Social Media Detox: Strategies for Conscious Consumption

Social media users can reclaim their time and mental health by intentionally managing their digital consumption.

### Overcoming Social Media Addiction: A Conscious Approach to Digital Well-Being
* 📱 Many people suggest drastic measures like **deleting social media accounts** to combat addiction, but there are more balanced strategies to consider.
* ⏳ Social media is designed to **keep users engaged**, often at the cost of valuable resources like **time and mental health**, so it's essential to **take control back**.
* 🚫 Start by removing connections with people you don't know or who don't add value to your life, as their updates **distract you from your own experiences**.
* 🌟 Unfollowing celebrities and influencers can also help, as their curated lives often lead to feelings of inadequacy; remember, "**it's just an image being sold to you**."
* 📉 Gradually reduce your screen time by **20 to 30 minutes daily** instead of going cold turkey, which can make the transition smoother and prevent a **dopamine crash**.
* 🖥 Using minimalist launchers can help address the "**intention problem**" by keeping your apps **out of sight**, allowing for a **more focused phone experience**.
* 🔍 Tailor your social media feeds to reflect your interests without the need to follow every account, and be mindful of the **time spent searching for content** to avoid falling into **distraction**.
* 🌍 Ultimately, by being more conscious about social media use, you'll find yourself with **more time for projects, hobbies, and appreciating the beauty of the world around you**.

[Music] Yeah, it was me before I decided to do something about my social media addiction. Most folks nowadays advise going all in with social media apps: deactivate your account and zone in on productivity stuff. Chill! No dramatic app deleting or throwing your phone.

Today, I'll show you a better way. Social media platforms are designed to retain you on them for as long as possible to earn a limit. But while we enjoy our well-served, cheap dopamine, they're simply stealing from us—stealing our most precious resources: time, energy,

mental health, and real-world life. And today we are striking back. First and foremost, delete people you don't know: occasional acquaintances, friends of friends, random people from that event five years ago you never really talked to. What? Nothing changes if you get updates from their

lives. You have your own cool life; live it instead. Then, unfollow celebrities, influencers, and other people who don't improve your life. By the way, they do the opposite, making you feel miserable when you see the perfect life you'll never live and the expensive

things you'll never use. Remember, it's just an image being sold to you, not something real. This should be a game changer, especially if you're starting your journey to conscious content consumption. I have digital well-being control in my OnePlus phone built in, but

you can limit your screen time via any external app like App Block or Screen Time. I strongly recommend not turning on monk mode instantly with no content at all, because if you were using socials for three to four hours daily, it would be really harsh on you. You'd better start

From reducing it by 20 to 30 minutes each day, that's how you can ensure a smooth transition without falling into a dopamine pit. Have you ever unlocked your phone and instantly forgotten why, staring blankly at the screen? That's what I call an intention problem.

A moment ago you had a clear purpose in mind, but then the cluttered home screen distracted you and your focus disappeared. We use our phones so habitually that we stop questioning our actions. Breaking this cycle starts with being intentional about how we interact with them. I assume you went through

stages one and two from this video, and it's time for the last technical trick. I personally use the Niagara Launcher on my OnePlus phone, which hides most of my apps from view. To open any app, I have to search for it manually. While I still

keep a few folders, you won't find Instagram or TikTok in them. This setup solves the intention problem; a blank screen keeps your original purpose in mind, and you don't get sidetracked easily. For Android users, there are plenty of minimalist launchers to choose

from, so you can find one that works best for you and start your digital minimalism journey. If you are on an iPhone, just empty your home screen and use the App Library instead. That's what I call a pro tip, and I only got it when I stepped onto the

creator journey. All social media feeds in 2024 adapt super quickly to what you look for and what you like. Once we have searched for something, prepare to get a lot of similar content in no time. I decided to set up all my social media

fits according to my interests, and the best part: you don't even have to be subscribed to all of those accounts. I use TikTok to find my next workout of the day before the gym because plenty of guys post their sessions there, or I use

my Instagram explore page to find other creators with their ideas to take inspiration from. Still, you should limit your time for such a reference search because you always have a chance to get sucked into the world of content, because it happens to me sometimes. I start to

look for a tool to optimize my workflow and finish with the 57-second video of people's funny fails. That's why you need stage [Music] two. Finally, you get to stage five, and you are not using social media that much anymore. You have all the time of the day

to start a project you wanted to start but didn't have time to. You have time to do your job quicker and more focused, to spend time on hobbies or things that bring you joy. You're looking outside the window and seeing how beautiful our world is. You definitely shouldn't quit

all social media and become a monk; just make a few simple steps to be more conscious about them because socials are good, but life is passing by, and it better be followed along [Applause]

don't delete your social media... do this instead

Nik Sol

Introduction and initial approach to social media addiction

The speaker's past experience with social media addiction.

Social media platforms are designed to retain users for profit, negatively impacting time, energy, mental health, and real life.

Recommendation to delete contacts of people you don't know.

Recommendation to unfollow celebrities and influencers who don't improve your life.

Strategies for gradual social media reduction

Advice against immediate cessation of social media use; suggests a gradual reduction of 20-30 minutes daily.

Addressing the 'intention problem' – forgetting why you opened your phone.

Importance of intentional interaction with phones.

Technical solutions for minimizing distractions

Using Niagara Launcher (Android) or clearing the home screen and using the App Library (iPhone) to hide apps and reduce distractions.

Tips for iPhone users to manage app usage.

Social media adapts to user searches; setting up feeds according to interests.

Examples of using TikTok for workout inspiration and Instagram for creator ideas.

The risk of getting sucked into content despite limiting time for reference searches.

More time for personal projects, work, hobbies, and enjoying life.

Encouragement not to quit social media entirely, but to be more conscious of its use.