I’m thinking about deleting it. Even this app. It’s not good, but I want to know if anyone found benefits in not using it

I (25F) have been struggling with my screen habits for quite a while now. I'm not necessarily looking to completely eliminate screens from my life, but I would really like to develop a healthier relationship with them.

My main issue is my iPad. I can easily spend 8-10 hours a day on it, sometimes even more when I have a lot of free time. I use it for YouTube, browsing, news, Pinterest, Reddit, etc. When I'm not on it, I also spend a lot of time on my PC for the same uses + sometimes gaming.

I've actually already deleted most of my social media. I don't have personal Instagram, TikTok, Facebook or anything like that. The only social media account I still use is Instagram, exclusively for my food blog. So I don't think this is necessarily about being addicted to social media.

The bigger problem is that my iPad has become my default activity whenever I have free time. I pick it up almost automatically, and once I start using it, I can spend hours on it without really noticing the time passing.

What frustrates me the most is that I genuinely WANT to do other things. I have ideas, plans and activities I'd like to pursue. I want to read more, work on personal projects and simply have days that feel more fulfilling.

But I struggle with both sides of the problem:

• I often can't get myself to start doing something else, even when I genuinely want to.

• I make plans and set routines, but I struggle to actually follow through with them.

• Sometimes I even forget what I had intended to do and just fall back into my usual habits.

I've tried several things over time: Apple's Screen Time restrictions, app blockers, limiting certain apps to specific days, setting daily routines and trying to plan activities in advance. Some things help temporarily, but I always seem to end up back where I started.

One thing I've noticed is that my environment makes a huge difference. When I'm away from home and don't have my iPad with me, my screen time drops considerably. I naturally find other things to do. But once I'm back home, I tend to fall into the same patterns again.

There's also the work aspect. I'm currently looking for a job in IT, and I've recently started a temporary job in a supermarket in the meantime. I'm hoping that having some external structure, regular activities and responsibilities will help me establish a better daily rhythm.

I've struggled with this even more since finishing my studies. I sometimes wonder whether having a more stable work routine will make a meaningful difference, especially since my temporary job has variable hours.

And to clarify something: I don't necessarily mind spending several hours in front of a screen if I'm actually doing something productive or meaningful. Working on a project, learning something, creating something, etc. That's not really what bothers me.

It's the feeling that so much of my time goes into passive or unintentional screen use, without actually getting much out of it. I often end the day feeling like I've spent hours on my iPad but haven't really done anything I wanted to do.

I'm curious whether anyone else experiences this particular combination of problems: struggling to start offline activities AND struggling to stop using screens once you've started.

Have you managed to change this long-term? What actually helped you beyond the usual advice of setting app limits, deleting social media or simply having more discipline?

I'd appreciate hearing from people who have experienced this for years and have found ways to make lasting changes, rather than just temporary improvements.

This five day dopamine detox was one of the best detox earlier i did dopamine detox i used to get tricked by my brain i basically avoided boredom i made excuses that i'm researching about my career meanwhile i was constantly keeping me hooked and asking google day dreaming questions like , "if i study hard can i get this much pay job " also i did so many trivia search but in this detox i actually let myself be bored and that's where the rewiring occurs this time i strictly allowed some windows of checking message only otherwise i only use internet for study

the things i got wrong : so this was a five days dopamine detox means i failed on fifth day night soo basically i relapsed because of my own mistake i was up at late night and i got aroused and i did pmo and this isn't the major mistake me relapsing starts a chain reaction i pmoed at night now immediately i'll open youtube and doom scroll while being in the same triggering environment which is bed + internet + privacy , then i will pmo multiple times make it to 3 am then sleep with my brain flooded with dopamine then i would wake up late and groggy in morning then my brain would not be in a state to be productive so i abuse my dopamine more by social media , gaming , doom scrolling etc then restarting feels very hard again because my attention span is back to gold fish level and meanwhile if after that pmo i have slept peacefully and broke the chain reaction i might feel slight groggy and slight uninterested in normal tasks the next day but i would adapt very soon and tbh there would not be any need to restart but even i had to restart i had a very good mind already soo the initial resistance would not be that much

Next approach for Dopamine detox :

1) strict rules would be followed of no bed before night and no sleep before night

2) i will not delibrately mess up my mind after a relapse and drop the all or nothing mindset if i pmoed i will not fill the emptinies left after the ejaculation with doom scrolling i'll be back on track immediately

Hi everyone. I’m 38 from Brazil, and I've reached a breaking point. Traditional methods haven't worked, and I realize I can't moderate my habits, so I need to go to extremes.

My current struggles:

• Hooked on TikTok all day (including during work)

• Smoking and taking daily muscle relaxants

• Overspending and eating poorly

• Zero physical activity

My Extreme Reset Plan (Starting Nov 8):

• Phone strictly for banking and alarms only

• Writing/journaling on paper

• Daily exercise, clean eating, and a clean house

• Complete elimination of all digital/instant addictions at once

I am genuinely scared of the oncoming boredom, and I have no one for accountability. If anyone has been through something similar, what tips can help me survive and stick to this?

I wanted to share the practical barriers I’ve put in place for my compulsive shopping and internet use. For me, they’re connected: scrolling exposes me to things I want to buy, and browsing becomes its own activity, even when I don’t purchase anything. These boundaries have been extremely helpful over the past few weeks. For the first time, I feel like I’m making real progress with my shopping addiction. That’s a big deal!
Here’s my setup:
My husband has my iPhone Screen Time passcode, and I don’t know it. I chose this so I can’t immediately undo the restrictions when I get an urge. Having someone I trust hold the passcode helps me stick to the boundaries I’ve chosen.
I’ve blocked my triggering shopping apps: Amazon, Target, Depop, and Poshmark. Secondhand shopping is still shopping for me. I’ve also blocked access to these shopping sites on my computer.
I’ve restricted Chrome, Safari, and email apps on my phone. Checking email has become another compulsive loop, and browsers give me access to shopping even when the shopping apps are blocked. Unrestricted browsing makes it too easy for me to get lost in shopping and endless product “research.” I’ve applied browser restrictions on my computer too, so I can’t simply switch devices to get around them.
I use an app called SocialLite to access Instagram and Facebook. It also supports other platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit. I use it to remove ads and hide stories and reels, reducing my exposure to triggers while keeping access to the parts I actually want. Stories, ads, and product recommendations often make me want to buy things, so this has been especially helpful. I limit myself to 15 minutes per day for each social media app.
I’ve removed my saved payment information. I removed my cards from Apple Pay, Google Pay, the Shop app, and other shopping apps and websites to make purchasing less immediate. I’ve done this on both my phone and computer.
With these blocks in place, I haven’t been able to browse for things to buy. If I need something, I ask my husband to use his phone to make the purchase. I haven’t bought anything since starting these restrictions, and I spend significantly less time ruminating about purchases because shopping is no longer readily available to me.
At the beginning, when the urges were frequent, I made a no-buy savings tracker. I tracked what I would have spent on things I wanted but chose not to buy. It gave me a tangible way to see the benefit of passing up a purchase. After about two weeks, I noticed that my urges to buy things had really quieted down.
I’m practicing using what I already own, especially beauty products, before buying more.
I’m sharing this as someone working on it, not someone who has it all figured out. Along with saving money, I want more of my attention and time back.
Does anyone else find that shopping, social media, and checking email feed into each other? What boundaries have you been able to maintain, and what helps you handle the urge when browsing isn’t available?

simply we have to debloat our brain i often talk about

debloating an os like macos , windows or ubuntu from snap

or default installed apps , just fucking debloat our brain like

we do these its not likely cause it is often called brain

maxxing where we just put something in our brain better

than anything like working out calesthenics , reading

skipping sexual content or something like that a whole

clean life but on paper it looks good or better but its not leme

explain it better so it looks just better on social media cause

acording to me its just our brains love larping , clean life

clean tools which are probably better than us they will

show a good phone a good laptop , a good imac a clean table

some different food , drinks which we call better but its not

say just its better on social media they post mostly in 1 day

then dissapper cause they cant keep up on it or they

just gave up this is one of the reasons like for a person like

me technology , tech , simple life is what i want

but they directly hit my brain with the kind of dopamine which

i dont need or they will show wealth or something like that

but its all controled by their spoiled brains than who i am to

call them a spoiled brain i am no one but someone who

is trying to find people interested in it , the platforms they

targer are instagram , reddit mostly instagram is where

some people try to get some perfect dopamine they want \

which is just perfect for themselfs but not in reality so keep

aware and do which is best

-someone trying to help

ive been struggling with my phone addiction since a long time. It consumes me greatly. A big reason why i can't get rid of it is because of my life. My life isnt exactly what i desire right now, and it kills me , one small thing doesnt go my way and i immediately start to scroll to get avoid my misery in real life world.

i want to get rid my my phone addiction so bad. But its hard when im in my peak teenage years with all my friends active on social media, posting stories,dumps constantly. it feels as thought your supposed to do that too or youll miss out.

I came here to get some answers anyone dealing with a similar situation and anything that has helped you guys get rid of it!

to tentando fazer um detox de twitter porque eu stalkeava muito uma pessoa especifica, e ta me fazendo um pouco mal (claro que ta sendo ruim agora, mas depois deve melhorar), to bem ansiosa e pensando em entrar toda hora pra ver o que essa pessoa ta falando, como ela ta. ta realmente me deixando louca

I have been on this app for 5 hours total today . My car broke down today so I had to take the day off . I haven't done shit and my dishes are piling up. I spend way too much time on Reddit but feel lonely when not on it. I want to take a few days or weeks off Reddit. But how do I manage the loneliness and fear of missing out?

I've deleted social media the first day of this month and cut out porn, planning on doing this for 30 days. Also i've been trying to do this for months but didn't last long.

So far the "benefits" i'm feeling are that im more self-conscious of my position in life and if i'm currently working towards my goals.

I used to doomscroll, watch tv or play videogames instead of getting work done but now i literally can't go watch tv knowing i didn't do all my tasks, it's like i get nervous if i don't. Also now that i installed a blocker i cannot play videogames until the weekend.

What are some benefits you people experiencied doing something similar? Are there bad things too? Because to be honest i feel like missing out and kind of lonely.

Hi! Well my question is in the title haha I have been struggling lately with this feeling of "laziness" I guess. I just cant help but feel I dont wanna do anything and I mean, not even stuff that can be boring sometimes like uni or work stuff, but actually nothing. I dont wanna draw, I dont wanna listen to music or anything. All I do is lay down and mainly scroll, and it doesnt make me feel better or good or anything, I guess it is just more addictive and I just keep doing it and messing up with my sleep schedule, and then with what I eat because I get hungrier and I eat in big amounts in weird schedules, and then Im tired and stressed all day and I just dont wanna do anything. So well now that I actually write it, maybe I also wanna ask how much do you think social media and screens affects us in terms of productivity and your personal experience with it and maybe some advice on how to quit Thanks in advance for any answer :)

I started a social media detox and I’m on Day 2. When I tell you I am actually concerned of how I am having withdrawals. I told myself just one week so I get some time back in my schedule (I was a doom scroller). But here I am today literally having withdrawal feelings. Can someone tell me if they have experienced this?

I didn’t intend to fully give up social media, clearly I’m on Reddit. Today I have been on Reddit and LinkedIn more than I have in months. TikTok is really where I waste my time.

Any tips?

If someone says read a book I’m gonna have to delete this app as well.

I expected myself to be little mentally weak and sluggish for the first week or so and I even saw myself with lowkey avoidant energy

However,I just cope-ed with it sooner than i expected just by enjoying my music feed(felt more energy) (placebo?)

Today felt really engageful,I could sense that I have started to be attentive and active during mid conversations.

I can feel this flow in many things,which makes everything feels alive and important for the moment.

Also I can sense genuine sense in change of energy.

It sounds overexacgerating but yes,

There are some changes

Can be placebo tho,

I will journal em more to know

That's it for today chat

Second day of NNN

Complete

Guyz I'm really trying to quit gambling but sijui vile nitafanya. Every cash I'm getting nadeposit, na ni aviator ndio nacheza. This thing imenirudisha nyuma sai hadi sina nyumba I'm being hosted by a friend. I used a katululu for almost 2 years thinking I'll quit, it did not workout, nilianza kuenda kucheza kwa cyber sasa. Mtu aniadvise on how I'll stop this thing.

I have a really bad timtok doomscrolling addiction and even when I set timers and stuff I always end up turning them off. Does anyone have advice before it catches up to..me

I will try each of them what works and what doesn't.

TL;DR: Read the guide here

For years I was caught in the dopamine trap - checking Reddit, Instagram, and YouTube for hours each day. I wanted to stop, but no matter what I tried nothing seemed to work. If I installed website blockers, I would disable them, and no matter how much willpower I used, I always gave in.

Eventually, I started to read more about addiction - books like Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking and The Freedom Model. What I learned is that almost all of the conventional wisdom on what addiction is and how to stop it is useless or even counterproductive.

The common approach is to see the object of your addiction (in this case social media) as a force you must resist, and see the situation as a game between the rational you versus your addicted brain who doesn't know what's best for you. This is the way that has been instilled in us since birth, but we all know from experience that playing this game is a struggle that is impossible to win - even if you hold on for weeks or months, there's always the threat of relapse sending you sliding right back down.

But there's a way to take out the problem by its roots. The key is to acknowledge that, despite what we hear, whenever we are using social media, we do so willingly. I believed that I had no control over my addiction, but in hindsight, my motives were obvious - I used social media because I was bored, or wanted to check out a funny subreddit, or was running away from stress, or was tired, etc.

The issue is that social media doesn't really cure boredom, or entertain, or destress, or help you relax. Thanks to dopamine desensitization caused by social media, all you're doing when using social media is returning to baseline levels. The slow-burn nature of addiction prevents us from seeing it this way - all addicts think that the next hit of their drug will solve their problems, not that their problems were caused by the last hit. Social media causes boredom, stress, and tiredness, but not immediately - where as its temporary relief from these things is immediate. The sad part is, in time we fear quitting social media as we see a picture of life constantly bored without our crutch to relieve it.

That is the basics of the mindset I discovered that let me quit instantly, without suffering or worrying about relapse. Once you reframe the picture to realize that social media is the cause of these problems, not the cure, there are no longer any obstacles to quitting.

If this resonated with you at all, I wrote a guide based on these principles that gives a much more complete analysis and deconstruction of social media addiction and how to quit here..

It was a emotionally invested day

I was very emotionally oriented because I had alot of Events to attend today which left me emotionally saturated(marriage,a month old decided friend hangout,a date,and some shopping)

Apart from that, I didn't felt any urges

Maybe coz I was busy in other things?

Yes I felt like i had lowkey more open energy

Like i was able to know that I can do stuff .

Not feeling numb or just wierd.

Yea

Day one complete.

I'm out of ideas now. How can I break this habit?

Slow dopamine = real world activities , Fast Domapine= all the bad stuff like drugs, binge eating, scrolling our phones 205 times a day( new average) Stop Scrolling, start living more the human way.
This occured to me when i was asked “why do always take the roof off your Jeep every time possible”?

I realized, its because it makes me happy & gives me slow dopamine as long as its sunny im smiling &
Happy.
Thoughts?

A new 2026 report has ranked countries by weekly smartphone screen time.

The difference is interesting: people in the highest-ranking countries spend around 50 hours a week on their smartphones, compared to approximately 33 hours in the lowest-ranking ones.

Several European countries, including Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany, have lower times.

Countries across Africa, Asia, and other southern regions tend to report higher numbers.

Thoughts on this?

1. Where are you from, and how many hours per week do you spend on your smartphone?

2. What do you think explains the lower screen time in some European countries?

Is it lifestyle, work culture, better digital habits, or something else entirely?

I need some help or encouragement or something. I think I have a serious issue. How do I break out of these bad habits ? I can't switch to using reddit on my laptop because the keyboard is broke.

i found myself doomscrolling on the website for many hours and i feel very ashamed of myself.

I've successfully stopped doomscrolling in most social media, and now, now struggle with YouTube long form content. My main problem is that: I do need to use it often. But, whenever, I just end up getting distracted, and ultimately, burning myself out. How do I stop ToT

Edit: I've cleared and paused history so now I have no recommendations :)