Anyone get rid rid of all their social media?

Yeah, if other people’s pictures are preying on your mind then you need to stop looking.

Facebook really is only good for keeping in touch with distant family members who are scattered across the world or for putting up some pics of life events for the same reasons so your grandparents etc can see the pics.
There is no other reason to be on Facebook. Its a tool for the narcissist and the bores. For me, the worst person to be on Facebook is the person who "updates" you when they are:
1. Boarding a flight
2. Driving to the airport for said flight
3. Having dinner on holiday

Note: nobody cares.

Yes I deleted all my Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat etc mid August and haven’t looked back wouldn’t be bothered get them back! I’ve WhatsApp though but that’s different. I suffer depression and anxiety and tbh seeing people’s lives (fake ‘look at me’) made me 10 times worse. Getting better not have to look at people’s false lives

I dropped twitter and facebook 4 years ago after hassles from a couple of people and don't regret it at all. I'm still on boards and reddit to see what people think of the world, and for laughs, but thats anonymous.

Have whatsapp as well but that's not really social media.

I have Facebook but will soon be deleting that private page and keep messenger for friends who live broad. Barely engage with it.

Social Media is a cancer. The novelty factor wore off a long, long time ago and now people are starting to sit up and take notice of the damage it can inflict on the developing mind and indeed people who managed many years without it.

It's the domain of the troll and the sad coward and then on the other spectrum, as others have pointed out, a platform for the insecure and narcissistic personalities.

We won't know for a while yet but the mental toll Social Media has taken and is taking on younger people especially will only become more apparent as time goes on.

But fair play to Zuckerberg et al; they gave people the temporary fix they wanted and the platform to project the supposed perfect life whilst making a **** ton of money off the back of that.

I am old enough to have been around at the start of 'social media'. It was just Bebo and Myspace back then and probably far more social than it is now. Even then, I didn't like the way things were going and I opted out.

I see so many young people so disconnected from reality these days, by using devices that actually could connect them to very positive experiences, but instead the vast scope of available opportunities are locked down and manipulated by big corporation apps designed to keep the focus tight and commercially exploitative. The world is far more than activity on facebook, twitter, instagram etc. Don't give yourself the stress of having to keep up - you really don't have to and will probably be much happier if you don't.

As they used to say in the 60's tune in (to reality) and drop out (of manipulation). There is a wealth of opportunity and knowledge if you use your own free will to explore the internet, instead of being fed a constant stream of social media's view of how the world should be.

That's my philosophy anyway... boards is as close as I get to social media and even then I pick and choose my contributions to only engage in topics that interest me.

You don't need to delete, just have a look at who you're following.

I recently had a major 'clearout' as I felt a bit like you, that social media was getting me down.
I unfollowed everyone who didn't make me feel good about myself.
And searched for new accounts whose posts I enjoy seeing.

The only celebrities I follow are ones who genuinely inspire me such as Rozanna Purcell, in fact she may be the only celeb I follow full stop.

The rest are mainly home accounts, people refurbishing old houses as it's something I genuinely have an interest in and I love seeing the makeovers.
Very rarely are there actual human faces on my feed, apart from friends and family, and Instagram is a much more enjoyable place for me to be now.

I also recently you can mute stories, this was a game changer too!

Same on FB, I deleted everyone I don't know in real life and have a very small amount of friends on there now. I only really keep it going as it's handy for special offers from businesses I follow, or menus for local restaurants etc. I never post on it though.

Hana Stocky Tack wrote: »

That's not surprising. A study carried out in the UK by the Royal Society of Public Health and the Youth Health Movement found that social media had a negative effect on young people's mental health and body image, exacerbating feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Instagram was ranked the worst platform, with Snapchat second-worst. Women are affected more than men by these platforms — and I suspect that being bombarded by constant images of "perfect" looking peers is a big part of that.

More broadly, OP, I'd recommend reading a book called Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport, which advocates the responsible use of digital devices and intentional choices regarding which social media we let into our lives.

Cannot recommend this book enough. I read it recently and it has made me more thoughtful about how I use my devices and social media. I deleted the Facebook and Twitter apps off my phone, to help with the mindless scrolling (I've never used Instagram, Snapchat etc.). I also installed a programme called 'Freedom' which blocks specific sites at times you choose, and I started using it in the mornings for example, to stop myself from checking social media when I wake up. I also use it with some news sites, and it has probably helped with my stress levels by not constantly checking for updates (Brexit!).

I don't know if I would delete my accounts wholesale: others have mentioned about using them both for keeping in touch with family overseas - even if a lot of the content is dross - as well as the 'time capsule' idea. But I do want to try and use social media more intentionally.

Incidentally, Cal Newport's next project is apparently about email and its discontents. Can't wait for that, as professionally it's the bane of my existence

I deleted FB app from my phone a few years back, and haven't posted anything in over three years.
Even if a friend posts up about something like a parent's death I will not engage by likes or comments - I will pick up the phone and either text them or phone them.
I have retained my FB account purely for membership of certain private groups, for buying and selling or advice on technical interests. I went back over my account and deleted.most content from it also.
I have Instagram and post occasionally, but don't allow comments, and never post anything personal. The recent change to Instagram is better, as your activity is now no longer available to your followers.
I find Twitter good however at keeping up-to-date with what's relevant to me, but I don't follow anybody I know in real life.

Anyone replying to this thread has not gotten rid of all social media