Should We Start Deleting Social Media?

The most anticipated question that gets asked when the new year comes around is: What is your New Year’s resolution? The majority of people I know and some influencers I see online answer with “to reduce my screen time” or “not be on social media so much.” This has led to many people on the internet sharing their experiences on how deleting social media entirely has either helped them or hasn't. This has been causing ongoing debate over whether people actually should or should not be deleting social media platforms.

While others may just be testing this theory to see if it works by going on a “digital detox” for about a week, it has no doubt been a major controversial topic so far in 2026. It has taken over as a trend among Gen-Zers, many of whom are looking for a healthier, more productive lifestyle with new trends like these. Either way, this just goes to show how many people are in the mix with this trend to see if it’s worth it in the long haul.

We all know the effects of being on social media for a long time: we get overwhelmed by brainrot; get dopamine rushes; our attention spans decrease; and an increase in stress. This leads us to fall into a trap and become addicted to it all. While it may seem good at first, it is only wrecking us the more we use it without knowing the covert side effects. 

But does deleting social media really work? It’s not up to those out there to speak for us, as we all have different needs when it comes to our own mental capacity and how much social media we can consume or handle. It is an important matter, though, and realizing how much time we spend on social media apps can drastically shift our perspectives on how we really use our time. Whether or not deleting something addictive that can eat away at you works for you, it may be a smart idea to consider taking some time off social media for about a week or so.

All we talk about is social media nowadays, but no one really seems to be doing anything serious about it; except for those who claim that doing x, y, and z is going to change the entire course of our lives if we delete social media. But who are they to say what’s best for us? After all, we just need to know and acknowledge our own limits on consuming media, especially in this age where social media has been more dangerous and addictive than ever before. 

While people have said it was “life-changing”, others said it had no effect on them at all. But whether deleting something can actually help us or not and suit our needs so that we can become the best possible and less lazy version of ourselves in this new year, is all subjective and depends on how much of it we consume in the first place. 

Then again, things people say on the internet could also be used as clickbait. This is exactly what social media is doing to us, which is why it's important to be informed of social media’s downsides, resulting in us losing track of time, so it’s best we choose how we spend our time instead of falling down rabbit holes we didn’t mean to fall into. 

The pros of stepping away from social media are that it can give your brain a break. Deciding to delete it out of the blue one day is not good because it’s something you want to work towards gradually. You should give it some thought before you impulsively take action. While taking action is good at times, if done less thoughtfully and without any careful planning, it can affect you and lead to symptoms of withdrawal, thus leading to negative side effects such as depression, increased stress, and high levels of anger. It's something to get used to over time, once you challenge yourself to step away from it for an hour or so. But for others who are not so chronically online for hours straight, it could be easier to adjust to that change. Whether it's that “drastic” of a change really depends on how much time you spend on social media in the first place.

Some people, for example, are on social media for hours a day but want to reduce their screen time significantly. If you happen to be working towards that goal, that’s great if it benefits you. Others are better about it, mindful of how much time they are spending on social media. Even if you aren’t, maybe you should give it a try-it won’t hurt.