For a couple of months now, I’ve had all social media apps removed from my phone. My accounts still exist, but I only check them at home — on my computer or iPad, occasionally on my work computer. No scrolling on the go.
The first few weeks, I noticed I would just sit there with my phone in my hand, staring at nothing. Waiting for it to entertain me. I used to follow a wide variety of accounts on Instagram — thought-provoking ones, funny ones, feel-good content. I’d genuinely look forward to seeing what they’d post next.
But wedged between the content I loved was always the rage-bait. Politics. The Epstein files. Whatever trending topic was designed to trigger fear or outrage. That’s ultimately why I pulled the plug on having it in my pocket. It was too much — too angry, too heavy, too constant. I don’t believe humans were built to absorb this volume of emotionally charged information in such a short span of time. I was starting to feel the emotions of strangers, even though their reality had zero direct impact on my own life.
It took about six weeks before I noticed a shift. The anxiety, the stress, the low-grade anger — they started to fade. But here’s the strange part: I didn’t quite know what I was feeling either. I wasn’t numb. I wasn’t sad. But I also wasn’t riding any kind of high. No dopamine hit from a viral Reel, no serotonin boost from a heartwarming story. I was just… here. Present. Wherever that was.
I’m not even sure I was bored. Just existing. Minding my business.
Without a screen to fill the silence, I was left alone with my thoughts — waiting for my wife, waiting for my son, just standing somewhere with nothing pulling at my attention. One morning, sitting on the front porch with my coffee and the birds doing their thing, I felt this sudden, unexplained anger toward someone from my past. Someone who isn’t even in my life anymore, let alone the same country. There was no obvious trigger. But the silence gave me space to actually sit with it.
I happened to have access to a Feelings Wheel, and it helped me break down what felt like one big, heavy emotion into smaller, more specific ones. What I thought was anger or resentment turned out to be something quieter — disappointment. That distinction mattered.
Without the constant distraction, I’ve been able to go deeper. To look at some of the resentments, fears, and unresolved things I’d been carrying around — and instead of scrolling past them, actually ask: “How can I work through this?” Small steps, daily. Nothing dramatic. But it moves.
Feeling it. Riding the waves. Learning. Making adjustments. Forgiving yourself for things you can’t change — because healing is genuinely hard, and that’s okay. With a little time and honesty, you’ll be glad you went through it.
I’ll be keeping social media off my phone for the foreseeable future. It’s only been a couple of months. Let’s see what a full year looks like.
Keep going, brother.
Have you thought about removing social media apps from your phone too? What’s stopping you?
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