“Best thing I ever did”: 19 people share how quitting social media helped their mental health

Redditor u/NappyFlickz posed an interesting question to people on r/AskReddit. “People who deleted most social media (Facebook, IG, Snap, etc) and stopped watching mainstream news, how have those changes affected your mental health?”

Responses were overwhelmingly net positive, with many saying that quitting social media has helped them to take it a little slower and enjoy life. Quite a few Redditors mentioned that without the constant flood of notifications, trending hashtags, and algorithm-driven outrage, their days began to feel calmer and far less cluttered. Instead of endlessly scrolling, they started spending more time outdoors, rediscovering hobbies, or reconnecting with people face-to-face rather than through curated highlight reels.

They may not always be on top of the latest news, but the peace of mind, they wrote, outweighs the FOMO. Some admitted that they occasionally miss hearing about breaking events in real time, but they also realized that most stories filter down to them eventually through friends or more reliable, less sensational sources. For them, losing instant access to every viral controversy was a small price to pay compared to gaining back focus, presence, and a stronger sense of mental clarity. 

Check out 19 of the most interesting responses from Redditors below.

1.

“It’s amazing, the only “social” media I have is Reddit. No Facebook since 2016. Gave up Twitter before it was the cool thing to do. And my life is smooth sails and for the most part drama free” —u/karmicbrutality

2.

“The only thing FB did positively for me was to out members of my family for being intolerant, racist a**holes. Made it easier to know which ones to go no contact with before I deleted it all. 😂” —u/Independent-Future-1

3.

“Absolutely! The only social media I experience is from Reddit and YouTube. Which can be equally distracting if I am being honest.” —u/xzitony

4.

“Mostly good changes, but I’m still here, so it’s not that much better. I think Reddit might be the worst of all of them.” —u/Dramatic_Diver7146

5.

“I’m a millennial, and I’m used to the times without social media. They were a lot calmer and quieter. For me, that just feels right. I don’t want to be brainwashed any more than I already am. Staying away from social media feels freeing… it feels comfortable. I get actually to live in the moment and never have to compare my life to others. I’m just here… living, and then I’m gonna die one day. A quiet life is one I’m happier to live. Mentally, I’m very content.

Besides Reddit, I don’t really use other types of social media. Even Reddit, I uninstall the app when I feel myself losing sight of what’s real.” —u/Lady_of_Autumn

6.

“It helped much more than I could’ve imagined. I had more energy, was more happy, more good things” —u/ALazy_Cat

7.

“Positively. Facebook was a cesspool of trash, racism, and ads. Never used IG or Snap. As for mainstream news, I use Associated Press.” —u/TheMaddieBlue

8.

“Gotta do the ‘not me but’ askreddit trope for this one. I have a friend who does this. She has no social media, no Reddit, nothing, and does not watch any news with the exception of local news.

I thought this was wild when I first met her, but I really, really get the point. She legit has no idea about anything going on right now. I’m kind of jealous and she’s encouraged me to take a step back from this shit too.” —u/miss-swait

9.

“I quit Facebook, Instagram, and cable news at the same time, and suddenly the world felt quieter. Like my brain finally had room to think thoughts that were actually mine.” —u/aquavibee

10.

“It’s been pretty incredible. My insecurities and anxiety have mostly disappeared. For the first time since I was like 16, I’m pretty clueless about world events (outside of the most important things). My phone screen time went from an average of 12 hours a day to about 4-5.

I still browse Reddit, but I’ve banned/blocked most problematic subreddits and only read things that are fun/funny or insightful. I’ll give myself Friday to catch up on important political events, unless there is some insane event that I can’t ignore. I found out Ozzy died like a week and a half after the fact. I sleep better, I feel better, and I get things done.” —u/TheArmandoV

11.

“I stole my wife’s Kindle and have started reading books. I realized that I usually browse Reddit to look for things to read. I’ve only just remembered that there’s an entire public institution whose sole purpose is storing, and lending out literature to read.” —u/Mklein24

12.

“Meta does this thing where it intentionally tries to ruin your mood for engagement. It is predatory. You should delete them from your life.” —u/SiegelGT

13.

“I didn’t delete my social media, but muted people I found myself comparing to. It has helped me become happier. I’ve also unfollowed/muted media outlets because it worsens my anxiety.

Kind of cleaning up my timeline has helped me a lot. I only follow people who make me happy and it has allowed me the breathing space I don’t get when I work.” —u/arianightingale824

14.

“💯 the best thing I ever did.” —u/Parking-Bumblebee345

15.

“I got rid of Twitter about 8 years ago, and didn’t miss it at all. Instagram went maybe 2 years ago, don’t miss that. Facebook was the difficult one to get rid of. It’s been deactivated for a month or so now, but I periodically log back in. I can’t delete it because I use Messenger to chat with friends.

Sometimes I feel isolated, as many in my age group still use it, so I miss out on things. I got rid of them all to stop myself wasting time on my phone, but I ended up just replacing them all with Reddit. I’m considering deleting the news app too, but I’m not sure I want to be that disconnected from the world” —u/peterbparker86

16.

“I use Messenger, so I can’t truly delete my FB. I use Reddit now since I don’t have to be ‘friends’ with family. Sometimes I feel isolated but would rather feel that small inkling of isolation, opposed to using those platforms of social media.” —u/Beaauxbaton

17.

“Honestly, for the better. I used to be a news junkie, but now I make do with an hour of evening news and maybe one of the late shows. Most news these days is fitted into the 24-hour cycle, so I’ll watch an hour, with the day concatenated, and still not miss any major stories. Though, as evidenced, I’m still on Reddit, so not completely cured. 😎” —u/speedingpullet

18.

“Been 5 years separated from social media and definitely feel my mental health has vastly improved. In my opinion, social media is the #1 cause for the degradation of civil society we’ve seen in the last 20 years.” —u/crymeariver77_

19.

“I honestly feel like I’m taking crazy pills whenever I hear anyone describe current events I don’t know about, and the stranglehold that AI has on people I work with who lack critical thinking skills is absolutely bazonkers.” —u/disicking

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.