quitting my screen addiction

[thecatscanvas]

I've posted here in the past a few months ago when I started to get serious about quitting social media. There was one thing I didn't mention at that time.

My screen addition ran alongside a pretty ruthless nicotine addiction. I was (and still am to an extent) dealing with a lot of stress, and I would deal with it by sitting on TikTok or Reels for hours and just endlessly hitting my vape to force my brain to release dopamine. I did this for hours every morning and every night before I went to bed. I would sometimes do this for more than five hours at a time. I was unable to find a job (not for lack of trying, and I have one now) and really didn't have much to do otherwise, because existing outside often costs money. Even if I wasn't in too much pain to travel to a public park, I would often just pull my phone and vape out of my pocket there instead.

Even while I was doing it I hated that I was doing it, but I couldn't stop. It got to the point that watching a TV show almost felt productive. I actually almost got to quitting once, but right as I was making progress, my friend that I was living with committed suicide.

It's almost the end of 2025, and aside from the new year, I have a milestone birthday coming up. I decided that I really, really don't want to spend the rest of my life like this. Not even if I got the problem down to a "manageable size." I don't want to lie on my deathbed regretting all the hours I burnt my brain out on nicotine and Instagram.

As I'm writing this right now, I'm almost three days completely clean of nicotine (although I'm craving it pretty hard right now.) It's especially hard because I know one of my roommates has a vape. I told everyone I live with I intend to quit, and they agreed that if I ask to hit their vapes they will remind me, but I know they would allow me a quick hit if asked. But I need to get clean clean, so instead I bought a CBD one to help me with the oral fixation and motor habit.

I'm trying to come up with ways I can similarly train my brain off of short-form content. One of my plans is to only go online or view social media when I am sitting up at my computer, and to keep it to one app only (probably Tumblr) since I eventually want to do art commissions. Outside of screens I am trying to get back into reading physical books, and creating more physical art. I struggle with dissociation and have found this to ground me a lot better. I've also been exercising frequently which has helped fill the void of dopamine since quitting vaping.

The only social media I still have installed on my phone that I would be tempted to use (I have a few things just to keep an eye on local events) is Instagram, which I have been keeping with the excuse that I want to download my photos first.

Can someone recommend me something I could use to mass download my photos so I can wipe my account and delete the app?

In addition, I want to find someplace to listen to music besides Spotify or YouTube. Ideally I would just convert my playlists to mp3s, but the methods I have found so far keep compressing the music down to low quality. However, I'd still like to be able to listen to podcasts.

[Dan Q]

Good for you, cutting down on the things that are harming you. And well done for sharing your plans: that can make it easier to commit to them! Just remember to be kind to yourself - some days will be harder than others.

Regarding podcasts: podcasts are just audio files linked from an RSS feed ("exclusive to platform X" podcasts aren't real podcasts, they're just lightly sparkling audio). So you absolutely don't have to use any specific service to get them. I use my regular old RSS reader - the same place I follow my friends' blogs! - as my podcast client! If you want something more podcast-centric than a general-purpose feed reader, I quite like Pocket Casts: it's free, it's got web/Android/iOS options, it "just works", it doesn't try to algorithmically push things your way, etc.

(<self-plug>Here's a starter for you!</self-plug>)

Can't help you with Instagram: I've barely ever used it, and (like all social media on a server not under my control) I'd never upload anything to it that I didn't have elsewhere. But I'll bet somebody's come up with something. This tool looks promising, for example.

[littlelum]

I don't really listen to music that often, but I've heard a lot of good things about soma.fm, an online radio station that has its own app. Since it's a radio station, you can't choose your songs, but they have a wide variety of genres you can choose from.

[TheFrugalGamer]

For getting your photos out of Instagram, you can request an export of your data from them by logging on to the site in the browser. I can't remember where it is exactly, but it's buried in the settings somewhere. You make the request, and a few hours later they will email a link to an archive to your address on file. It will have your photos in separate folders, including any videos you posted, and will also have some other info about your account. I've done it before and it was pretty easy, and the advertising info they had for me was an interesting look through as well.

[navi]

Well I would firstly say Its not your fault that you are a screen and nicotine addict, It is the world around us and I would gladly say Capitalism which gave us fake sense of consumption is contentment. Now someone will say find your passion - it is much vague. Find something that you can do while never asking yourself anything back from it.

[xero333]

I get you. In the new year, I'm once again going to get rid of Instagram, and try my hardest not to use Reddit etc on my phone. I want next year to be about reading books and actually doing stuff with my hands and achieving something.

Giving up smoking is rough. I smoked for years. One time though, I got a really bad cough and it put me off smoking massively. I actually ended up quitting for 3 years and didn't have a single puff. Currently I will have the odd one if I'm out drinking but I don't smoke any other time or even really think about it anymore. For a bit of reassurance to you, it gets a LOT easier around 15 days in from my experience. The first week is rough. Second gets easier, and when you've pushed past that you should be good. So keep going. Keep thinking to yourself "not one puff, not one single puff" over and over. You've got this.

[thecatscanvas]

Thank you. Officially 10 days clean now :)

I'm trying to do the same thing for new years. I need to get more into making things. Wishing you luck. 

[red-night]

Thank you. Officially 10 days clean now :)

Yay!!! That is really awesome, and mega-congrats dude!!!

I'm also on my own journey right now to break my screen addiction, and your progress even so far has been encouraging.
One thing that's helping me right now is slowly adding routines into my life. I used to get all gung-ho about my progress, burn out way too fast, and find myself rotting in bed again after a week or less. Now, I just focus on every two weeks, finding a new habit I can integrate into my existing routines or that can replace one of the less savoury practices I do. And it's not always two weeks, it's just whatever timeline feels the most sustainable to me.
Sorry to advice-dump on you ! Just keep up the good work my dude!!!!

[thecatscanvas]

I'm also on my own journey right now to break my screen addiction, and your progress even so far has been encouraging.
One thing that's helping me right now is slowly adding routines into my life. I used to get all gung-ho about my progress, burn out way too fast, and find myself rotting in bed again after a week or less. Now, I just focus on every two weeks, finding a new habit I can integrate into my existing routines or that can replace one of the less savoury practices I do. And it's not always two weeks, it's just whatever timeline feels the most sustainable to me.

I've been doing a lot of the same things. Trying to be more deliberate about the first and last things I do a day when waking up/going to bed has been very helpful. In my opinion, the secret to defeating burnout and progressing is learning how to rest effectively. I have learned this the hard way, especially since I am mentally and physically disabled, but it applies to everyone. Intentional rest, and being open to play.

Humans are the only animals that discourage play as adults, but I think it's very important, and there are lots of ways to do it. I prefer to play through art and writing, but I also play video games or other games with my friends sometimes. Eventually maybe I'll pick up D&D.

[pepper]

congrats on the life changes! I quite nicotine just over ten years ago and, while I am clean now I have a history also of drug and alcohol addiction, and I can say nicotine was the hardest to quit. You're doing great! It gets easier I promise, I still get cravings, I'm just stronger than them now :3

I am also working towards removing social media addiction from my life, but it's tough because it's all behavioral. Some things that I've done are to replace Spotify with my old iPod, which I modded with a new battery and SD card. I was lucky to have a friend to give me an actual TB of music but there are plenty of other ways still alive and well to get MP3s.

My biggest social media drain was reddit, I stopped using that last year and I've come to realize how awful most redditors are and I really don't have much desire to keep using it. I only use bsky and Instagram, bsky because there is a decent photography community there and it helps get my photos out there (my hope is people will see my site in my profile and the cool ones will hop over to the better web), and Instagram is necessary because unfortunately the local punk music scene in my city uses only Instagram stories to share shows, so if I don't check the stories I will likely miss house shows and I care about the punk community here too much to give that up. I try to only scroll bluesky for news once a day, maybe twice, and otherwise do something creative if I need to get dopamine.

I also started carrying a paperback library book in my backpack to read when I need to kill time instead of using my phone, and keep my phone in my backpack instead of my pocket (this is a hard habit to break). I feel that making small changes helps keep the momentum going, and gives you manageable and doable things to succeed in to give yourself the confidence to keep doing small things, eventually they build up to a better lifestyle.