A ten-minute scroll becomes your doom. A quick check-in to see what’s up online becomes your downfall. Whether it’s TikTok or Instagram, social media’s addictive algorithm can become a virtual trap – and a real problem. Think it’s time for you and the ‘For You Page’ to take a break? Here are some tips.
You can still be friends, but keep it long-distance.
Delete the app from your phone. You can keep your account, but keep it far from your fingers, because out of sight is out of mind. If you need to access your account, you can do so from the (dis)comfort of a computer. It takes a bit longer to scroll to the next post, giving you time to process: do you really want to scroll right now? More often than not, the answer is no.
Figure out what you want.
Before you log into your account, ask yourself what you want out of the session. If you want to check in on your friends, see what events are happening in town or reach out to someone, make a list and tick it as you go. When the list is finished, say goodbye and click that red cross! However, if you’re bored, don’t log in at all. It’s called TikTok because of the sound the clock makes while you’re bored-browsing – a dangerous game if you’re trying to keep it casual.
Would you give your toxic ex the keys to your house?
Log out after every session, so that it would be a hassle to log in every time. If you want to break a habit, having it on-hand whenever you like is hardly the way to do it.
It’s not you, it’s the brain.
On a primal level, the brain doesn’t distinguish between a face on a screen and a real person. A long scroll session can therefore be mentally and emotionally draining and overstimulating. Yet the dopamine release can bond you to the app, leading to a vicious, addictive cycle. Sometimes a break is for the best.
By Emma Olivier
