How I finally broke my Facebook addiction

A few weeks ago, I did the unthinkable: I deleted the Facebook app from my phone.

It started off as more of an experiment. I was curious if not having the app would help extend the dismal battery life of my iPhone 6S. But I was also starting to wonder if there might be other, less obvious, benefits too.

I'm happy to report that I've been living (mostly) Facebook free for more than a month, and I don't miss it at all. In fact, I think it's one of the best decisions I've made in a long time.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm as much of a social media addict as any other digital media reporter. And while I've long preferred Snapchat and Instagram to Big Blue, that never stopped me from compulsively checking Facebook multiple times a day pretty much as long as I've had a smartphone.

But the more I thought about it, the more I hated it. I rarely saw anything I cared about in my News Feed, and I rarely posted anything at all. Instead, I would be treated to a barrage of memes, annoying advertisements, and yes, the toxic political posts from people I otherwise cared about IRL, but whose posts would make my blood pressure spike.

So I hit delete, and I haven't looked back.

I should note that, unlike some of my colleagues, I haven't purged Facebook from my life entirely. After all, a big part of my job is writing about Facebook, both the company and the product, and I can't very well do that if I eliminate my profile from the social network entirely.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

I still log in from my laptop about once a day to quickly scan my News Feed and keep tabs on where Mark Zuckerberg is visiting now. But I don't use the app on my phone anymore, and I don't keep myself logged in on my mobile browser either. (Full disclosure: I do have a secondary phone I use for work-related app testing that has Facebook installed, but I rarely use the app on that phone too.)

When I first deleted Facebook, I figured my little experiment wouldn't last. But I was happy to find that not only do I not miss it at all, I actually feel happier without it. It turns out it's very liberating to know that there isn't a pit of anxiety, FOMO, and time-wasting one tap away at all times.

I'm not alone either. A recent study found that increased Facebook use was a predictor for declining physical and mental health — Facebook is literally making us more unhealthy and unhappy.

Now, I'm not saying we should give up on social media entirely. I still use Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp to keep up with friends. And, my work obligations aside, I'm perfectly happy to spend a few minutes looking at my News Feed every once in awhile.

But I no longer feel the urge to open Facebook just for the sake of something to do. My addiction has been broken— and it's all because I deleted the app. I suggest you try it sometime, too.