// HYPOTHESIS_LOADED
We are addicts. We inject 15-second dopamine hits into our brains from the moment we wake up until our eyes close.
The Experiment: Total deletion.
Instagram: DELETED.
TikTok: DELETED.
Twitter/X: DELETED.
Reddit: DELETED.
LinkedIn: LOGGED OUT.
Duration: 30 Days.
> DAY 1-3: THE PHANTOM THUMB
Muscle memory is terrifying.
I unlocked my phone. My thumb automatically tapped the specific coordinate on the screen where the Instagram icon used to be.
It opened the Calculator instead.
I closed it.
3 seconds later, I did it again.
I opened the Calculator 40 times today.
I realized I don't check social media because I want to see something. I check it because I am incapable of enduring 5 seconds of boredom.
> DAY 7: THE BOREDOM SPIKE
Without the infinite scroll, waiting in line at the grocery store felt like an eternity.
But then, the boredom started to mutate.
I started thinking.
Not reacting. Thinking.
I solved a work problem that had been bugging me for weeks while waiting for the toaster.
I remembered a childhood memory I hadn't thought of in years.
My brain was finally processing data instead of just consuming it.
> DAY 15: THE FOMO DEATH
I missed:
- 3 memes that everyone was quoting.
- 1 engagement announcement.
- Some celebrity scandal.
And I didn't care.
The "Fear Of Missing Out" vanished when I stopped knowing what I was missing. Ignorance isn't just
bliss; it's focus.
My friends who were "living their best lives" on Stories? I texted them. "How are you?" We had a 20-minute phone call. That was worth 1,000 likes.
> DAY 30: THE RETRAINING
I re-downloaded Instagram.
It looked... loud. Chaotic. Desperate. Everyone screaming "Look at me!" "Buy this!" "Be angry at this!"
I felt nauseous after 5 minutes.
> DATA_ANALYSIS
> FINAL_VERDICT
If you are reading this, you are probably addicted.
Social Media is not a public square. It is a casino where the product is your attention span.
CONCLUSION: I deleted the apps again. I now check them on my desktop computer once a week. They have lost their power over me.