I first downloaded Instagram when I was 17 and got hooked the way most people fall in love: slowly, and then all at once. For a long time, I never thought of myself as a social media addict. I self-righteously refused to download TikTok, declared Snapchat to be for “children,” and posted on Instagram less often than half the people I followed. As I went through university, though, certain changes crept up on me. I began to swap reading—or essay-writing—for hours spent curating new posts. On my way home from lectures (or later, from my job as a journalist), I would spend ages trying to take the artsiest, most perfect picture of that evening’s sunset for my story—as if the people who followed me were eagerly waiting for yet another photo of one of Earth’s rotations. What usually followed was a night of reloading my feed to see how many people had reacted to my post—or worse, hadn’t reacted at all. View image in fullscreen McNamara pre-epiphany at Sigiriya, Sri Lanka. Photograph: Georgina McNamara It wasn’t until a trip to Sri Lanka last year that I realized how far my obsession had gone. My partner and I spent two weeks traveling through Negombo and Kandy, having dinner in front of the Indian Ocean and visiting ancient heritage sites I will probably never see again. This would have been memorable even without a third guest: my inner Instagram monologue. It commented on everything I saw during those two weeks, debating the merits of each photo I took and the possible captions (or music, or filters) that could go with it. On one of our last days, we hiked up Sigiriya, an incredible rock fortress that has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is one of the most remarkable places I have ever seen. My first thought upon reaching the top? This has to go on my story. Already, I was imagining how it would look on Instagram. I dutifully made several posts upon my return to London, which were accompanied by hours of anxious scrolling and reloading, wondering why more people weren’t liking or commenting on my feed. Did they think I was annoying? Boring? Ugly? Had I been stingy with my own likes and comments, causing my followers (a grand total of 400) to band together to punish me? Should I delete the post? Redo it? Within two days, I couldn’t stand my own thoughts anymore. I decided to delete Instagram from my phone for a month, reset my habits, and then return with a hopefully healthier mindset. Yet in its absence, certain realizations became unavoidable. I came to see how much of my photo-taking was driven by wanting to appeal to an invisible audience, most of whom I hadn’t spoken to in years. In that first month, I started taking photos for myself and my own memories instead. It made me feel like my experiences could belong to me again. double quotation mark Within two days, I couldn’t stand my own thoughts anymore. I decided to delete Instagram from my phone for a month One month turned into three, then six—next month, it will have been a year since I took that first step. In my Instagram days, I spent a great deal of energy comparing the most ordinary parts of my life to the seemingly wonderful lives of others. Without the app, I was able to direct that energy into other parts of my life. That’s not to say I became productive every minute of every day. I didn’t. But the background noise decreased substantially. I read more, finished writing my first novel, and started another. It has been liberating to live my life privately again. You may laugh, because I’m hardly a public figure, but I discovered how joyful it can be to reconnect with your anonymity and do activities knowing that it’s no one’s business whether you liked them or not. Now, moments matter because I’m enjoying them, or sharing them with someone I care about—not because they have been liked and validated by a hundred other people. I remain fully present for each of them, without disappearing halfway through into an InsInstagram rabbit hole. My life feels smaller in some ways, but also much more like my own. Whether the Instagram world has noticed my absence, I couldn’t say. Do I care? Thankfully, not anymore. Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs The One Change That Worked I Deleted Instagram and Embraced the Joys of a Truly Private Life
1 What is this article about
Its a firstperson story about someone who quit Instagram and found that life without social media felt calmer more private and more enjoyable
2 What does a truly private life mean here
It means living without constantly sharing your day with an audiencekeeping moments to yourself instead of posting them for others to see
3 Why did the author delete Instagram
The author felt drained by the constant pressure to post compare and stay updated and wanted more privacy and peace of mind
4 What benefits did the author notice after quitting
More free time less anxiety and comparison better focus and stronger reallife connections
5 Isnt deleting Instagram lonely
At first it can feel isolating but the author found that real friendships and offline activities filled the gap quickly
6 What is FOMO and did the author experience it
FOMO stands for fear of missing out The author felt it briefly but realized most of what felt missed wasnt important anyway
7 Do I have to delete my account completely or can I just take a break
Either works Many people start with a temporary pause before deciding whether to delete for good
8 How do I deactivate or delete my Instagram account
Go to Settings Account Delete Account Deactivation is temporary deletion is permanent after a 30day grace period
9 What if I need Instagram for work or messaging friends
You can keep it only for those usesturn off notifications remove the app from your home screen and avoid scrolling feeds
10 What common problems do people face when quitting
Withdrawallike habits boredom feeling out of the loop and pressure from friends who still use it
11 How do I handle the urge to check Instagram
Delete the app from your phone keep your hands busy with a hobby and set a rule like no phone for the first hour of the day
12 Does quitting social media actually improve mental health
Many people report less anxiety comparison and screen fatigue though results vary from person to
