Starting a 6-month social media detox (77k followers)... how, why & what I'm scared about!

[@alexthomascreative]

Hi Charlie, for the last few years I've gone through cycles of disappearing online then coming back and those fears you express are so pertinent. I really hope the experiment goes well for you. This video has made me reflect again on my usage of these platforms.

[@frankm.2850]

I've done this as well, and its to the point that its conerning, especially since most often its just brain rot, instead of things I really want to do and enjoy.

[@roxanes43]

I've recently discovered your channel and really appreciating the thoughtfulness of your content. As a late diagnosed (54 y/o) woman with ASD & ADHD, social media was not part of my younger years. It's funny at work when I'm not on my phone and coworkers have texted me but I'm oblivious because couldn't they walk 20 feet down the hallway? Anyway, I'm no saint though bc I'm part of the early FB adoptees and the timing was great when moved away from family. Then there was a time of extreme over sharing on FB. Now that's not the case. I tried Instagram and it didn't make sense to me. Never downloaded or watched TikTok so thank goodness for that! I've been a content creator on KZbin, and yes, the dopamine hit can be addictive; however, video is my preferred method of consumption and production, so I guess that would be my end stop also. This ramble is in short saying best wishes for this journey!! Looking forward to learning more from your experiences and thanks!

[@jessbeer8276]

Have dabbled with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter & Pinterest, but ended up deleting all of them... had FB & Pinterest for a few years but as you talk about they were such time-suckers for me. And as you said I use KZbin obviously but only to watch what I've subscribed to & for research purposes 😄 You've got this!!! 👍🏻

[@charlierewilding]

KZbin is the best for research isn't it :):)

[@BellesLibraryVlog]

Wow, I think God put this video up in my feed at just the right time tonight. I have two channels: a ministry channel and a literature channel. The literature channel is so much fun-I’m really loving it. The ministry channel brings me a lot of stress. Not because of the ministry, but because of people’s comments and desire to debate. I was sitting here thinking that maybe I just needed to turn comments off on that channel and before I could really even process the thought, there was this video! You said, “I don’t want to be consumed by external validation.” Wow, yes. That is exactly my motivation sometimes. I feed on that, as well. I definitely don’t want that to be the case. This video encouraged me so much. I sent it to both my adult daughters and I will be shutting off comments as soon as I hit send on this one!

[@FromFertileSoil]

Hi Charlie! You inspired me to minimize my social media use again. This year it started bothering me a lot how addicted I am to scrolling on Instagram and KZbin and I've tried several times to cut down on this behavior. Somehow I've been succumbing to it again the last couple of months. Last Friday after watching your video I decided to try again; I deinstalled social media apps on my phone and tablet. (I like your ideas on further limiting access in your browser, might try that too!) Although I get bored more easily now, I already notice that there is more space for me to engage in my interests and get into a hyperfocus (something that I don't remember has happened in quite a while now). And as a creative person this has lead to inspiration as well. I like where this is taking me. Let's do it together! I wish you success with your experiment and look forward to your updates.

[@charlierewilding]

Fantastic!! Go you! I'm sure boredom will lead you to beautifully creative places :)

[@keiralee]

Hey Charlie, I just found you through this video, but good luck on your journey! I've been addicted to the internet since I was 12, and I'm almost 31. I also have Aspie, ADHD, OCD, etc. and totally relate to the dopamine rush that the internet provides as well as the connection you feel with an online community, especially when you don't have that connection "in the real world". Like you, I crave being online less, but it's hard not to be. There is so much I can relate to in this video! I myself decided to delete all of my Facebook friends in September and trial it for 3 months to see how it made me feel as I had a problem with oversharing and my sense of worth being affected if I did or did not get comments and likes. I'm nearing the end of the last month now, and I'm glad I did it. I'll not be adding anyone back onto Facebook; it's like you said, people will find other ways to communicate if they desire it, and I've found that to be the case in my experience. I am trying to teach myself that unlearning habits takes time and is not linear, and will most likely have many setbacks. Even if you slip into old habits for a day, week or even a month, as long as you continue to get back up, then you're still growing. Maybe that's something to think about on the days you struggle with your mission. :)

[@charlierewilding]

Hello and welcome :) thank you for sharing and this is very wise advice, thank you!

[@HighlandManga]

I'm a bit confused, so you won't be uploading for 6 months?

[@JazzReadsBooks]

Just found your video and I am currently on a social media break for the same reasons! It has been eye opening, hope it’s going well for you 🥰

[@larableumink1936]

I’ve been thinking the same thing.. already had some weeks were I deleted Instagram just for a social media detox. It’s losing the connection with other people I fear the most.. im trying to recover from autistic burnout and real life social interaction is still too overwhelming for me unfortunately. Happy to hear you won’t be deleting your YT, i love your videos!

[@charlierewilding]

I totally relate to this! Social media has been a real blessing for me over the last year that I've been in autistic burnout and not well. It's definitely a bridge to other people when one can't connect in person.

[@PatriciaMoonn]

Charlie! I love this for you. I got off of instagram from March-October of this year and I didn't miss it at all. Literally all of the reasons you listed are why I decided to get off of there. I think about deleting all of my apps every day and I think you gave me the push to do it for a while longer. I guess sometimes I feel like I am taking away my ability to share the art I wanna share, so that fear holds me back from getting off of socials.

[@leejacksondev]

Joining you in this. Disabled all my social media.

[@charlierewilding]

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@HeyItsAJOmega]

Ooooh, SO much of this is resonating with me a LOT. I have struggled for so many years with getting tied up in knots in my own head around what 'niche' or box I should fit in as a creator, how I should focus on one thing over another, and you know full well the algorithms of social media are designed to make creators feel like that - as well as viewers/users consume content that way too. And I hear you so much on the TikTok FYP thing - I hate how it takes *two* taps of the back button to exit the app, if you tap once it just goes back to a new video on your FYP, and so often I get the same energy I used to do on Twitter - an algorithm thinks I SHOULD be caring about these things, and drowns me in content that I'm barely even interested in or don't want to care about, if that makes sense?

[@charlierewilding]

Two taps!! omg I'd never noticed that. That's such a good point. So many nifty little design techniques that keep you trapped, or at least make it a lot harder to opt out once you've opened the app. What you've shared makes total sense, and I find exactly the same - sometimes I'll realise I've been watching on content about something I couldn't care less about but I'm watching it because it's somehow captured my attention (triggered me, made me anxious, made me angry etc).

[@frankm.2850]

I'm jumping back into the digital minimalism game for 2024 as well. I'm refining my use of Insta & Tumblr, and unsubbing from most of the massive list of channels I'm subbed to on YT. My phone is going to be a pure tool, in the sense that Steve Jobs originally envisioned in: All the functions of a PDA, plus GPS, podcasts, music, audiobooks, meditation app, phone, text and instant messages, and thats about it. Most notifications except those related to phone calls and text/IM turned off. Continue using my Apple Watch, and use the laptop for streaming, YT, web browsing.

[@thegreateromentum]

I tried this once and didn't last very long but the desire to do it again has been growing the past few months. This has really given me the push to go and try again as I feel so abstracted from myself when I let social media and technology be such a large part of my life. In regards to your last fear point, I can imagine there are some good KZbin channels that analyse the current online conversations that go on through other platforms - I don't know of any yet but I'll post here if I find anything!

[@charlierewilding]

Good luck, I hope it helps you to feel more connected :) And thank you, that's such a great suggestion! I'll have a look

[@harrietholmes8580]

Hi Charlie, Thank you for posting this video. I have been feeling more and more antsy when I venture onto Instagram. My mood plummets and I'm riddled with anxiety, as well as comparing myself and my daily efforts at Life to many others. I love seeing artists showing their processes and their skills but I often end up feeling bombarded by other people's seemingly superior creativity and follow-through (to my neurodivergent brain anyway.) I will be doing my best to detox from Instagram by uninstalling the app for six months, like yourself. Slower social media such as KZbin and Substack feels much more comfortable for my brain. Thanks for sharing and good luck! Artists should take the world in at their own pace to be able to make sense of it and create beauty from it. ❤

[@charlierewilding]

I love your last words 'Artists should take the world in at their own pace to be able to make sense of it and create beauty from it' - BEAUTIFUL! Good luck, I'm excited to have a comrade on this journey :)

[@ashleylynn2158]

Hi Charlie! Hope you are well. You were mentioning that you couldn't really find other influencers with big followings quitting social media. It made me think of Harmony Nice, someone I used to follow on youtube. She had a lot of subscribers (700k+), but felt like it didn't really serve her anymore. She made a few interesting videos on this topic. Her channel is still online, so if you like you can still check it out. Anyway, love your videos, thanks as always for sharing!

[@charlierewilding]

oooo thank you so much for mentioning Harmony Ashley! I've watched her videos on this and it's amazing to listen to her describe exactly how I'm feeling. To see a creator with such a big following just say 'actually this isn't for me anymore, I'm changing course to go live a quiet life offline' is really inspiring.

[@ashleylynn2158]

You’re welcome!! 💕

[@JodieRogers]

Ahhhh Charlie, I've seriously been considering this. I'm wanting to become a digital minimalist but it's a huge part of my work, I'm going to be exploring it more going into 2024 and how I can move more towards platforms that feel more nourishing (KZbin and Substack). Realllllly looking forward to following your journey with this and seeing how you find it x

[@JodieRogers]

commenting again as I wrote this half way through watching 😅 It's interesting because Instagram and TikTok are the ones that cause me the most grief too, absolutely fine (for the most part) with KZbin and Substack. The external validation and dopamine feels completely different on those platforms

[@charlierewilding]

Thanks for sharing Jodie! I can completely understand there's an added layer of complexity when those platforms facilitate working online. It's a real conundrum because working online has so many perks too!

[@user-iz3ss5rb3z]

I love the idea of using extensions to make your life online more easier! I absolutely stand by the ublock chrome extension to just hide stuff on websites that bother me, and I also know you mentioned the chrome extension for youtube but i also love unhook because you can turn off the sidebar and homepage and basically everything! Also I'm so excited to see more of your content! You're truly inspiring

[@charlierewilding]

omg I LOVE unhook! It's changed my relationship with KZbin for the better :)

[@HeyItsVicky18]

The best of luck with this Charlie! You've inspired me to consider doing something similar with Instagram & Facebook. I deleted TikTok about a year ago for the same reasons you were discussing, but now Instagram is becoming that endless scroll monster that TikTok was for me and I can literally lose hours to it in the evenings/weekends. Good luck! ❤

[@Elianalivinglife]

I am learning so much from KZbin, and I am quite addicted to learning, KZbin has a lot of free learning opportunities. I use tumblr as interior and fashion inspiration, love the aesthetics. Quitting meta platforms and TikTok has been so beneficial for my health and my mood. Social media makes me mask and people please, it is really toxic for me as a neurodivergent women.

[@charlierewilding]

I'm so inspired to hear that this has been a good move for you and your health Ellie! Thanks for sharing.

[@frankm.2850]

Looking forward to seeing how the adventure goes for you!

[@selah5792]

Love this content❤ In an earlier video I mentioned ‘The Promise of Analogue’ (your words) is a great book title :)

[@charlierewilding]

Ooooo I agree!! I've not got the guts up to write a book yet but I'll add that to my collection of potential titles haha :)

[@jessicawalker3950]

Awesome, good luck with this! I'm excited to hear how it goes. I also deleted social media off of my cell recently. It's worked well with one trip up - I've found that I'm looking at the news a lot more...almost like it's replacing Insta, which I think is worse? Putting some kind of block on things is a great idea, I'm going to look into that :D!

[@charlierewilding]

Thank you! Ooo I definitely relate to this, I can already see my KZbin use going up because I'm not on IG/TT!!! I hope the site blockers/limiters help :)

[@murtazaarif6507]

You make a good psychological analysis of your situation but remember you may be blocking these social media platforms but not deleting them which means you may bounce back again at a later stage in the same cycle but it seems you know what you are doing. I completely shut out current affairs media news and popular culture from my life about 15 years ago and I am in a better place in my life. Your KZbin content has always sparked a sense of connection with me because of the autism connection. However I am a 1970's child. I miss those days. We didn't have social media back then but we connected with people and nature directly. I don't even know what these new social media platforms you mention are. However I watch KZbin for educational and well being topics such as yours.

[@ShekinahFineArt]

We are so similar! But for me I really want to sell my art and become a professional artist but I don’t like to be on Instagram. Everyone says in order to become an artist you need to be on Instagram. At the end of the day Being an artist isn’t worth negativity affecting my mental health.

[@cgm1624]

I found you on KZbin and refuse to download tiktok if that helps... But I've said before and I'll say it again you have to do what you need, what feels right and for those who want what you are able and choose to give will remain and they are the ones you want.

[@charlierewilding]

Honestly, go you Casper! I would stay well clear of TT - the more I reflect on it the more I realise how detrimental it can be.

[@TinaHunter]

Good luck with the detox 🤞I think it will be difficult but if you can manage the first few weeks it will be great. Do you think you might use more traditional mediums (pen and paper) for drawing to keep you away from temptation? Totally understand about the need to disconnect from online socials to make real life social connections 🙂 x

[@charlierewilding]

yes definitely!

[@anghogan826]

I have also gone off social media for 2024. I am in the process of reducing the amount of email that I receive. I have over 24,000 unread emails. Yikes! I found that email & social media give me anxiety. I much prefer analog. I would be interested in how things go for you. 😁

[@notesfrommybookshelf]

So interesting to hear your perspective. I find it depends on the app for me. Some apps are “noisier” than others and that’s what really compromises my peace. Side note - are your studio vlogs gone? I’ve been catching up on KZbin and was so enjoying watching them as I worked myself but it looks like they’ve all gone over night - is it a KZbin error?

[@charlierewilding]

no they should still be up!

[@CocoKitty19]

Hi Charlie, how are you doing ? As I commented on a previous video, I stopped using social altogether quite some time ago (maybe 2020 ?). I was mostly on Twitter, had an instagram account where I didn’t post a lot. Tried facebook but quit after five minutes, and I mean that literally. I used to like Tumblr. I don’t have TikTok, never have, never will. I see the way people are sucking into it and become « zombies » who spend their entire day/life on it. It’s quite scary to me. I also f-ing hate ads to the point where I have adblockers and sponsor-blockers. I am already bombarded on the street, I don’t want to be online which is my « me » time after work, especially your videos that I enjoy so much

[@charlierewilding]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this, of course I read to the end :) Fully on board with all of your reasoning, particularly the point about there being so much hatred - I actually found the hate was starting to make me reactive in real life to people. And you've reminded me of one big pro of social media that I forgot to include in this video - I met one of my best friends through TikTok!! They have changed my life, so there are definitely very important functions that social media plays at certain times in people's lives. Lots of love back to you too!

[@CocoKitty19]

I'm so glad you found such good friends

[@selah5792]

I think the algorythm is the biggest cause of personal and global breakdown. 🤔

[@samloutalbotmusic]

Pretty ironic how I’m seeing an instagram sponsored ad at the top prompting me to install the app. Otherwise, much resonates here.

[@The_socialinsider]

You don't look a day older than 25🤭 31 looks good on ya!