I deleted all social media. Here’s what happened.
It all started with the great TikTok shutdown, where it was rumored the United States would be losing access to Tik Tok forever. I opened my phone and got the notification that TikTok would not be available in the United States. With no second thought, I deleted the app, disappointed but somewhat relieved. It later came to my knowledge that TikTok was up and running again, not even 24 hours later.
“You know what, no.” I told myself.
It was already deleted; the world did not end when I did not have it on my phone. I had already come to realize how much time I spent on the app, and how much time I had left in the day without it. So I chose not to redownload it.
As for the other apps, Snapchat and Instagram came a little later.
Snapchat was probably the easiest for me to delete. Months prior I had already lost all my streaks; my year-ago todays were just embarrassing, and I left people on delivered for way too long. I think the day I turned 20 I realized I didn’t want my main form of communication to include a filter that turns you into a dog or makes you throw up a rainbow. I mean, I’m an adult now — delete.
Instagram was definitely more difficult to delete. I got my fix of TikTok through Instagram Reels, so I got to stay updated on what people were up to, and if texting was too intense for some people I could communicate through DMs.
However, the more I relied on Instagram the more I realized what I was being recommended no longer aligned with my values, and the app left me in a bad mood every time I engaged with it. I would also find myself getting disappointed when I would see my friends hanging out without me, I would stress about why someone did not post the photo they said they were going to, or why I was left out of someone’s semester photo dump. Listing all these things sounds ridiculous now, but this FOMO was all-consuming. When I realized that Instagram was doing nothing to improve my life, if anything making it worse, I deleted it.
As of right now, I haven’t had any social media on my phone since May 2025. I could sit here on my high horse and tell you all the positives of deleting social media, but honestly, it sucks.
Yes, I have noticed the positives. The consuming comparison no longer takes up space in my life. I don’t doomscroll for hours on end, I find myself having more productive days, and most importantly it’s no longer an option for men to solely communicate with me through Snapchat.
However, I am so out of the loop. What is 6-7? I still don’t know. I’m so confused. When my sister asked me what I do on my phone if I don’t have social media, I told her that I answer emails. I have officially lost all my cool older sister status. When everyone is using something that you don’t have, you do feel left out. I miss sharing the cute photos that I take, right now they’re just sitting in my camera roll waiting to be seen.
While deleting social media was a worthwhile experience that allowed me to learn more about myself, I don’t know if I will have it deleted forever. When I originally deleted everything, I told myself it was a break, this break is just really long.
A lot of the positives you can experience when you delete social media totally happen, even within a day; It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. Honestly, sometimes you just need to put the phone down and touch some grass.