Agree - turning off all notifications is absolutely essential. For me, even though I deleted the apps, because so much of my friend-network social activity was shared through social media, I found it impossible not to keep going back even after I'd deleted the apps (in my case, Facebook and Instagram). I would use the mobile browser once in a while, then more often, and then just as often as with the apps. Then I would re-install the apps, and then delete them again...
THEN, a friend showed me this technique, which has served me exceptionally well. It sounds ridiculous, because it "breaks" the very associations that these apps are built upon, which is your friend/follow list.
For Facebook, simply unfollow ALL of your non-essential friends and public profile Pages. Yes, Unfollow 98% of your friends. This is different from unfriending, as the people are not notified. You simply stop seeing their posts.
I unfollowed nearly 2000 people and another 500 pages, leaving just a handful of people whose posts I could NOT miss, and pages which offered unemotional (except funny) content. An easy way to do this over time, is to watch the birthday alerts each day, and simply to unfollow the friends whose birthday is that day. After 365 days, my Newsfeed was so boring that I only checked it once every few weeks, which was just like the good old days before I was addicted.
The other key is NEVER to Like or comment on others' Posts. Even when it's extremely compelling. And only Post if it's essential news. And if you must Post, ignore the comments. Otherwise the cycle begins again.
BTW I was an early employee at Facebook, where we used it for our entire lives and work, and even after leaving I was so addicted that it took me 2 years to find this healthy pattern
Even better, avoid the apps. I use the browser for everything (firefox android is the secret weapon - add ublock origin for near-perfect ad blocking). All the info is there, but most of the addictive mechanisms are not. Turn notifications off for the whole browser, and no site can even ask to nag you.
Came here to say the same thing. Turning off Badges, Notifications, etc. makes a huge difference, and is a great place for people to start.
Agree - turning off all notifications is absolutely essential. For me, even though I deleted the apps, because so much of my friend-network social activity was shared through social media, I found it impossible not to keep going back even after I'd deleted the apps (in my case, Facebook and Instagram). I would use the mobile browser once in a while, then more often, and then just as often as with the apps. Then I would re-install the apps, and then delete them again...
THEN, a friend showed me this technique, which has served me exceptionally well. It sounds ridiculous, because it "breaks" the very associations that these apps are built upon, which is your friend/follow list.
For Facebook, simply unfollow ALL of your non-essential friends and public profile Pages. Yes, Unfollow 98% of your friends. This is different from unfriending, as the people are not notified. You simply stop seeing their posts.
I unfollowed nearly 2000 people and another 500 pages, leaving just a handful of people whose posts I could NOT miss, and pages which offered unemotional (except funny) content. An easy way to do this over time, is to watch the birthday alerts each day, and simply to unfollow the friends whose birthday is that day. After 365 days, my Newsfeed was so boring that I only checked it once every few weeks, which was just like the good old days before I was addicted.
The other key is NEVER to Like or comment on others' Posts. Even when it's extremely compelling. And only Post if it's essential news. And if you must Post, ignore the comments. Otherwise the cycle begins again.
BTW I was an early employee at Facebook, where we used it for our entire lives and work, and even after leaving I was so addicted that it took me 2 years to find this healthy pattern
Even better, avoid the apps. I use the browser for everything (firefox android is the secret weapon - add ublock origin for near-perfect ad blocking). All the info is there, but most of the addictive mechanisms are not. Turn notifications off for the whole browser, and no site can even ask to nag you.
Me too!
IтАЩve turned off my notifications on my phone for a couple of years now. It really removes a lot of anxiety as well.