Why It Feels Impossible to Quit Social Media 

I quit social media except RU-vid and Pinterest a few months ago now. My productivity went up, but lately I’ve found that RU-vid has become my time filler. I actually feel as though I need to delete RU-vid soon.

I feel like the most worrying thing about quitting social media is the fear of missing out

no one ever talks about how online MEDIA TRICKS YOU into a feeling of not being alone, when you actually have been this whole time. the parasocial relationships are illusionary n still leave you feeling lonely but it's not very apparent I guess until you Take a break but everything in moderation. The hedonix treadmill shows us the best way to enjoy life is through the MIDDLE WAY ; YOU DONT need to starve and become a monk but you don't need excess of these things.

It was easy to quit but the scary withdrawal symptoms was that my mind was telling to me to constantly check the app even after deleting it and that made me think of how addicted i was

Man do I wish there was some sort of browser that forces infinite scrolling websites to have pages again like the old days.

Social media is good because it's where I can watch Fads videos. Thanks for coming to my TED talk

It depends on what you consider 'being productive' because to me reading a book or listening to music is productive because it feeds the soul (for lack of a better term). For me talking to people on social media IS productive but scrolling endlessly isn't. Maybe we need to talk about our views of productivity and the capitalist pressure to always be 1000% "productive" all the time. Enjoying your life IS productive🤨🤨🤨 also I really like your videos it's nice that you're always smiling and CITING YOUR SOURCES

"social media tricks your brain into thinking you're not alone" that part really stopped me in my tracks because I realized I was watching this video while I was doing some cleaning and I thought to myself, "why wasn't I just cleaning in silence, or simply with just music playing?"

Yo bro, I stumbled upon your channel by grace of the algorithm god and, you know, just wanted to say your content is top-notch and you have a brutal amount of value. Hugs from Argentina, keep being great.

I am surprised how much I relate to some of these people. I quit social media about a year ago. I had it all planned out, I watched many videos and I knew it was good for me. At the beginning I felt very proud and productive, but for some reason after a few weeks, I started feeling really anxious and sad. I didn’t know where this came from but it got to a point where I was missing social media. I came back and I have come to the same conclusion as yours. It’s ok to use a little social media, even if it’s daily, but it is when you use it for distraction or to waste time and procrastinate, that is when you have to do something like lower your screen time or just turn off the phone. Great video by the way!

I love what you said about using social media as a supplement to real life. I like to be able to see a friend's post and talk to them about it because it skips over the awkward "hey how are you?" niceties. It's only a problem when I start to think a like is enough to substitute a conversation. I love the opportunity to see interesting things made by so many people. The problem there is being aware of what is actually beneficial to see every day and what's just clogging up my feed. Like you said, intention is important!

It’s so hard to quit social media because it has become our social life now. Without it, it feels like your leaving society. RU-vid is still social media whether you like it or not. As great as RU-vid is, it’s still a massive waste of time, even with all the ‘self help’ stuff on there. You can’t beat real life…

Solid video again. Recovering from C-PTSD I had to find something to replace social media with, in order to give it up. The biggest thing i needed? *Silence*! it took a year or two to train my brain but now i find that no input is so much nicer than giving into impulses and distracting. But the most important stage was learning to respond to the cravings, not react. Once i start to feel the itch to distract, it is time to come back to the centre and be here now. All social media does is disturb my still pond, with pointless posts designed to rile me up and make me feel angry / scared / overjoyed / amazed etc. im sick of feeling that way, just want to feel calm and balanced.

I'm a year late, this is mad relevant though. You condensed all of the information into one video. I appreciate you sharing your path, I'm learning from all of this as well.

In my case, I used to be addicted to Twitter, mostly because it was the way to keep up with news of my favorite artists and join the communities of my interests, and I was for the most part afraid that if I deleted Twitter I somehow was going to miss out something important, but the truth is that (since it's twitter) even if a curated my timeline, used the chronological feature, or use blockers for trending topics and suggestions, I would still see things I didn't like or negativity posted everywhere, it was what made me want to quit and I did, at the end of the day my favorite artists all have newsletters that I can subscribe to, and if not, they use instagram and post announcements there. I don't regret it, I used to brace myself anytime an artist announced something for the wave of negative comments to hit and I dreaded it, now I get to enjoy the art without having to read people's shitty opinions of it. I think to successfuly quit you need to understand first why are you using the social media for and ask yourself what are you actually be getting from and if it's actually valuable, because keeping up with trends, dumb videos or celebrity drama is a pretty stupid use of your time in the first place anyway. Remember, if it's something that's actually really important people are gonna tell you anyway.

For me, I stopped using social media because it was genuinely boring. Now I play games and watch/listen to educational content, and I actually enjoy doing that. Scrolling Facebook was legitimately a waste of time. Almost any other distraction is an improvement. Also I stopped by just deleting the app, intentionally leaving the spot on my home screen empty. The amount of times you habitually tap the empty spot on your screen, serves as a solid reality check.

I delete instagram and tik tok on monday and get it back on friday. I'm not missing out on anything and tbh do not even crave it that much during the week because "I can watch it on the weekend". Really made a difference for me especially my attention span and commitment

You present information in such a clear and concise and DIGESTABLE way without making the material feel unattainable. I appreciate you for that.

I really appreciate when people take the time to reflect on these types of things, and share their experiences

I have just discovered your channel thanks to the... algorithm (dramatic music intesifies) haahaahahaha. I did the same experiment that you did and i had almost the same conclusions that you explain in the video. I agree with you: the key with social media its intention and probably, some kind of discipline. Its easy to get addicted with them, for me its very easy, they are programmed to be an adiction. Especially if you dont have a lot of friends and spend a lot of time in your own, they are super addictive. I love being in my own, but sometimes its feels heavy and i find myself using social media to, maybe, numb and distract myself. I have my cicles where i use them a lot and then i realize that its not the way and tried again to find other things to do. I like you channel, your videos are really good and you expose your ideas in a very clear and cool way. I hope you still enjoy making videos and, if you want to have a "youtube career" i hope you the best!!!! Lots love!

Someone asked me, if I were stranded on a desert island what book would I bring: ‘How to Build Drugs.

Casually found your channel through the dopamine detox myth video. I just wanted to tell you I really like your videos, you make compelling points and have a really nice and simple way of explaining things! Even better you have a very soothing voice and you appear to be a very pleasant guy! On my way to decrease the time I spend on social platforms I will certainly keep some for your informative and calming videos

I read below that you are learning Spanish, so I thought it would be interesting to make this comment in my mother tongue, so here we go. Este fue el segundo video que vi tuyo, y me encanto totalmente, especialmente este de aquí, sentía que estaba hablando conmigo misma, ya que tengo los mismos dilemas que vos con respecto a las redes sociales, sobre todo con instagram. Pusiste en palabras todo lo que nunca pude formular fuera de mis pensamientos, realmente, asi que gracias por eso. Espero que sigas creando mas contenido! Saludos desde Argentina

Wow, this really spoke to me! Thank you for putting feelings and experiences like this into something I can understand! This really ‘clicked’ in my head, it makes so much sense to me now.

I just discovered your channel a few days ago and already wanna say THANK YOU! The way you introduce new reflections is really what I needed! To understand nothing is just black or white, good or bad, it’s kind of a relief

This as really raw and refreshing ! so many videos I’ve seen about people quitting social media are all positive and make it sound like a breeze and that it’s life changing. But I appreciate you really getting into the nitty gritty and that it’s not all butterflies and rainbows when u quit social media and it’s hard!

this is absolutely incredible! earned sub

You're videos are so unbelievably great, and I am so greatful for the time and effort you put into them. There are so many tiny details, that you add that make you really invested when watching your videos. It gives them depth and a strong sense of reality that make you connect with the information you give. Thank you very much!!!

bro your content is genuinely so wise and sincere, thanks for making these videos man

This is definitely one of the better videos on internet addiction. Thank you for making it!

Just found your channel and am now really enjoying your great catalogue of videos. Keep up the incredible work!

One of the most thoughtful videos on quitting social media I've ever seen!

I just discovered your chanel and I really like it ; you're not like all the other productivity gurus but you're charing ur thoughts in a different perspective and that's really cool!

Absolutely amazing display of thoughts as always. Clear, concise and great delivery, i absolutely love your approach to these informational type of videos, it's nothing too crazy and may seem practically the same as every other video in this type of style , but there's just something in the way you talk and your thoughts in general that makes it that much more engaging

5:50 THIS. this is all its about, even when i feel like playing an old single player game like skyrim. i dont feel like it when i open the game because i feel so alone playing it, unlike if im scrolling through twitter or watching a youtube video at the same time or playing online games like LOL which never really end

Wow this is the most wholesome and genuinely helpful video ever. Like I’m not kidding, ever. It warmed my heart too. Thank you I really enjoyed watching this and I feel like it made a lot things on my mind clear up. Appreciate it!

I quit six or so years ago and it's one of the best things I've ever done. My humanity was restored.

just wanted to say I love how your line of thought works, keep with the good work!! hugs from Brazil 💚

Editingskills are on point! Great content man

Absolutely love your channel, you’re so wise

Wonderful video. Hasnt found its audience quite yet! Will get there, there are many who are unable/unwilling to face there truths, thank you for sharing this information 😊

This channel should be waaay more popular! Nice work!

Just found you today, and thank you. Please keep going, you have my sub! Much love

that plant analogy is straight up brilliant never thought of it

can we talk abt how special and beautiful this video was produced the music and the things on the video

Wonderful video man! Glad I found your channel, this is some great stuff

Wonderful and beautiful video, thank you. I work closely with social media and can’t be on any platform for too long without feeling like shit. Quitting is a regular occurrence but it always creeps back in.

Hi, love your video, especially your editing style! Lots of love :)

Thank you for the high quality content man!

This video had so much interesting information on the topic of quitting social media which was presented in a way I've not seen before. Thanks so much

Very high quality. Bravo!

love your videos! Keep it up Fads.

Beautiful editing and great message! ❤

This was a phenomenal video , I loved this , thank you so much.

Recently discovered your channel, really good quality editing and filming, love the content you share as well!❤

Love this video, amazing!

one of the best videos out here that talks about quitting social media in a very practical way

Thank you, sir, for a logical and delightful explanation of social media and its impact! You are very eloquent in your speech, and seem to be an intelligent man! Cheers!

I love the way you're sharing these facts and experiences in a somehow comforting way!! love from Taiwan!!

Loved your insight on this topic 👌🏼 agreed that intention is key. I still use social media, but mostly to post and DM people, not to infinitely scroll into advertising oblivion. I deleted all social apps from my devices except a couple basic messaging apps. I’ll redownload the apps when I want to post something, then immediately delete them to avoid routine, addictive compulsions. This has been working out for me so far the last month or so. 🤞🏼

Hi Fads, Great video - So realistic and honest. Keep up the good work

Amazing video, the quality is so good!!

Thanks for the video man, I really appreciate what you do. This are really turbulent times, I’ve been on the verge of unemployment for quite a while I grateful for the job that I have cuz it help me pay the bill but deep inside I’m rotting at an constant pace and been stuck in my phone don’t help anything, just like you said things must be done with intention and I think that I am not the only one looking for answers on every reel, every RU-vid video, guys if you are going through the same we need to wake up and see beyond the screen. Good luck and gospeed to all of you ❤

I began my social media cleanse a few days ago, only limiting myself to YT and Snapchat. I deleted tiktok and Instagram as those were the main social medias I’d use on a regular basis. I must admit, even now I am craving to use those apps again but I remind myself about my own intentions w this cleanse. Throughout the past couple years I’ve realized i became a lot more self aware about my emotions and childhood traumas which has led me to this exact moment of my own current pessimistic mentality. I’ve been living my life completely overstimulated with social media and constantly comparing myself to other people I see on those apps. I also took shrooms not too long ago and realized how much I needed to change to achieve emotional maturity. I’m glad I’ve stumbled upon your channel. Cheers to personal growth and I hope in the end I will reach a point of self acceptance.

THANK you! This is great and really resonated with me

I deleted instagram and TikTok but then RU-vid just became the app I can’t stop scrolling on

lovely video man

Love u Fads keep uploading

You have a very lovely voice to listen to and this was such a lovely video. First time watching your channel and it won’t be the last either! I think things are about balance I keep RU-vid on my phone and discord I use on and off, but over all it’s about balance. I don’t keep any of the socials on my phone anymore and if I need to talk to someone or want to post or share something big I reinstall it and let myself be on it for a while and then delete it after an hour or so. It’s all absolutely balance and it’s hard to find sometimes!

best video i have Seen on this topic that really dives deep into the underlying issue .....not some sugar coated lie that quitting social Media will be the magic pill to solve all the life problems and you'll be super productive within seconds

This is by far the best RU-vid video I've watched on quitting social media. I feel like most videos say the same things like 'just delete all your social accounts and you'll be happy' but in reality it's a lot harder than that.

This Video really helped me, thank you!

Your content creation is so good, im happy i found your page. from i love the music changes

This video was amazingly made bro. Surprised I'm seeing this a whole year after upload. Definitely deserve more recognition!

extremely well made and insightful video

I've just found your channel. Your videos are interesting and well made. So cool!

Awesome video bro

Its amazing living whats gonna be history in the future. How billionare companies prey on our attention, its consequences, how people reacted, the counter culture, etc

Beautiful video and message

Great video!

what a great video, keep going!!!

Very well said. Thank you for this helpful video!

Such a great channel, you are about to blow up

thank you for this video and your effort, much love

Apparently algorithms aren't all that bad, as they have brought me to your channel!

interesting video. distractions are not the problem, people have all kinds of "distractions", they help us survive the monotony and difficulties of life. it can be very satisfying to read a book well into the night, or watch a movie, or spend some time playing a game or even just talking with friends. you don't need to be "efficient" 24/7, you're not a machine. social media however bypasses all of that and simply hooks you up on an endless reward or conflict cycle that demands your full attention, yet it's devoid of anything interesting or valuable. if you look at twitter, it's conflict, doom and gossip 24/7, which can be interesting sometimes, but most of the time it just decreases your quality of life.

I love your analogy on relationships with the plants

This is my therapy :)

The biggest thing I use social media for is to quiet my concerning thoughts although they are the things I need to hear and face. Passing your time mindfully is a skill that I currently don't have yet.

thank you so much for this :) ♥️

Awesome video dude !

My thought on social media isn't to quit but definitely try to limit it so I put app timers on all my apps. *except music*

Thank you for the amazing video

That was eye opening 🪄💫

You may not see this, but I’ve really enjoyed your content after stumbling upon it. Love from Washington state in the USA

insane video dude

This dude is super chill and says real shit. I fuck with it.

I didn't like tik-tok from the beginning, i'm really glad it just didn't stick to me. I'm lazy enough already

Love this! U should make more videos

Good content my boy.... found you by grace of the algorithm.