My Toxic Relationship with Social Media
26/01/2026
I’m old enough that I still remember the days before social media (god, that’s depressing), before short-form content, caring how many followers you have, and brain rot. The good old days, if I want to be a boomer for a moment.
My relationship with social media has become toxic. I’m spending too much time on my phone and not enough time actually living my life. My attention span is shot, I struggle to retain information, and my screen time is wildly unhealthy. I’ve become a hostage to it, and I’ve decided it’s time for a purge. I’ve cut all social media out of my life.
It’s been around a month since D-Day, and things are going well. Not perfectly, but well. Do I miss social media? Yes. Is it normal to miss something I would normally spend two to three hours a day scrolling through? Also yes.
Breaking an addiction isn’t easy. I still find myself reaching for my phone, even when I know there’s nothing there to scroll. I open random apps, trying to fill the void that’s been left behind.
I’m trying to read again (currently making my way through the Witcher series—maybe I’ll post about that at a later date) and trying to learn how to program. Filling my time with meaningful activities is the end goal.
Will I never be on social media again? Probably not. But I need to manage my time on it in a healthy way, and taking a break feels like the best thing to do right now. Hopefully in twelve months I can post again and say I was successful in my attempt, right now it feels like a realistic goal.
~ Luke