When the Australian Parliament passed a law last week to ban social media usage for those under 16, the move sparked worldwide debate, with some warning that the process was rushed and that the ban could push teenagers toward the dark web or even isolation. While the law, which bans under-16s from social media despite safety concerns, remains contentious, the truth is that platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit, and X can be highly addictive if not used in a controlled manner, often resulting in dependency.
The good news is that there are ways to detox from social media to better understand how apps like Instagram affect productivity, mental well-being, and relationships with the physical environment. Here’s how you can detox your smartphone (and social media platforms) with the help of these apps and gadgets. Just be ready to change your social behaviour, embrace digital literacy, and let go of FOMO.
First, get yourself used to monitoring app usage inside iOS and Android
There are several apps that can monitor your social media usage pattern. (Express Photo)
Many users attempt a complete removal of all social apps—no Instagram, X, Facebook, or Snapchat for 30 days. However, this approach rarely works (and likely won’t). These apps are highly addictive, making it difficult for them to quit easily. You might try logging out of each app and deleting them from your phone, but often, you find yourself reinstalling and using them again within a few hours, reverting to your usual habits.
Instead of deleting these apps immediately, the first step is to monitor your usage of social apps for a few days. Both Apple and Google offer tools to help you track how much time you spend on your screen and identify which apps consume the most time.
On your iPhone, there is a feature called Screen Time, which you can find in Settings. It shows how much time you are spending on your phone, which apps you are using the most, how many notifications you are receiving, and how often you are unlocking your phone. You can tap App Limits to set daily limits on how much time you spend in specific apps. These limits can be set for individual apps or app categories (social networking, games, entertainment, etc.). The daily limit can range from as little as one minute to as much as 23 hours and 59 minutes. You can also set different limits for different days, depending on your weekly schedule. This approach allows you to address social media addiction in a controlled way and gradually eliminate any addiction.
If you use an Android smartphone, you can rely on Google’s Digital Wellbeing tool, accessible from the Settings menu. It provides a graph of your activity, including your daily average time spent on your phone and your most frequently used apps.
Start your social media detox journey with these apps
An app that can turn your smartphone into a dumb phone. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
Dumb Phone: One way to break your social media addiction is to make your phone’s home screen less appealing. A boring home screen can reduce how often you pick up your phone and, in turn, decrease the time spent on social media apps. While this approach might not be entirely effective, it can serve as a useful way to monitor your social media usage behaviour.
For iPhone users, there’s an app called Dumb Phone by developer Michael Tigas. This app offers a widget that lists your most-used apps and recreates a minimalist launcher experience. To get started, the app guides you through a series of steps to “minimalise” your home screen. The process involves adding the widget to your home screen, changing the wallpaper to a black or white colour that matches the widget, removing all other icons, and selecting the apps you want displayed in the widget.
The widget comes in both dark and light modes, complete with matching wallpapers, and it allows you to customise the text orientation. If you are an impulsive smartphone user, this app could be a helpful tool in managing your usage.
Opal: This is a free app that helps you reset your brain and break your social media addiction by blocking distracting apps and providing a customisable planner. Opal tracks your screen time, offers insights into your digital behaviour, and shows you concrete numbers, such as how many hours you are distracted. In fact, it even calculates how many years of your life you could be wasting away if the habit continues. But there’s more to the app: Opal also gives you the option to share and view screen times with friends who also use the app. If you are too embarrassed to share how many hours you spend on Instagram in a day, it encourages you to become accountable and accept your addiction to social media. And that is where Opal helps you on your journey to a social media detox.
Forest: Another app to control your social media addiction is Forest. The app encourages this behaviour by rewarding users for staying off their phones. This is done through a game, where you start by planting a seed. The longer you avoid checking your phone, the bigger and stronger the tree grows. Failing to do so will cause the tree to die, and you have to start over by planting a new seed. As you grow trees, you earn virtual coins, which you can spend. Additionally, Forest plants a real tree somewhere in the world every time you grow a tree in the app. The app also shows your progress in the form of the trees you have planted in your virtual forest.
Buy a real detox phone, like the Nokia 2660 Flip
A true digital detox phone. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/The Indian Express)
If you are done with Instagram and don’t want to give up phones altogether, consider switching to a dumb phone. There’s a whole range of digital detox phones available on the market. Perhaps one device that stands out is the Nokia 2660 (review). It’s a feature phone made for simpler times. The device undeniably looks retro, comes in fun colours, including pink, has a flip form factor, and, yes, it can play Snake. Recently, HMD, the brand behind the revival of classic Nokia phones, has been heavily promoting a line of digital detox phones. Maybe it’s time to pick one if you want a break from social media—temporary or permanent—the choice is yours.
Tips for a true social media detox
Simple tips to get away from social media addiction. (Image generated by Gemini)
Set Clear Goals: Complete removal of social media apps from your phone might take some time, which is why it is important to define goals for reducing social media addiction and reduce phone usage. Make sure to be realistic and gradually adjust the parameters as habits take time to evolve.
Closely monitor features: If you are using one of the detox apps (whether it’s the ones mentioned above or any app you choose), try to go through the metrics and data to gain a deeper understanding of your digital habits. It’s always better to use an app for at least a week before switching to a new one.
Combine with mindful practices: Using a detox app might not work unless you change your habits. To achieve this, you need to free up time and engage in mindfulness activities such as reading, regular exercise, listening to music, or participating in activities that motivate you in life. All of this contributes heavily to your overall well-being and sets you on a path toward positive self-growth.