avatarJason Olofsen (The Happy Psychologist)

Summary

The article discusses the psychological challenges and societal pressures that make deleting social media apps difficult, despite the desire to do so.

Abstract

The article "Why Is It So Difficult To Delete Social Media?" delves into the reasons behind the struggle to permanently remove social media applications from our lives. It highlights the fear of missing out (FOMO) as a primary deterrent, rooted in our primal fear of social exclusion. The author explains how social media has become deeply ingrained in our daily habits, making its absence feel like a disruption to our routine. The article also touches on the cycle of deleting and reinstalling apps, driven by the temporary peace followed by the growing urge to reconnect with the digital community. It suggests that the pressure to conform to social circles and the habitual nature of social media use contribute significantly to the difficulty of deleting these apps.

Opinions

  • The author suggests that the fear of missing out (FOMO) is a significant emotional barrier to deleting social media, as it taps into a primal fear of being excluded or left behind by one's community.
  • Social media apps have become integrated into our habits, serving as a go-to solution for boredom, learning, and staying connected, which makes their deletion feel like a loss of a reinforcer for these behaviors.
  • The article implies that the biological fear of being ostracized, which once meant a threat to survival, is exploited by social media platforms, making the idea of deleting these apps seem equivalent to social suicide.
  • The author shares a personal account of the struggle to stay off social media, illustrating the cyclical nature of downloading and deleting apps, and the temporary sense of peace and productivity experienced during periods of abstinence.
  • The article hints at a broader societal issue, with a mention of Instagram being the most deleted yet presumably reinstalled social media app, indicating a widespread challenge in maintaining a social media-free lifestyle.
  • The author encourages reader engagement by inviting comments and promoting further reading, including a newsletter subscription and related articles, indicating a community-oriented approach to discussing the impact of social media.

Why Is It So Difficult To Delete Social Media?

It seems like an impossible thing to do

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Let’s say you wanted to quit these apps once and for all.

You realize how much time is wasted on it, and you finally have the balls to say, “Enough is enough!”

You stare at the apps, shaking in fear as you go to delete it, and you hesitate. “Is this really what I want to do?” you think to yourself while hovering over the delete button.

Suddenly, you realize what you would be missing out on.

All the vacation updates from your friends, celebrity drama, constant upkeep with the news, funny pictures, etc.

These may sound like small things, but the accumulation of everything can make you freeze from deleting these apps and completely reconsider your righteous decision to live your life once and for all.

(Leave a comment if you struggle with this as well!)

FOMO

This is what’s known as FOMO. FOMO( Fear of missing out) hits us unimaginably and is the main reason deleting these apps are so difficult.

It’s not too appealing to show up to your best friend's plans and not know that she went on a ski trip recently, or hear everyone talking about the news and having no idea what anyone’s talking about.

In fact, this feeling can make you feel isolated from your communities, as you begin to stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone talks about events that you have no idea about, and feelings of embarrassment or being ostracized can easily kick in.

And biologically speaking, this mentally creates a huge fear in us.

Being kicked out from the tribe back then was a huge deal, as being on your own meant low chances of survival.

So in a sense, being kicked out almost certainly meant death.

This same point doesn’t apply nowadays with most people being able to get by on their own (and I guess the fear of being attacked by a lion at any point doesn’t apply either).

However, the feelings of being kicked out and leading to death still lurk within our primal mind, and it seems social media has used these feelings to its advantage.

The social pressure of having these apps is so strong that most people are not willing to delete these apps out of the biological fear of being left behind.

Social circles have adopted these apps into their group, and it’s almost impossible to not adapt to the social circle and stay up to date with it.

It’s A Bad Habit

Biologically speaking as well, we have formed plenty of habits revolving around social media.

Whenever we feel bored, we grab our phone and scroll.

Whenever we want to learn something new, we grab our phone and scroll.

Whenever we want to check what our friends are up to, we grab our phone and scroll.

If you delete the apps, you essentially remove the reinforcer for this habit.

While this is an amazing thing, it can be extremely difficult at first.

Every time you now feel bored, you try to scroll but can’t, meaning you have to feel bored.

Anytime you want to learn something new you will try to scroll but can’t meaning you have to sit there.

Same thing when you want to check up on your friends, and since you can’t, you’ll feel thrown off.

Deleting the apps disrupts this routine of constantly being able to scroll, and our brains resist change.

We fear missing out on the familiar patterns and interactions, and this fear will stick with us for days.

Unless you’re able to have the discipline to stick through this fear, you’re going to re-download these apps and fall right back into the cycle.

Is It Just You?

According to a comprehensive report by TRG Datacentres, Instagram was the most deleted social media platform in 2023.

Monthly searches for “how to delete (my) account” on Instagram surpassed 1 million.

Sadly, I’m unable to find the data on re-downloads, but I can assume most people ended up re-downloading these apps shortly after.

I’ve personally deleted and re-downloaded Instagram more times than I can count.

The cycle starts with me having it on my phone, which then gives me the option to waste my time.

Over time, it takes more and more of my time, causing me to be frustrated and delete it once and for all.

For a week or two, I experience peace in my life.

I start living it again and strive for my goals.

Up until I begin to wonder if I’m missing out on anything, making me check the app just once.

Just once starts to happen two or three times a week, until it becomes a daily occurrence.

The next thing I know, the apps are back on my phone again, and I repeat the cycle from the beginning.

I’ve broken the cycle for now, but I wonder if it’s a matter of time before they reappear on my phone once again.

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