A Guide To Helping Young Adults Reduce Their Social Media Consumption - And Quitting Is Not One of Them

How many times have you tried quitting social media only to come back at it full swing?

I had an epiphany as I had my head wrapped around this question. “I am losing control. I need to gain it back”, I’d tell myself as I had the urge to let my thoughts fade away when I reached for my phone. The next moment was like this — I took my phone and deleted Instagram. There it was, me not giving in. And it has only gone uphill from there, as I am now free of addiction.

This article is about the steps that have helped me to overcome addiction, and now to help you with yours.

1. Be aware of what you are doing:

Picture this: You are currently working on an assignment. You’re bored. Almost subconsciously, you reach for your phone to open Instagram. You start scrolling and find a relatable meme that makes you feel good. You continue to scroll until an hour has passed by and you’re down the rabbit hole.

You see, our brains are wired this way, to relieve us of discomfort; however, is it helping? Your lack of patience and shallow work can show you that it isn’t.

How do you respond?

• Note the Sensation: The moment you try to reach your phone, ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” “What is it that I’m trying to escape?”
• Name the Experience: Understand what you are experiencing and name it. You’ll realize that you were only trying to escape boredom.
• Claim Responsibility: Once you’re aware of the feeling, be accountable.

2. Break free from doomscrolling:

Remember how finding a relatable meme made you feel good? Dopamine kicked in. It made you stuck in a loop of scrolling. Now, an unlimited supply of dopamine has hijacked your mind as you long for more ‘feel-good’ hormone. A ‘Reward System’ is built in your mind that makes you doomscroll.

Play with your mind, win over control. How?

• Delay your response: Let’s assume that you have a strong desire to use your phone. Don’t rule it out. Instead, wait to respond. Trick your mind into thinking that the phone is available ten minutes from now, instead of right now. When you’ve waited it out, reward yourself for you’ve stuck to your decision!
• Build your reward system: Train your mind into believing that consuming less media means you’re doing well. Do this more often. It helps build your reward system and break your cycle.

Isn’t that liberating? To take charge in building your reward system.

Now I get happy when the weekly report of my screen-time comes in every Monday, at 10 am — this is my reward. To look at whether I’ve stayed at my weekly average screen time or gotten better and have reduced it.

Final Words:

The answer to freeing yourself of addiction lies in the way you respond to your urges.

And as Nir Eyal says -

“You do not control your feelings; you do not control your urges. All you can control is how you respond to those feelings and urges. Take responsibility.”

(Image credit — Janis Ozolins | Twitter — @OzolinsJanis)

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