usage.

I noticed that when I limited TikTok and instagram, I started using other apps like facebook more. So, I put a 15 minute limit on that too. It is important to fill time with things that are actually good for your brain and mental health:)

4. Slow and Steady wins the race.

I am not banning all social media app usage (at least not right now). I still allow myself to watch Youtube and of course, go on substack:) If I am watching a video, at least it is a long form video that is 8-15 minutes long. It’s not constantly scrolling, shortening the attention span. Substack allows me to read great independent articles, poems, short stories, essays, and more.

5. Stay Disciplined!

It is important to follow these rules for yourself. It is really hard, that’s why I am calling it a real addiction. I find myself reaching for my phone, wanting to click on the apps, wanted to “stay connected” but it’s for my betterment that I stay off the app, follow the limit I set, and turn my focus onto other activities.

This is not a perfect list, I am not an expert, but these are the steps I am doing to curb my social media addiction and trying to get back into physical media. Literacy is becoming a crisis and it is very scary for the future of our world! Kids cannot even read full length books because of the short attention span… this is a problem and I was a part of it (The Seattle Times)! It is important to make the necessary changes in your life so that you can live it to the fullest extent!

We were put on this world to create, to think, and to use our brains. It is my opinion that technology can be used as a tool, but it shouldn’t be the norm. For example, having a digital library to cite sources for an essay is a great use of technology. Using Chat GPT to write the essay, is not a great use of technology, it’s not just bad, it’s damaging. I remember spending HOURS trying to find the perfect source to help argue my point. Sifting and reading academic journals and articles challenged my brain and let me absorb so much knowledge and information! We need to go back to basics, pick up a book, write in a journal/use pen and paper, even watch movies and film!

This should be a reminder to set the time limits, better yourself, watch that movie that you have had on your watchlist, read that classic that you’ve wanted to read! Do the things you love that aren’t staring at a screen and doomscrolling on social media. You are meant for more than that :)

Thank you all for reading this essay:) Book and film reviews will be coming, I promise!

So appreciative for you all:)

Ryan

Reference:

Goldstein, Dana. “Kids Rarely Read Whole Books Anymore. Even in English Class.” The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times Company, 14 December 2025, https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/kids-rarely-read-whole-books-anymore-even-in-english-class/.