How I Overcame Instagram Addiction
Before answering this, I should point out that Instagram is addictive if it has become a time-consuming app that you need to organize. It's like smoking cigarettes. Last year I quit smoking. This year I quit instagram. I can tell you clearly and honestly that it is harder to quit Instagram.
If you say "I enter 1 hour a day", don't fool yourself. It's time for you to quit this app too. It is necessary to realize something that has become an addiction. Yes, social media is imposed on us as "necessary". But is it really? Since I started using Hive, tomorrow will be my 1 year, I started to see better how much time instagram eats.
I Used the Reminders in the App Settings Itself
The application developers themselves realize that they have put such a feature. Instagram is no longer a pastime and has become an "addiction"... I think users want this feature. At least many people must have wanted it, so they integrated such a setting into the application itself.
I used this setting. I set it to 10 minutes and 15 minutes, so I was constantly notified every 10 minutes. It started asking, "Haven't you used Instagram enough? It's time to take a break?
This was 5-7 times at first because I was probably using Instagram between 1 hour and 2 hours like many people reading this article. But it decreased over time. First, it dropped to 4 warnings, an average of 40 minutes. Then 3... then 2... and now, as soon as this warning comes, if the video I'm looking at is not interesting, I close it.
Instead, I focused on 2 different things.
- Hive
- To produce content for my Youtube project.
Let me explain my Youtube Project Very Briefly
I realized that Dungeons and Dragons game is not very well known in Turkey and I opened a channel in the middle of the year. My goal in this channel is to offer good content to new players. I shoot videos that can help new dungeon masters. I even started earning 3-5 dollars a month by providing early access via patreon.
If you are interested, here is my link: https://www.youtube.com/@MythicalMerchant
Time I Spent on the Hive: Ecency App
I definitely use it every day, and I've started to use the Waves part more often, mostly because hive is so educational. I started to learn not only about crypto, but also about the environment. My worldview has expanded. Here are some of the things I have learned on hive so far:
- I can follow crypto-related developments - the people who do this on Instagram are usually manipulative profiles.
- I learn about the way of life in other countries - those who show it on Instagram usually show their best side. It's an eye paint. It is not realistic.
- I see the economic differences and opportunity differences around the world. On Instagram, you are only shown ads "according to your interest". Accordingly, the post is shown in the discovery. On Hive, you can be more selective.
- I look at DIY projects and learn how to reuse "old" things at home, but the culture on Instagram is that everything has to be "new". DIY pages have very few followers. But on hive I can see what EVERYONE is making, which is great.
- These are just simple things that come to my mind while blogging right now.
Instagram Feels Toxic Like a Thick Black Oil
Only want to say that instagram is not a learning app. It is a toxic app. Instagram is a showing off app.
An advertising app.
Let me reach people, let me advertise myself, instagram. Instagram is an app to encourage people to do other ''expensive'' things.
Look, I have a cat, a dog, a bird, a spider, isn't it beautiful, come on, like me, Instagram.
How is the new phone I just bought, but look how beautiful it is, instagram.
A concept called "Influencer" emerged because of instagram.
"Influencing" people and encouraging them to do something. It pushes people to spend money.
It's a bad.
Spending More Time With Books and Family
Just as the number of people using Facebook has decreased, the profile of people using twitter/x has started to change, I think Instagram needs a radical change.
I hope everyone will reduce the time spent on Instagram and read more books, and stop using this application as soon as possible and spend more time with their family.
I can only tell from experience, the books are much better.
And one more thing, the influencers are not our friends but our siblings are.
Thank you very much for reading.
Image is generated using Leonardoai.