<h2>Pro tip</h2>
<p>Do not approach it as a lifetime commitment. Start with a thirty-day hiatus. Uninstall the apps completely, not just the notifications. Quitting social media doesn&rsquo;t automatically make your life better. It improves your attention. What you choose to do with that attention is the real work.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Friends-a_e.jpg" alt="Conversations with friends become  more meaningful when you don&rsquo;t constantly follow their lives online" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Conversations with friends become &nbsp;more meaningful when you don&rsquo;t constantly follow their lives online</em></strong></p>
<h2>Keep it real</h2>
<p>I deactivated my main social media account for two reasons. I started getting involved in a lot of political debates and online rants, which yielded nothing productive.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Omkar-Mhatre_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Secondly, I wanted to escape from the echo chambers, repetitive trending songs, and unrelatable lifestyle trends posted by influencers.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><em>Omkar Mhatre, 28, architect and educator</em></strong></p>
<h2>One day at a time</h2>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Blesson-Samuel_e.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p>
<p>Over time, I slowly realised that I was checking my phone without any real purpose. I&rsquo;d open Instagram to check stories and suddenly twenty minutes would disappear. I was consuming far more than I was actually connecting with people.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><em>Blesson Samuel, 33, banker</em></strong></p>
<h2>Two-pronged path&nbsp;</h2>
<p>&gt;&gt; While my personal account is disabled, I use an alternate account to share posts and memes with my partner.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; I followed a rule where anytime someone would ask me about my return, I would delay it by a week. I have been off for a year and half.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2026/jun/Social-media_e.jpg" alt="Social media debates drain your energy. REPRESENTATION PICS/ISTOCK" width="1280" height="720" /><br /><strong><em>Social media debates drain your energy. REPRESENTATION PICS/ISTOCK</em></strong></p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Since I wasn&rsquo;t engaging in any debates and there was no need to be likeable on the Internet, or maintain a fake online persona.</p>
<h2>The long road</h2>
<p>&gt;&gt; In the initial few weeks, FOMO (fear of missing out) and an urge to reinstall the apps crept in. &nbsp;</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; One can&rsquo;t just uninstall social media; you have to replace it with something. I began having conversations with friends over calls, going for nature trails, and observing things around me.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; My mind felt much quieter once this phase passed. I didn&rsquo;t wake up wondering what I had missed overnight. I wasn&rsquo;t burdened by hundreds of random opinions, trends and updates in my head.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; I began to catch up with friends rather than silently watching their life updates on social media. Conversations felt better because I was genuinely listening.</p>
<h2>Pro tip</h2>
<p>When contemplating whether to log off, it is important to overcome the mental block that your life is connected to the Internet. The Internet is vast, and social media remains a tiny fraction of it.</p>

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