Why Quitting Facebook And Instagram Made Me Happier

CNBC technology reporter Christina Farr deleted Facebook and Instagram from her phone in August, and hasn't checked either app since. Here's how her social media detox has improved her life.

summer camp for burned-out adults called "Camp Grounded."

There were three rules: Take a camp name of your choosing, like Luna or Huckleberry, avoid talking about "W," meaning work, and ditch all electronics at the door. At an arrival ceremony deep in the California Redwoods, volunteers in hazmat suits zipped up our devices into brown bags, leaving them locked away in a so-called "Robot Decontamination Area."

That might seem extreme, a total gimmick.

But it prompted some deep discussion among my campmates. I recall arguing with friends about whether our experience was essentially a PG version of Burning Man, or a harbinger of something bigger, a growing discontent among millennials with social media.

At that time, social media companies seemed unstoppable, a daily part of life. Instagram and Facebook were a habit that very few people questioned, with a few notable exceptions. I had well-meaning friends who worked at these companies who believed with an almost cult-like fervor in the positive impact of bringing the world closer together. That's all starting to change.

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Why Quitting Facebook And Instagram Made Me Happier

[bharatrajput]

I quit Facebook Instagram 1 year ago...
But now I'm addicted to YouTube

[legitKwit]

“Comparison is the thief of joy”. Roosevelt

[svenstylesz]

Seriously. Nobody need social media. Just be social in reality.

[dir]

I quit social media 5 years ago, when I was 18, I just live my life simply, carefree, I learn from this world and improve my skills.

[tessmarsh]

I always tell people struggling with depression, anxiety or marital problems etc..get off social media...I am so much happier.

[secretbillionaire]

I want to live my life just like in the 90s where social media was non existent. I felt more happier then and I want to go back to that.😊

[Ladypeace]

I've never had Instagram, and l quit fb. I spend more time on YouTube and get to learn alot, lots of history, documentaries, how to cook etc. Really enjoying my life without the pressure of showing others what am upto all the time, no pressure of the need to see what others are upto

[jayhulrs]

Me too! So much happier. Wasting less time. Less depressed. More productive.

[countrysidelivingadventure]

if you're life is so great you wouldn't have time for Facebook

[cheryljohnson]

People who post a lot on social media need the attention to feel value. Fact

[Anthony-kjzj]

"Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them." - Albert Einstein

[veetour]

Problems with social media: unrealistic expectations, comparison to others, chasing a materialistic lifestyle, instant gratification of likes, needing external validation vs internal validation, programming our minds to be restless and not feeling satisfied, etc.

[Donato]

Why would anyone want to share every detail, to everyone in the world.

[TheGrillCheeseFanatic]

I quit Facebook, Instagram, Netflix and all dating apps two years ago. It was the most revealing thing to me because it has allowed me to see right through everyone in my entourage. Lost about 99% of my 'so called friends', lost my whole family, got judged by those who pretended. And now I am all alone but I have learnt to love it because I realised I was surrounded by fools worthless of my time and couldn't be better. The best part about having no social media life is that those who truly care will call or come in person, while those who are evil will not, and that's how I managed to single out those who never deserved my time and those who truly deserved it.

[justsayin]

Personally, I prefer to keep my private life just that; "private"!

[hektorm]

Gave up FB, 10 years ago. Never looked back, and no desire.

[choosehappy]

Instagram and Facebook literally consumes not only time but actually peaceful life and ended up with regret too

[ezzadeenyousif]

i quited social media just cause it gave me depression, i mean seeing other people succecing, having fun and you jut be scrolling down on the app wtf.

[gregabrams]

Social media was designed for control. This is the strongest addiction we have as humans today. Steve Jobs never allowed his kids to be on social media. He never even let them have a phone or a tablet as kids. That tells me everything I need to know about these devices.

[darev]

I deactivated Facebook recently.
It feels like a fog clearing up. So much negativity and toxicity on it.