Before Christmas, I could feel the accumulation of my media usage throughout the year finally adding up.
I got terribly overwhelmed by being onInstagram, specifically, in the final days of 2022.
Almost immediately, I felt the need to purge the app from myiPhone.
This wasn’t the first time I needed space from the ever-churning content I inconspicuously consume.
It wasn’t the first time I deleted Instagram from my phone, either.
What did we think would happen to them?"
Did I find some of my best friends on the app in college?
Has the app’s prevalence in my life made it better?
As I look back at my adolescence, I can’t say it has.
Has it made it worse?
I don’t know.
I deleted the app from my phone but kept it on my laptop, making it harder to access.
Allow me to reiterate: I have problems!
Putting Instagram just out of reach
So how did I wrap up the surfing app loophole?
The article notes how clearing your cache can free up storage, which is initially why I did it.
But then I realized deleting cookies and website data could also delete account information kept by your web app.
So far, my plan is working.
After nearly two months with this setup, the urge to reflexively check Instagram on my phone is gone.
Not to mention the rush of validation I get from posting and interacting with others on the app.
AsI’ve writtenbefore, expecting young people to abandon their social media accounts is unrealistic.
My new approach, I think, is more realistic.
I have no intention of a permanent exit or complete detox.
By creating a few simple barriers, it’s possible for you to fundamentally change your habits.
Will I ever download the Instagram mobile app again?
But for the time being, this works.
