where it started
I had this amazing teacher in high school. He taught my AP English Literature class, and while we were reading either “Frankenstein” or “All the Pretty Horses” he mentioned how he believes society as a whole peaked in the ’90s — before cellphones were invented and before any of us were even born.
Imagine getting FOMO for a time when you weren’t even alive. My teacher then elaborated, saying he wished we would all throw our phones in a lake and forget about them. He even argued that we would actually do it if we all agreed.
Looking back, I secretly think he was right. Back then, I didn’t think my screen time was anything to be concerned about. I used my phone during my downtime; what’s the big deal? I had amazing grades, I was getting exercise, I was hanging out with my friends, so what if I use my phone to relax? So what if I need to use my phone to relax?
I love watching shows and movies, but according to my screen time logistics, I love Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. But so what?
the tiktok ban
TikTok was briefly shut down to U.S. users in January 2025 for about four days. At first, it seemed like the end of the world at my high school. People were downloading obscure apps as potential replacements and hoping every day it would go live again, myself included.
My best friend, however, decided to permanently delete the app following the shutdown. I couldn’t imagine why. I mean, after all, TikTok is a way to relax, right? I didn’t understand her choice, and I didn’t really question it until I realized that I spent as much time on TikTok as I did in school.
It’s time to delete the apps
I was disgusted with myself. I let my time seep away into an artificial world, time that could’ve been spent having experiences that I’d actually be proud to look back on.
I asked my friend how she has liked not having TikTok and she said deleting it was one of the best decisions she’s ever made. The world seemed so much quieter, bigger and there was more wonder to it.
After hearing her say that, combined with how I was feeling, I decided to delete not only TikTok, but Snapchat as well. Have I looked back a couple times? Sure. Have I redownloaded them a couple of times? Sure. But deleting them forced them to give up the control they had over me, and I have been free of TikTok and Snapchat for over two years now.
Although I am proud to have severed the ties with TikTok and Snapchat, I will admit it is a little awkward being one of the few college students without them. But I’ve learned that my life is larger without them.
I still have work to do, though. Instagram has still got its hold on me, as it does many other college students. Instagram has been a tough app to let go of, and I know it’s because I’m addicted to it. I knew it was bad when I couldn’t get up or go to sleep before checking it.
It’s understandable to be addicted to an app like Instagram or TikTok because they’re made to hold attention, but they’re also how we stay connected with our peers. My AP Literature teacher described it as the largest study ever conducted: “What would happen if we put a dopamine dispenser in the pocket of every teenager in America?”
It really hit me when he said that. I was giving up my life for a phone.
The hours most people and I spend on social media are not normal. They never were.
How can I change it, though?
The best answer would, unfortunately, be to throw my phone in a lake. That’s not realistic, though, unless every single person on the planet also did it. And let’s be honest, no one is going to.
Instead, I downloaded a screen time app called Opal. According to Opal, I am on track to save 31 years of my life that would have otherwise been spent scrolling.
I’ve realized that the minutes add up to days, to months, to years. I hope you can realize the same and hopefully be okay with not having some social media in your life, if it means your life will be more worth living.