When the Australian Parliament passed a law last week to ban social media usage for those under 16, the move sparked worldwide debate, with some warning that the process was rushed and that the ban could push teenagers toward the dark web or even isolation. While the law, which bans under-16s from social media despite safety concerns, remains contentious, the truth is that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, and X can be highly addictive if not used in a controlled manner, often resulting in dependency.
The good news is that there are ways to detox from social media to better understand how apps like Instagram affect productivity, mental well-being, and relationships with the physical environment. Here’s how you can detox your smartphone (and social media platforms) with the help of these apps and gadgets. Just be ready to change your social behaviour, embrace digital literacy, and let go of FOMO.
On your iPhone, there is a feature called Screen Time, which you can find in Settings. It shows how much time you are spending on your phone, which apps you are using the most, how many notifications you are receiving, and how often you are unlocking your phone. You can tap App Limits to set daily limits on how much time you spend in specific apps. These limits can be set for individual apps or app categories (social networking, games, entertainment, etc.). The daily limit can range from as little as one minute to as much as 23 hours and 59 minutes. You can also set different limits for different days, depending on your weekly schedule. This approach allows you to address social media addiction in a controlled way and gradually eliminate any addiction.
Dumb Phone: One way to break your social media addiction is to make your phone’s home screen less appealing. A boring home screen can reduce how often you pick up your phone and, in turn, decrease the time spent on social media apps. While this approach might not be entirely effective, it can serve as a useful way to monitor your social media usage behaviour.
Set Clear Goals: Complete removal of social media apps from your phone might take some time, which is why it is important to define goals for reducing social media addiction and reduce phone usage. Make sure to be realistic and gradually adjust the parameters as habits take time to evolve.
Closely monitor features: If you are using one of the detox apps (whether it’s the ones mentioned above or any app you choose), try to go through the metrics and data to gain a deeper understanding of your digital habits. It’s always better to use an app for at least a week before switching to a new one.
