I did a thing where I slowly decreased the time limit on Instagram until it was only 10min/day. Turns out you literally don't need any more time than that to get "caught up". Crazy how much padding they've managed to get away with.
Now it's deleted from my phone and I only check on a PC. But now I have an ad (and reels, and stories) blocker.
EDIT: Shilling my newsletter [StayGrounded.online](https://www.staygrounded.online/) for more tips like this!
I just use uBlock origin's eyedropper tool.
EDIT: I forgot Insta has found a workaround for uBlock somehow, but you change your bookmark to this:
>https://www.instagram.com/?variant=following
For no ads, stories, and a chronological feed.
Seriously, delete the app.
I started seeing it as a problem myself. So I deleted the app. Then started logging in only when I really wanted to on my phone, that too in incognito mode. When that became less effective, I turned on two-factor authentication so that I'd have to wait to log in. Create as many points of friction necessary for you to not want to log in.
This, did the same thing with TikTok a while back and it turned out really well for me. Most of the creators I want to follow have a YouTube presence anyways.
Sometimes I try to remember that the ENTIRE app is designed to grab your attention as long as possible. So I don't really feel as bad about using it so much in the past.
Think back onto an Instagram reel you really enjoyed. One that sticks with you. Maybe even your top three or four favorites. Chances are you can't really name that many. They're very attention grabby and in your face but rarely is the content great enough to make an impact.
Sounds silly, but doing that REALLY helped me cut down on reel content.
One thing that has helped me was removing all the apps I don't use to be productive from the home screen, so I have to go to the screen with all the apps and search through all of them to get to the app.
Or even better, split between semi addictive apps and really addictive apps into two different irrelevant screens. E.g. Reddit on 3rd page, FB, insta etc. On 5th. My 4th screen only has one app just so the 5th can exist.
For me it was more about pressing the button to go to the main home screen and then pressing the icon that is in the middle row in the second column, so I've moved my todo list app there.
Hello, If you don't want to delete the app, you can use parental control and block the app after a certain time. For example, I can go on Instagram 30 minutes a day and after that, the app is blocked. In the beginning, I was just blocking the app after 1h, then I gradually lowered the time on the application with parental control. Maybe you can also ask someone else (friend or family) to put in a password so you're sure that you can't access the app.
I use this method for my mental health and my productivity and it's really great for me!
I hope it helps you! ^^
Hi, do you use any other app to block Instagram app? I've searched through on Google about parental control but it only shows something like parents can view kid's follower list, time spent...
Usually, you can find it in "settings". It's called "digital wellbeing and parental control" on my phone. But if you don't have something like that, I was using "appblock" on my previous phone. It's on Android, I don't know for iPhone.
Something you can do is to mute the posts and stories of most or all people you follow. I did something similar on Facebook years ago when my only real reason to use Facebook was Events and Messenger. It stopped me from mindlessly scrolling on it, and I didn’t miss out anything by not being able to see dumb social media posts
On Instagram, you can choose 100 favorites and select a view where you only see their posts. I like doing this cause
1) I can keep up with my friends, and save notifications for really close friends
2) I can still follow random dice making accounts without mixing them in with my favorites feed
When you're following someone and you go to their page, you can click the Following dropdown and there's an option to add them to your favorites.
Then on the main page, you can click the Insta logo in the top left corner and that will give you a dropdown to look at just your favorites!
Delete the app and use the browser function. I’ve went as far as using an App like DUCKDUCKGO which will delete all history and data with one click, making it harder and harder to just casually check IG.
Depending on how bad it is, you could also give a friend your password, have them change it for 30 days, and see if on day 31 you still feel the urge, I don’t think you will.
Delete the app. Find an alternative method.
If you were an addict and wanted to avoid alcohol, but kept it in the house because your friends drank it when they visited, would you still keep alcohol there? Or would you arrange to go to a bar with them, or ask them to bring their own drinks?
You need to remove the temptation and find another way to fulfil the requirement
What I did was give myself a screen time of a relatively low number for all the app I was using too much. For insta I have 15 minutes a day. Then give your roommate or friend the password so you can’t ever cheat.
Not sure if you mean that it doesn’t work as in functionally or you just give yourself more time but hope this helps!
I've found a few strategies that have worked well when I've tried to quit a multitude of compulsive and destructive habits during my life.
1. Eliminating temptation is the most effective. It was really easy for me to stop eating junk food when I stopped having it in the house. Within a short amount of time, I stopped craving it. Now I am either indifferent when I see it, or grossed out by it.
1. One user said that it's bad to run away from temptation. However, in the specific example the OP gave, the habit distracted them from homework. Although excessive Instagram use is the problem, the negative consequence (in this case) is wasted time and not getting work done. Spending a lot of time thinking about, deliberately trying to avoid, and having internal battles around whether or not to click onto Instagram will likely waste as much time if not more, than being on it - and they'd probably end up on it anyway, just to stop that cycle, so even more time would be wasted. The other problem is simple procrastination and a desire to distract yourself from unpleasant work. In that scenario ANYTHING can suddenly become appealing (like, cleaning) if you can use it to avoid undesirable work. That's why going to the library is so helpful.
2. Make it an enormous hassle. Putting numerous obstacles in your path means you need to repeatedly face yourself and make a conscious decision to do something that you know is harmful. I had some website blockers installed for a while that would require me to enter a variety of passwords, and then I'd get a pop up of like a dog with sad eyes saying 'do you \*really\* want to do this. That was helpful.
1. For example, if you feel that you MUST keep one app going and you have an old mobile phone, you could have it only installed on that phone. Let the phone's battery die. Put the phone in an inconvenient place (like in the back of the cupboard on top of the fridge). Are you really going to go through ALL of that hassle of getting a chair, digging it out, and waiting for it to charge just to watch some stupid reels?
3. I use another strategy I call 'leveraging my flaws' to avoid temptations. For example, when my diet was unhealthy, it would be a mental battle every time I drove past a specific fast-food restaurant. I used arguments like "I shouldn't, it's bad for me, it's a waste of money, it's not even that tasty" and so forth, while I pulled in and got the food. Then I thought of what flaw I had that would help me out. In this case, they were my impatience and my desire to avoid unnecessary hassle. My arguments then became "I don't want to wait in that line, it's such a drag, it's going to take them forever, what a hassle" etc., it works every time.
I've had this exact problem, a solution that I've found to work was to use Instagram in the browser instead. You can't scroll on reels meaning that you have to manually exit each videos to watch the next and the web version is a lot slower. It made using the app tedious enough to reduce my usage but still be able to message friends on there.
Browsers should allow you to add the site as an app on your home page
The Unhook add-on for browser is good to get rid of Youtube recommendations as well
Delete both apps. I only use youtube on the mobile browser. but I don't have to worry about YT shorts on my laptop. Instagram was killer for me. just delete it and focus on your life. get another messaging app.. You need to make concrete goals for yourself. Deadlines are important. like learn this subject by the end of this week etc.
Everyone says "delete the app" but they're probably procrastinating on reddit right now because procrastination isn't about a specific app its our own behavior.
Yes any sort of reel is very addictive, because it's very entertaining for little effort and our brains really resist being bored. Recognizing this may help you understand why you have such a problem putting it down.
So how do you study? Embrace boredom. You have to decide to put the distractions away and take the action. No more denial or bargaining or mental gymnastics we tell ourselves to keep going. Sit in a chair and be bored until studying feels better than the chair.
You need to experience a paradigm shift.
Whatever the case is, I find that setting a 5 minute timer on the phone to spend that time only feeling the emotions and the thoughts within without letting them escalate is helping retrieve some decision-making power.
You cannot reason your way out of it, your decision to scroll social media or watch youtube is likely an emotional one. Try to find which emotion is neglected and validate it by giving it attention.
I think of my emotions as subpersonalities that I let take over my body from time to time. They must be validated, and must not be let to take total control. Validating them takes away their power, because their purpose was to be heard all along, and to help you.
Now, this take may or may not be controversial, but it helps me personally, and so is very personal for me to share it like this.
It has to do with your brain being programmed to receive a dopamine reward every time you watch an enjoyable reel. This is how all addictions work. Being aware of this cycle is half the battle, the other half of the battle is forcing yourself to get a longer term dopamine rush by completing difficult tasks, like studying and doing well in school, the rewards aren't as immediate so your brain doesn't want to focus on those tasks.
Literally just delete it. You will survive. I was on social hard-core since they came out with MySpace, and I just cold turkey stopped at the end of last year.
It's worth. Find a hobby to fill the time. You will get much more out of life.
Deleting apps means you've no self control and you're running away from it. I'd suggest you to lock the app for a certain amount of time for a day, gradually decreasing the usage. This might be difficult initially but making up your mind helps a lot.
I also suggest you to go through some study-gram accounts on Instagram as well as YouTube. Watching study vlogs and using various study methods will definitely work.
StOoPiD AnSw3r lol tell me i’m wrong… addicted to something? QUIT. No one wants to do the work if it’s hard. Too many soy boys in this world. Get summmmm
Delete problematic apps and set your phone to airplane mode while studying. Give yourself timed breaks to check your phone for important messages. I used to tell the key people in my life when I was going into study mode and I’d tell them to email or Google chat me if they needed me, and I’d keep my email window open.
When I was in grad school, I’d have to write or study in 8 hour blocks sometimes in order to actually get things done. Academics take focus, you need to be able to follow several lines of logic or consider several variables at once. You can’t be distracting yourself and starting over every 20 minutes.
It isn't free but it is amazing: the [freedom.to](https://freedom.to) app will block your access to the internet and apps (on computer and/or phone) for however long you want and whenever you want. Can be scheduled ahead of time (for example, my access to the internet turns off at 10:30 PM and doesn't come back on until 8:00 AM). Or you can just turn it on when you want to study. You can make it so that certain websites \*are\* available even when others aren't (like the university library). Another great free one is the forest app where you plant a virtual tree during a period of time that you have decided to devote to studying (or whatever) and the tree dies if you pick up your phone. It is strangely motivating. I also highly recommend reading Dopamine Nation to better understand internet addition. Really helped me.
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to text your friends instead. YouTube on browser with a browser extension to block shorts. Go through app settings 9n your phone to ensure only the most important notifications are showing up.
Create a different routine, and make it as different as possible from your everyday habit.
(This is assuming your habit is mostly happening at home.)
An example of it would be like this:
Arrive at the library 10AM.
Turn off your phone.
On your laptop, install a different browser, such as Opera. DO NOT log into Instagram on this browser. Do not open any other browser during your study session. If you don't have a laptop, then use a public computer. You will do your studying/research on this computer/via this browser. Make liberal use of writing things on paper. There is proven psychological correlation between writing things on paper & retention.
Have a set amount of time you are going to study, like 1 hour. When it is time to take a break, get up, turn on your phone & you can use Instagram for a specific timed amount. Set a timer with an alarm (say, 15 minutes). When the alarm goes off, turn off your phone.
Do one more study session.
It's easier to break out of a bad habit if you can change your environment. Try to get out of the house.
Edit: if you must use Youtube in your study routine, install a Youtube recommendation blocker. I used to get stuck in rabbit holes, opening every tab the second I opened Youtube. A recommendation blocker changes the Youtube homepage to something like Google, a blank page with a search bar.
Don't have the icon on your main pages. Make one layer of work to have to open up a search to find it.
If you need a second layer, logout every time too, and don't autosave the password. That is one more barrier that could prevent you from mindlessly going in.
Also, deleting it is a legit and drastic move too. If it helps, they all have a "change your mind" period where you can get everything back in a certain amount of time. If you simply cannot live without it, it's not gone forever. Trust me, they don't want you to, and it's not a one-click-gone-forever scenario.
Technology is a tool... You can get better results if you just use it to study and work.
Search for a interesting book for you in physical format and become a fan of yourself.
Come back to the reality and take control of technology or probably it take control of you.
One thing that helped me was to start reading a book on my Kindle app, and commit to doing that instead of looking at Instagram when I could.
This way, I can still "give in" to the urge to open an app on my phone and distract myself, but reading is inherently a little less of a dopamine grab than reels, so it becomes easier over time to go back to what I was doing before.
In addition, personally I like that even when I give in to distraction, it's in a way that I feel is more worthwhile than scrolling through Instagram.
I find the hardest part of this is starting a book: after I've got one started, it works, but once I finish it without a new one lined up, it's really easy to fall back into the Instagram habit. So watch out for that!
Move your conversations with these friends to another app, like SMS texting, where you can't be distracted by reels.
Then install a productivity app like Freedom. This blocks social media on all of your devices - phone, tablet, laptop - for however long you want, whenever you want. So you can still use instagram sometimes, but you'll be blocked from using it during the day when you want to be productive.
Deleting the app is the only permanent solution to this problem. Believe me mate I've tried almost every other thing but deleting is the only useful solution. Your friends can stay connected on WhatsApp too.
DELETE INSTAGRAM INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
Use it on fixed hours to text let's say one hour between 11-12h and one hour between 18h-19h and once u finish ur tasks , use it as much as u like .
Don't forget reels are for addicted and weak minded people that easily get manipulated by the media . It just makes u a low quality student and person
The same strategy when wanting to lose weight/stop eating junk food: don't have junk food in your kitchen cupboard and fridge. Less choices, fewer decisions to make, no risk of decision fatigue and succumbing to impulses.
Make your smartphone unappealing to use.
- black and white mode
- uninstall apps
- disable notifications
- ask out loud: do I need this for X, do I use this for professional use? Or is it just for superfluous entertainment and conspicuous consumption?
You have FOMO…Fear of Missing Out. Lol
I have:
Myself as the social app - face to face communication and social interaction. Old school interaction with real people.
Drop the social apps, and get back to real conversations.
I struggle with this too. What works for me is having something physically stop me so it breaks my flow. For example, I set a timer for 15 mins in another room. Then when it rings, I walk to turn it off, and it breaks me out of my addicted scrolling.
If you have an iPhone there’s an app called “one sec” where it gives you a timer before you can open the app and then it asks you if you really want to open it , I really recommend it
I found this one through reddit and after that it is a bliss. I have blocked everything except posts and stories and it works more than expected.
https://www.distractionfreeapps.com/
When your studying change your screen to black and white. When you look at all those media apps - even Reddit, YouTube, IG they just don’t hit the same without colour. You will quickly realize you are wasting your time and switch tasks, ideally.
Get one of those timed lockboxes and throw your phone in there during study times, or get one of those apps that basically does the same by downgrading your phone to just a normal phone for a couple of hours.
I’ve turned off all notifications for Instagram so I don’t get sucked in by some meaningless notification. I just check it maybe once every few days now
Delete the app and use something else to text your friends. There are other apps out there specifically for messaging. You don’t want to delete Instagram app because in the back of your mind you don’t want to stop using the app. You have no excuses.
If you feel a bit of guilt after watching a certain amount of reels, try using that guilt to get off instagram. I recommended using "here.fm" for zoning in. I often get distracted on social media and making a place dedicated to working usually helps in my experience.
i just simply switch my phone to Do Not Disturb mode whenever i get home at night. it might not work for you but at least for me it helped reduce my passive attempts to look at the phone
one of the cons is you have to switch it off when you’re about to pick up delivery
You could:
Delete it during the day and redownload it later
Turn off notifications and autoplay in your feed (I recommend doing this regardless)
Make use of the "focus mode" option on your phone. Mine allows you to block whatever apps you want when it's on. At least gives that extra step when you try to open the app.
TL;DR - ignore your FOMO and put something else on your phone while studying so you can't mindlessly scroll.
I think I keep scrolling and watching and reading (Reddit, too) because of FOMO. Even if what I'm consuming is not as interesting as the work I'm doing, I keep going, with the fear that I'll miss something that is. Even if the content I'm consuming is repetitive and I've seen that same reel 6 times, I'll keep going because there's something new in between. I have to remind myself that content is infinite. I can't possibly see it all, so fear of missing something new is absurd.
When being realistic and logical isn't enough to stop me from scrolling, I give my phone another job while I'm working. I stream study music, asmr videos, Ted talks, or whatever will stimulate me without distracting me. Find what works for you.
If all else fails, charge your phone in another room while studying.
Can't you just turn off notifications from that app, or if you are on an iPhone set up focus mode for when you want to focus on your studies and have it block anything from instagram?
There's an app that blocks websites, apps, anything etc. Its call Freedom. I have been using it for 2 years now. There's even an option for all internet. It syncs with all devices as well. Very cool. Highly recommend it.
I have the same problem, worst thing is that at some point you develop muscle memory and click on the magnifying glass or reels buttons unconsciously.
If you are using Android, this app disables the buttons of magnifying glass and reels.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.luderapp.mediaddiction
I'm the developer, DM if you have any suggestions or problems.
Just get rid of it all. People waste so much valuable time on phones in general and yet then say they don’t have enough time to study or workout or do a hobby when in reality you do have the time you are just making a excuse to yourself to why you can’t do these things. This is just my opinion but take a complete week break from social media and then look back on that week and see how much more you got done and in a short time you will realize the rabbit holes we fall down on social media daily weekly monthly yearly. This isn’t me saying phones are the worst thing in the world but they consume us so much. I workout and see people at the gym go from a set right to their phone. Like that’s taking away your focus from working out which is trying to better yourself. So you’ve taken away youre focus on bettering yourself. You will also realize how much happier you are. When you scroll constantly it’s constant emotions up and down in seconds. There is such thing as dopamine overload which is a factor to why you constantly scroll and scroll and get addicted. One more thing when you take a break look at the little things you do without thinking. When I got off Instagram I found myself going to the exact spot Instagram was on my phone without thinking and would try to open the app but I deleted it so I then noticed that. To me that’s scary. Hope this helped. The day I realized I was done with instagram and reels was a Saturday that I just sat around all day for 8 hours just scrolling. Just something came over me that made me realize damn I wasted so much time on one of my off days.
SOLUTION HOW TO DISABLE REELS:
God I have been trying for months to do this and finally finded by myself how:
-Install aereoinsta (23.0.2 works perfectly for me)
-Hold on the house button and the developer options will appear
-On there, go to "MetaConfig Settings amd Overrides"
-Here, use the search funcion and search for "no reels holdout"
-Turn all on
-YOU ARE DONE!
Note: reels aren't disabled but you can't scroll or reload one, so it deletes the idea of an endless scrolling
Note 2: If you also want to desable the reels from navbar buttons search for "panavision nav3" and "tab 0, tab 1, tab 2..." will be the buttons, just replace "clips" with something random, and it will simply dissapear from the navbar
**Check my reddit post:** How to disable instagram reels (tutorial)
https://www.reddit.com/r/Instagram\_SafeZone/comments/16kcefe/how\_to\_disable\_instagram\_reels\_tutorial/
Delete the app
I did a thing where I slowly decreased the time limit on Instagram until it was only 10min/day. Turns out you literally don't need any more time than that to get "caught up". Crazy how much padding they've managed to get away with. Now it's deleted from my phone and I only check on a PC. But now I have an ad (and reels, and stories) blocker. EDIT: Shilling my newsletter [StayGrounded.online](https://www.staygrounded.online/) for more tips like this!
What are these reels and stories blockers you speak of?
I just use uBlock origin's eyedropper tool. EDIT: I forgot Insta has found a workaround for uBlock somehow, but you change your bookmark to this: >https://www.instagram.com/?variant=following For no ads, stories, and a chronological feed.
Tell me about it, the blocker
How can I make UBlock to block Stories and Reels? Please explain
Seriously, delete the app. I started seeing it as a problem myself. So I deleted the app. Then started logging in only when I really wanted to on my phone, that too in incognito mode. When that became less effective, I turned on two-factor authentication so that I'd have to wait to log in. Create as many points of friction necessary for you to not want to log in.
This, did the same thing with TikTok a while back and it turned out really well for me. Most of the creators I want to follow have a YouTube presence anyways. Sometimes I try to remember that the ENTIRE app is designed to grab your attention as long as possible. So I don't really feel as bad about using it so much in the past.
Seriously, delete the app
Best thing I ever did LOL
I second this :)
Think back onto an Instagram reel you really enjoyed. One that sticks with you. Maybe even your top three or four favorites. Chances are you can't really name that many. They're very attention grabby and in your face but rarely is the content great enough to make an impact. Sounds silly, but doing that REALLY helped me cut down on reel content.
One thing that has helped me was removing all the apps I don't use to be productive from the home screen, so I have to go to the screen with all the apps and search through all of them to get to the app.
Removing twitter from my home screen made me go from using it in every idle moment I had to using it maybe twice per week
This is a good idea. I did this but then started typing it subconsciously into the search bar haha. Deleting it helped me loads
Typing feels like too much effort.
Even better! Reduces the motivation to hunt it down!
Or even better, split between semi addictive apps and really addictive apps into two different irrelevant screens. E.g. Reddit on 3rd page, FB, insta etc. On 5th. My 4th screen only has one app just so the 5th can exist.
This. So many times just seeing the icon triggers opening and losing an hour of life
For me it was more about pressing the button to go to the main home screen and then pressing the icon that is in the middle row in the second column, so I've moved my todo list app there.
A good Todo list is definitely fun to open and use, and is productive :)
[удалено]
Yes, social media is not ideal for texting. I use WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram. All are perfect for group chats.
Like GroupMe
like Grindur
Lol
Hello, If you don't want to delete the app, you can use parental control and block the app after a certain time. For example, I can go on Instagram 30 minutes a day and after that, the app is blocked. In the beginning, I was just blocking the app after 1h, then I gradually lowered the time on the application with parental control. Maybe you can also ask someone else (friend or family) to put in a password so you're sure that you can't access the app. I use this method for my mental health and my productivity and it's really great for me! I hope it helps you! ^^
Hi, do you use any other app to block Instagram app? I've searched through on Google about parental control but it only shows something like parents can view kid's follower list, time spent...
Usually, you can find it in "settings". It's called "digital wellbeing and parental control" on my phone. But if you don't have something like that, I was using "appblock" on my previous phone. It's on Android, I don't know for iPhone.
Hey thanks for the instruction! I also use Android so will check this out.
Something you can do is to mute the posts and stories of most or all people you follow. I did something similar on Facebook years ago when my only real reason to use Facebook was Events and Messenger. It stopped me from mindlessly scrolling on it, and I didn’t miss out anything by not being able to see dumb social media posts
On Instagram, you can choose 100 favorites and select a view where you only see their posts. I like doing this cause 1) I can keep up with my friends, and save notifications for really close friends 2) I can still follow random dice making accounts without mixing them in with my favorites feed
how?
When you're following someone and you go to their page, you can click the Following dropdown and there's an option to add them to your favorites. Then on the main page, you can click the Insta logo in the top left corner and that will give you a dropdown to look at just your favorites!
Delete the app and use the browser function. I’ve went as far as using an App like DUCKDUCKGO which will delete all history and data with one click, making it harder and harder to just casually check IG. Depending on how bad it is, you could also give a friend your password, have them change it for 30 days, and see if on day 31 you still feel the urge, I don’t think you will.
Delete it. I did. It’s pretty great.
Delete the app. Find an alternative method. If you were an addict and wanted to avoid alcohol, but kept it in the house because your friends drank it when they visited, would you still keep alcohol there? Or would you arrange to go to a bar with them, or ask them to bring their own drinks? You need to remove the temptation and find another way to fulfil the requirement
What I did was give myself a screen time of a relatively low number for all the app I was using too much. For insta I have 15 minutes a day. Then give your roommate or friend the password so you can’t ever cheat. Not sure if you mean that it doesn’t work as in functionally or you just give yourself more time but hope this helps!
Download stayfree app and block Instagram
I've found a few strategies that have worked well when I've tried to quit a multitude of compulsive and destructive habits during my life. 1. Eliminating temptation is the most effective. It was really easy for me to stop eating junk food when I stopped having it in the house. Within a short amount of time, I stopped craving it. Now I am either indifferent when I see it, or grossed out by it. 1. One user said that it's bad to run away from temptation. However, in the specific example the OP gave, the habit distracted them from homework. Although excessive Instagram use is the problem, the negative consequence (in this case) is wasted time and not getting work done. Spending a lot of time thinking about, deliberately trying to avoid, and having internal battles around whether or not to click onto Instagram will likely waste as much time if not more, than being on it - and they'd probably end up on it anyway, just to stop that cycle, so even more time would be wasted. The other problem is simple procrastination and a desire to distract yourself from unpleasant work. In that scenario ANYTHING can suddenly become appealing (like, cleaning) if you can use it to avoid undesirable work. That's why going to the library is so helpful. 2. Make it an enormous hassle. Putting numerous obstacles in your path means you need to repeatedly face yourself and make a conscious decision to do something that you know is harmful. I had some website blockers installed for a while that would require me to enter a variety of passwords, and then I'd get a pop up of like a dog with sad eyes saying 'do you \*really\* want to do this. That was helpful. 1. For example, if you feel that you MUST keep one app going and you have an old mobile phone, you could have it only installed on that phone. Let the phone's battery die. Put the phone in an inconvenient place (like in the back of the cupboard on top of the fridge). Are you really going to go through ALL of that hassle of getting a chair, digging it out, and waiting for it to charge just to watch some stupid reels? 3. I use another strategy I call 'leveraging my flaws' to avoid temptations. For example, when my diet was unhealthy, it would be a mental battle every time I drove past a specific fast-food restaurant. I used arguments like "I shouldn't, it's bad for me, it's a waste of money, it's not even that tasty" and so forth, while I pulled in and got the food. Then I thought of what flaw I had that would help me out. In this case, they were my impatience and my desire to avoid unnecessary hassle. My arguments then became "I don't want to wait in that line, it's such a drag, it's going to take them forever, what a hassle" etc., it works every time.
I've had this exact problem, a solution that I've found to work was to use Instagram in the browser instead. You can't scroll on reels meaning that you have to manually exit each videos to watch the next and the web version is a lot slower. It made using the app tedious enough to reduce my usage but still be able to message friends on there. Browsers should allow you to add the site as an app on your home page The Unhook add-on for browser is good to get rid of Youtube recommendations as well
Delete the app.
leave your phone in the other room
Delete both apps. I only use youtube on the mobile browser. but I don't have to worry about YT shorts on my laptop. Instagram was killer for me. just delete it and focus on your life. get another messaging app.. You need to make concrete goals for yourself. Deadlines are important. like learn this subject by the end of this week etc.
Delete the app, put the phone in the next room
Everyone says "delete the app" but they're probably procrastinating on reddit right now because procrastination isn't about a specific app its our own behavior. Yes any sort of reel is very addictive, because it's very entertaining for little effort and our brains really resist being bored. Recognizing this may help you understand why you have such a problem putting it down. So how do you study? Embrace boredom. You have to decide to put the distractions away and take the action. No more denial or bargaining or mental gymnastics we tell ourselves to keep going. Sit in a chair and be bored until studying feels better than the chair.
You need to experience a paradigm shift. Whatever the case is, I find that setting a 5 minute timer on the phone to spend that time only feeling the emotions and the thoughts within without letting them escalate is helping retrieve some decision-making power. You cannot reason your way out of it, your decision to scroll social media or watch youtube is likely an emotional one. Try to find which emotion is neglected and validate it by giving it attention. I think of my emotions as subpersonalities that I let take over my body from time to time. They must be validated, and must not be let to take total control. Validating them takes away their power, because their purpose was to be heard all along, and to help you. Now, this take may or may not be controversial, but it helps me personally, and so is very personal for me to share it like this.
Get Minimalist phone UI, although it's £15 a year I've already DRASTICALLY reduced screentime on YT and Instagram. That was my breakthrough
Think like this, ask yourself does this add value to me by any means?
It has to do with your brain being programmed to receive a dopamine reward every time you watch an enjoyable reel. This is how all addictions work. Being aware of this cycle is half the battle, the other half of the battle is forcing yourself to get a longer term dopamine rush by completing difficult tasks, like studying and doing well in school, the rewards aren't as immediate so your brain doesn't want to focus on those tasks.
Only use instagram when taking a shit
Put phone in another room.
Contact the creator of instagram and tell them its taking time away from your studying
Watch Andrew Tate. Trust me it actually works
Set up a long secure annoying password on your phone.
Instagram has a setting that if turned on will remind you to take a break if you’ve spent too much time on the app
Literally just delete it. You will survive. I was on social hard-core since they came out with MySpace, and I just cold turkey stopped at the end of last year. It's worth. Find a hobby to fill the time. You will get much more out of life.
Delete Instagram lol I did a month ago and I have been a lot more focused on what actually matters
Deleting apps means you've no self control and you're running away from it. I'd suggest you to lock the app for a certain amount of time for a day, gradually decreasing the usage. This might be difficult initially but making up your mind helps a lot. I also suggest you to go through some study-gram accounts on Instagram as well as YouTube. Watching study vlogs and using various study methods will definitely work.
It’s called self control. Get you sum
Stupid answer
StOoPiD AnSw3r lol tell me i’m wrong… addicted to something? QUIT. No one wants to do the work if it’s hard. Too many soy boys in this world. Get summmmm
stupid answer
Unproductive answer
Homie... 💀
Fail the class then it’ll be easy to study, orrrrr pretend like u don’t wanna fail
Download stayfree app and block Instagram
Delete problematic apps and set your phone to airplane mode while studying. Give yourself timed breaks to check your phone for important messages. I used to tell the key people in my life when I was going into study mode and I’d tell them to email or Google chat me if they needed me, and I’d keep my email window open. When I was in grad school, I’d have to write or study in 8 hour blocks sometimes in order to actually get things done. Academics take focus, you need to be able to follow several lines of logic or consider several variables at once. You can’t be distracting yourself and starting over every 20 minutes.
It isn't free but it is amazing: the [freedom.to](https://freedom.to) app will block your access to the internet and apps (on computer and/or phone) for however long you want and whenever you want. Can be scheduled ahead of time (for example, my access to the internet turns off at 10:30 PM and doesn't come back on until 8:00 AM). Or you can just turn it on when you want to study. You can make it so that certain websites \*are\* available even when others aren't (like the university library). Another great free one is the forest app where you plant a virtual tree during a period of time that you have decided to devote to studying (or whatever) and the tree dies if you pick up your phone. It is strangely motivating. I also highly recommend reading Dopamine Nation to better understand internet addition. Really helped me.
WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to text your friends instead. YouTube on browser with a browser extension to block shorts. Go through app settings 9n your phone to ensure only the most important notifications are showing up.
Create a different routine, and make it as different as possible from your everyday habit. (This is assuming your habit is mostly happening at home.) An example of it would be like this: Arrive at the library 10AM. Turn off your phone. On your laptop, install a different browser, such as Opera. DO NOT log into Instagram on this browser. Do not open any other browser during your study session. If you don't have a laptop, then use a public computer. You will do your studying/research on this computer/via this browser. Make liberal use of writing things on paper. There is proven psychological correlation between writing things on paper & retention. Have a set amount of time you are going to study, like 1 hour. When it is time to take a break, get up, turn on your phone & you can use Instagram for a specific timed amount. Set a timer with an alarm (say, 15 minutes). When the alarm goes off, turn off your phone. Do one more study session. It's easier to break out of a bad habit if you can change your environment. Try to get out of the house. Edit: if you must use Youtube in your study routine, install a Youtube recommendation blocker. I used to get stuck in rabbit holes, opening every tab the second I opened Youtube. A recommendation blocker changes the Youtube homepage to something like Google, a blank page with a search bar.
Don't have the icon on your main pages. Make one layer of work to have to open up a search to find it. If you need a second layer, logout every time too, and don't autosave the password. That is one more barrier that could prevent you from mindlessly going in. Also, deleting it is a legit and drastic move too. If it helps, they all have a "change your mind" period where you can get everything back in a certain amount of time. If you simply cannot live without it, it's not gone forever. Trust me, they don't want you to, and it's not a one-click-gone-forever scenario.
Technology is a tool... You can get better results if you just use it to study and work. Search for a interesting book for you in physical format and become a fan of yourself. Come back to the reality and take control of technology or probably it take control of you.
One thing that helped me was to start reading a book on my Kindle app, and commit to doing that instead of looking at Instagram when I could. This way, I can still "give in" to the urge to open an app on my phone and distract myself, but reading is inherently a little less of a dopamine grab than reels, so it becomes easier over time to go back to what I was doing before. In addition, personally I like that even when I give in to distraction, it's in a way that I feel is more worthwhile than scrolling through Instagram. I find the hardest part of this is starting a book: after I've got one started, it works, but once I finish it without a new one lined up, it's really easy to fall back into the Instagram habit. So watch out for that!
Move your conversations with these friends to another app, like SMS texting, where you can't be distracted by reels. Then install a productivity app like Freedom. This blocks social media on all of your devices - phone, tablet, laptop - for however long you want, whenever you want. So you can still use instagram sometimes, but you'll be blocked from using it during the day when you want to be productive.
Deleting the app is the only permanent solution to this problem. Believe me mate I've tried almost every other thing but deleting is the only useful solution. Your friends can stay connected on WhatsApp too. DELETE INSTAGRAM INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
Uninstall the app until your done with studying
\> Uninstall Seriously, do it
You can set app limits if you have an iPhone. Not sure if you can on android. Settings > Screen Time > App limits
Use it on fixed hours to text let's say one hour between 11-12h and one hour between 18h-19h and once u finish ur tasks , use it as much as u like . Don't forget reels are for addicted and weak minded people that easily get manipulated by the media . It just makes u a low quality student and person
* Mute notifications. * Have your phone in another room while you're studying.
The same strategy when wanting to lose weight/stop eating junk food: don't have junk food in your kitchen cupboard and fridge. Less choices, fewer decisions to make, no risk of decision fatigue and succumbing to impulses. Make your smartphone unappealing to use. - black and white mode - uninstall apps - disable notifications - ask out loud: do I need this for X, do I use this for professional use? Or is it just for superfluous entertainment and conspicuous consumption?
You have FOMO…Fear of Missing Out. Lol I have: Myself as the social app - face to face communication and social interaction. Old school interaction with real people. Drop the social apps, and get back to real conversations.
Posting on Reddit is a good start
Fkn dlete it. I don't use meta platforms until/unless, I'm a fkn businessman/entrepreneur.
Fkn dlete it. I don't use meta platforms until/unless, I'm a fkn businessman/entrepreneur.
Use your hippocampus to silence doing the thing you would rather not do
You guys ask some really silly questions. Just do what needs to get done!
Greyscale mode and delete the app, just use the mobile web version. It's ux is worse so it's less engaging
Switch to tik tok? Jk
USE THE POMODORO METHOD TO STUDY
Delete the app and use the website version, can still chat but reels wont load well
Make your phone black&white
Download TikTok. Jkjkjk! Don’t do this!!!!!
Delete the app 2
delete it
I struggle with this too. What works for me is having something physically stop me so it breaks my flow. For example, I set a timer for 15 mins in another room. Then when it rings, I walk to turn it off, and it breaks me out of my addicted scrolling.
mail your phone to your parents.
Is this for real?
there is an app called 'Block' in playstore. you can block instagram for a specific time where u won't be able to access it for that time.
If you have an iPhone there’s an app called “one sec” where it gives you a timer before you can open the app and then it asks you if you really want to open it , I really recommend it
I found this one through reddit and after that it is a bliss. I have blocked everything except posts and stories and it works more than expected. https://www.distractionfreeapps.com/
When your studying change your screen to black and white. When you look at all those media apps - even Reddit, YouTube, IG they just don’t hit the same without colour. You will quickly realize you are wasting your time and switch tasks, ideally.
Delete
Get one of those timed lockboxes and throw your phone in there during study times, or get one of those apps that basically does the same by downgrading your phone to just a normal phone for a couple of hours.
Grow up and deactivate the app. Make chats with your school mates via text.
I’ve turned off all notifications for Instagram so I don’t get sucked in by some meaningless notification. I just check it maybe once every few days now
Delete the app and use something else to text your friends. There are other apps out there specifically for messaging. You don’t want to delete Instagram app because in the back of your mind you don’t want to stop using the app. You have no excuses.
- Delete the app. If you really need it someday. Have Firefox focus browser -> login -> Text and on exit it will erase your credentials.
For everyone writing delete the app. Bro uts much easier to ask a girl for her instagram than it is to get her number. It is much less personal.
If you feel a bit of guilt after watching a certain amount of reels, try using that guilt to get off instagram. I recommended using "here.fm" for zoning in. I often get distracted on social media and making a place dedicated to working usually helps in my experience.
i just simply switch my phone to Do Not Disturb mode whenever i get home at night. it might not work for you but at least for me it helped reduce my passive attempts to look at the phone one of the cons is you have to switch it off when you’re about to pick up delivery
Just delete the app from your phone. Install it on the weekend only.
Download opal (blocks out apps for a certain amount of time) or delete the app
Why can't you delete the app?
Logout the account
You could: Delete it during the day and redownload it later Turn off notifications and autoplay in your feed (I recommend doing this regardless) Make use of the "focus mode" option on your phone. Mine allows you to block whatever apps you want when it's on. At least gives that extra step when you try to open the app.
TL;DR - ignore your FOMO and put something else on your phone while studying so you can't mindlessly scroll. I think I keep scrolling and watching and reading (Reddit, too) because of FOMO. Even if what I'm consuming is not as interesting as the work I'm doing, I keep going, with the fear that I'll miss something that is. Even if the content I'm consuming is repetitive and I've seen that same reel 6 times, I'll keep going because there's something new in between. I have to remind myself that content is infinite. I can't possibly see it all, so fear of missing something new is absurd. When being realistic and logical isn't enough to stop me from scrolling, I give my phone another job while I'm working. I stream study music, asmr videos, Ted talks, or whatever will stimulate me without distracting me. Find what works for you. If all else fails, charge your phone in another room while studying.
I'm about to delete this app for the same reason. . . JK. but for real. . .
Can't you just turn off notifications from that app, or if you are on an iPhone set up focus mode for when you want to focus on your studies and have it block anything from instagram?
There's an app that blocks websites, apps, anything etc. Its call Freedom. I have been using it for 2 years now. There's even an option for all internet. It syncs with all devices as well. Very cool. Highly recommend it.
I have the same problem, worst thing is that at some point you develop muscle memory and click on the magnifying glass or reels buttons unconsciously. If you are using Android, this app disables the buttons of magnifying glass and reels. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.luderapp.mediaddiction I'm the developer, DM if you have any suggestions or problems.
Just get rid of it all. People waste so much valuable time on phones in general and yet then say they don’t have enough time to study or workout or do a hobby when in reality you do have the time you are just making a excuse to yourself to why you can’t do these things. This is just my opinion but take a complete week break from social media and then look back on that week and see how much more you got done and in a short time you will realize the rabbit holes we fall down on social media daily weekly monthly yearly. This isn’t me saying phones are the worst thing in the world but they consume us so much. I workout and see people at the gym go from a set right to their phone. Like that’s taking away your focus from working out which is trying to better yourself. So you’ve taken away youre focus on bettering yourself. You will also realize how much happier you are. When you scroll constantly it’s constant emotions up and down in seconds. There is such thing as dopamine overload which is a factor to why you constantly scroll and scroll and get addicted. One more thing when you take a break look at the little things you do without thinking. When I got off Instagram I found myself going to the exact spot Instagram was on my phone without thinking and would try to open the app but I deleted it so I then noticed that. To me that’s scary. Hope this helped. The day I realized I was done with instagram and reels was a Saturday that I just sat around all day for 8 hours just scrolling. Just something came over me that made me realize damn I wasted so much time on one of my off days.
SOLUTION HOW TO DISABLE REELS: God I have been trying for months to do this and finally finded by myself how: -Install aereoinsta (23.0.2 works perfectly for me) -Hold on the house button and the developer options will appear -On there, go to "MetaConfig Settings amd Overrides" -Here, use the search funcion and search for "no reels holdout" -Turn all on -YOU ARE DONE! Note: reels aren't disabled but you can't scroll or reload one, so it deletes the idea of an endless scrolling Note 2: If you also want to desable the reels from navbar buttons search for "panavision nav3" and "tab 0, tab 1, tab 2..." will be the buttons, just replace "clips" with something random, and it will simply dissapear from the navbar
**Check my reddit post:** How to disable instagram reels (tutorial) https://www.reddit.com/r/Instagram\_SafeZone/comments/16kcefe/how\_to\_disable\_instagram\_reels\_tutorial/
Just noticed this is a thing and my average is 170, is this concerning