The cake recipes sandwiched in between crash diets and messages to love yourself were disorienting.
I really struggled when I looked in the mirror after joining social media- I’m too fat, or I have ugly features, or my neck is too long, or my hair doesn’t frame my face correctly.
I began to be aware that I was believing things that...didn’t exist.
Facing food instability and homelessness, there were seemingly “small” images, videos, and advertisements in social media that I would see that would remind me over and over that I was different.
I still struggle with the endless scroll
of the Instagram explore page.
Feeling lonely over quarantine has made me more vulnerable.
My morning time ritual became an afternoon ritual to a night ritual, to an all day ritual where I would habitually check my phone every hour, eagerly waiting for the next notification to come in.
I remember one night specifically that was probably when I was at my peak of using that app when I just caught myself using it for a couple of hours without stopping...
I got addicted, always checking my phone, obsessed with keeping my streaks, worrying that someone needed my attention 24/7.
I felt so insecure about myself. My abilities, my looks, my roots, my potential. This because I was comparing my life with people around me and people I saw on social media.
Tik Tok had started recommending weight loss videos and “what I eat in a day” videos to my “For You” page.
I became obsessed with living what social media promotes as a worthwhile and perfect life.
See hundreds more

Share your story.
Help change the system.

Whatever the benefits of social media, they aren’t worth the costs. After watching The Social Dilemma, an estimated 100 million people worldwide are now aware of how social media harms us, and a powerful movement for change is growing.

#MySocialTruth offers a platform for young people like you to bring your voice to this movement. Share your experience, and help reimagine the future.

Stories that push for change

These stories are representative of the biggest challenges young people are facing on social media platforms that profit from our outrage, confusion, addiction, and depression. Read them, and share your own.

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It made me feel overstimulated, like I had wasted hours of my time for nothing...

Dalton, 24, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Dalton, 24, Manchester, United Kingdom
February 24, 2021

Since I was born in the late 90s, like many others we had a time in our childhood where there wasn't any phones or social media. With that said, I was a teenager when iphones came out and I observed social media and the act of being online grow and grow. I realized early on that I didn't feel good when I used social media, I must've been around 17 (2013). I deleted all my social media. It made me feel overstimulated, like i had wasted hours of my time for nothing, and when i rejected social media (but kept facebook) I got criticism from my friends and family. At that point I saw how much social media was manipulating even the opinions of people around me. I really felt like this addiction to social media, which was so casually and socially accepted, was growing so much that there has to be a breaking point! And I'm so happy people are waking up and seeing how much it's hurting ourselves and the people we love and care about. I believe in the next 10 years things will look VERY different and it will be more humane!!!!! <3

One day I found a snuff video on my Facebook timeline
Felix, 24, Berlin, Germany
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Felix, 24, Berlin, Germany
March 4, 2022
One day I found a snuff video on my Facebook timeline showing 3 women being beheaded. Nobody had shared this video, it was just there. When I later found out that Facebook was conducting psychological tests to see how to demoralize people, I realized that I had been a participant in one of these experiments. After that I was very unhappy and afraid that one day another horrific video would show up on my timeline without me being able to do anything about it. I then deleted all my social media accounts and have been living much happier for 4 years now.
I deleted all my accounts and guess what! I became a human being again.
Swathi, 20, Eluru, India
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Swathi, 20, Eluru, India
October 14, 2021
Basically, I am an introvert. I can't get along with people that much in my high school. But after I joined college, I observed everyone using social media like Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, Twitter, etc. So I thought it would be cool if I joined them too and it helped me in a way to connect with people indirectly. But In this lockdown, I can literally say that I spent all my days seeing my Phone I didn't realize what I am losing in this real-world until I lost someone who is closer to my heart. After losing him, I am totally stuck inside my mind and depressed. So I changed my focus from thinking and used social media like crazy. I thought it will help me feel good. But day by day it's eating my brain and my anxiety has gotten worse. I am not having conversations with my family anymore. Then I realized that using social media and being addicted to it is the reason for all the chaos in my mind and my relations with family and friends. So I deactivated all of them for a month just to see how it works. And now I deleted all my accounts and guess what! I became a human being again. Most importantly I am happy now.

I was already thinking about what kind of picture I wanted to take, who to take it with, and what caption I would tag along with the post even before the event actually happened.

Anonymous, 18, , South Korea
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Anonymous, 18, , South Korea
February 24, 2021

I have never had a healthy relationship with social media from the start. However, I only became aware of our toxic relationship years later. But ironically, the moment I realized social media is harmful to me was not the moment I cut it out of my life. Toxic relationships, as toxic as they are, are comforting and addicting. Just like toxic relationships between people, it is not easy to get rid of a relationship with social media because it feels like you're getting rid of a relationship with yourself. We build social media accounts as if we are building our identity. I started in middle school and it all started as a harmless interest of seeing what my friends were doing and receiving positive comments that made me feel happy and accepted. I started planning my life around my Instagram posts. I was already thinking about what kind of picture I wanted to take, who to take it with, and what caption I would tag along with the post even before the event actually happened. The hour after I posted a picture was the most thrilling moment as I excitedly waited for the notifications of likes and comments. I felt happily obliged to reply to all the comments, thinking that not replying would make people think that I was a mean person. But, I was not. My Instagram profile was crafted to make you think that I had a lot of friends. I got along with all of them and I was popular. I had a few hundred followers and always more than a hundred likes. I knew that Instagram was not good for me when I started feeling terrible after I could not let go of my phone after an hour of using the app. I felt like I was addicted, and I knew that I was. And so, I created challenges for myself. I did an Instagram fast for 1 week. 1 week went to 1 month. During those weeks or months I did not use Instagram, I felt victorious and triumphant, like I had finally regained control over the app instead of letting the app continue its reign over me. However, every time I went back to the app, it felt like I was sucked back into a black hole. Negative feelings continued to pile up onto each other: I felt uncomfortable seeing other people look popular and enjoying their life more than I did. I would have rather not known that my friends were hanging out without me. I had no interest whatsoever on what this person was eating for lunch. What really is the point of this app now? The one purpose I held onto was connection. I wanted to connect with my friends living in another country as well as connect with my past: my precious old pictures and comments. This seemed like a good enough reason to keep my account. Then, this one incident that made me confront myself with this question: Now, do you really want to keep this app? It was out of the blue when my private account received messages from unknown accounts. Those messages opened my eyes up to the horrifying dark world of social media as the sexual harassment lasted for several months. Luckily I knew what to do: I took screenshots and reported the accounts. However, the harassment continued and the app I had known for so long and had grown reliant to, was not helping me at all in this time of desperation- just like a toxic partner. Instagram was completely useless in keeping sexual harassment messages from coming my way. I felt sick, horrified, disgusted, and terrified. I took things in my own hand and changed my username multiple times to be found again by the same group of anonymous attackers who knew my name. Instagram's algorithm and the fact that these people could find my account which was private and did not have a biography, was extremely shocking. Reporting it to my local police station did not solve my problem. There was nothing they could do to handle these foreign anonymous attackers as Instagram denied giving access to my local police on the attackers. I was left to handle this on my own, but what could I do? I could choose not to have this account anymore. Then, I would not receive such messages. However, even after I had gone through those traumatic experiences, it was difficult to automatically delete my account. Perhaps it was because of all the effort I put into building my profile and all the memories I had stored in my memory book. This was my ugly truth. My social truth. It took time, weeks, actually, of not using the app and putting my ultimate health and happiness first to finally reach to the conclusion of deleting my account. I made this decision because ultimately, the benefits Instagram gave me became completely overshadowed by the pain, damages, and fear it had caused. The purpose of my account was for connection, and I realized that the "connections" I had on Instagram were not genuine at all. Deleting my account was a lot easier than I thought, and I felt like I had finally regained control over this large part of my life. At the end, I bravely chose my wellbeing. (I'm happy to be contacted to share more about my experiences.)

I still am addicted, but now i have decided that I am more powerful than the platforms are.

Jimena, 19, Madrid, Spain
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Jimena, 19, Madrid, Spain
May 21, 2021

When I was around 16-17 I was fully addicted to social media. I would spend hours on end scrolling through instagram, tiktok, snapchat or any platform that would give me any type of dopamine rush. At that time, being 16 I would see so many perfect girls, with perfect bodies and flat stomachs and that made me feel insecure, and I did not have any one to talk to because I thought I was the only person that was going through this. Though I hated being on social media it was like I could not stop scrolling through it. When I was having lunch or dinner I was on my phone, when I was hanging out with friends I was on my phone, and I could feel my relationships slipping away from me. I vividly remember one day when I was having lunch with one friend, we ordered and immediately when our food came we both started taking photos of it and posting them on instagram or snapchat. A second after that I thought to myself "we look so stupid , instead of talking and being together we are just on our phones", so after that I decided that I would not have lunch with my phone on the table when I was with friends and I would tell them to not be using them, because I felt like I was not having any meaningful talks or time with my friends. I am 19 now, I still am addicted, but now i have decided that I am more powerful than the platforms are. I decided to delete most of my social media, realizing that it would not bring any good to my life and it would just take time that I could be using to study or go outside to nature.

I started to back away from social media and just live my life and I feel free. I don’t have to worry about other people’s validation in my life and I can just be who I want to be and live my life the way I want to live my life.

Daniel, 18, Englewood, United States
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Daniel, 18, Englewood, United States
May 21, 2021

Social media has always been in my life from snapping people to just posting funny pictures on Instagram. I don’t think I remember a time in my teen life that I haven’t had a phone with social media on it. As I get older I realize that there are way better things in life than just obsessing over it. As I look back in life I can see how many fun things I missed out on because of social media and trying to post all the fun things I didn’t instead of just living in the moment. After I thought of this I started to back away from social media and just live my life and I feel free. I don’t have to worry about other people’s validation in my life and I can just be who I want to be and live my life the way I want to live my life.

My morning time ritual became an afternoon ritual to a night ritual, to an all day ritual where I would habitually check my phone every hour, eagerly waiting for the next notification to come in.

Sam, 18, New York City,
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Sam, 18, New York City,
February 24, 2021

Social media had always been in the background for me. Something to check to in-between classes, whenever I was bored, and before I went to sleep. Then, quarantine hit, and I graduated from high school. Quarantine meant being bored 24/7 which meant my social media usage went up, up, up. And upon graduating high school, I started becoming aware that I had to start upping my game to get experiences on my resume, and in order to get experiences on my resume, I had to go out and find them. So I joined a bunch of Facebook groups, discord servers, slack channels, and subreddits. What resulted was a ritual which occurred several times a day where I would first check my iCloud email, then my gmails, then linkedin, then reddit, then Facebook, then discord, then Slack, and then, of course Instagram. Over the course of quarantine I became addicted to my phone and checking every single notification that came through, because you never knew what kind of opportunities I could miss out on if I missed a single notification. My morning time ritual became an afternoon ritual to a night ritual, to an all day ritual where I would habitually check my phone every hour, eagerly waiting for the next notification to come in. I’m currently trying to curb my usage, but I’ll be honest, it’s hard. Especially because the truth is you can’t find good opportunities without the resources online. But I’m trying. It’s going to take a long long journey for me to stop feeling phantom notifications and constantly refreshing my feed...

One of the biggest issues ive ever dealt with social media was feeling like people forgot about me.

Anonymous , 18, Union, USA
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Anonymous , 18, Union, USA
May 21, 2021

One of the biggest issues ive ever dealt with social media was feeling like people forgot about me. For 6 years ive had social media on my phone and at first it was to keep in touch with friends and to see all the fun that my friends were having, but as time went on i would check the apps and see that they were all hanging out and that i was never invited to these and inside that hurt me horribly and put me in a bad place for months at a time because all I told myself was that I just might not be a good enough friend and thats why I was never invited to these events and hangouts. During this period I just sat inside and did nothing for days and weeks at a time and would just scroll through these apps and see everyone having fun and as time went on it got worse and worse until finally I just got rid of the apps all in all and went outside and later found a great new group of friends that i've had all throughout highschool and it's been some of the best years of my life, so I guess you can say there's always a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow you just gotta start from the bottom and work over that big bridge.

my senior English class watched "The Social Dilemma" on Netflix and I had never felt so validated.
Madeline, 18, Lenexa, United States
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Madeline, 18, Lenexa, United States
August 16, 2021
Today, I still use Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube, but my real awakening to this issue began when I used to use TikTok. I downloaded it in the fall of 2019 as a joke because many of my friends were, and I remember at first thinking it was stupid because people had been saying it was a "worse version of vine" so I almost didn't download it. I wish I would have known how dangerous the algorithm was before using the app because it didn't take more than a week for the algorithm to be completely personalized to me. I can't say for sure but if I had to estimate I would say spent at least 5-10 hours a day, each day, even when I had only intended to look at my phone for 30 minutes. The TikTok algorithm stands out to me as way more addictive and violating than other social media platforms largely due to it's endless scroll, and the way the for you page is designed. (to show you videos based on any of your liked videos and interests, as opposed to platforms like Instagram and Facebook where you are only automatically shown content from accounts you follow) Though I tried to curve my usage by setting time limits in Settings and taking "social media breaks" for days or weeks, the only way I could actually fight my addiction to TikTok was to delete the app altogether at the beginning of this year. It was hard at first but now I just wish I would have done it sooner. Later this year, my senior English class watched "The Social Dilemma" on Netflix and I had never felt so validated. The documentary found words to explain an issue that I had always felt was there, but an issue I didn't fully understand. Ever since I had my first iPhone in 6th grade, I sensed that technology addiction was an issue among my generation, but I didn't see my friends around me feeling as worried as I was about how much time we all spent on our phones. Our screen usage was always seen as a joke and something we were surprised about, but something we felt was simply due to us being lazy. After watching the documentary in class, I became fascinated with this issue and I'm now a huge fan of Tristan Harris, the Center for Humane Technology, and "Your Undivided Attention". I would say my main concern now is how this issue specifically impacts Gen Z, a generation who hasn't grown up in a world without internet. Growing up on social media, this is all we know, and now we are at the age where we are transitioning from addicted teenagers to adults who will be more involved in our society and eventually bring the next generation into the world. We need tech to be designed in a more humane way soon, so that our current problems, or potential worse problems with our god-like technology, are not passed down to generations to come. We also need to spread the word and sound the alarm about this issue, not only to policy makers, executives in the tech industry, and parents, but mainly to the teens that these issues impact who can really resonate with this issue.
i am sad for loosing 9 years of my life in this Tech
Pavle, 23, Mettmann, Germany
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Pavle, 23, Mettmann, Germany
March 4, 2022
I am happy that i L I V E D until i got my first smartphone at the age of 15. Now, at the age of almost 24, i am sad for loosing 9 years of my life in this Tech but am happy that i learned about your ideas. Due to social media/dilemma i just simply didnt L I V E the full amount of time. We all should take a walk in the nature with someone you love or alone and leave your phone home. After that day ask yourself ,,Was it worth?“ Normal Life has become like going to disneyland instead of living every single moment!!! #LiveLikeAKidAgain

All that did was tear me down and make me compare myself with others.

Kobe, 20, Malolos City, Philippines
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Kobe, 20, Malolos City, Philippines
May 21, 2021

Posting IG stories made me care a lot more about my online image, i legit wanted to prove to my followers that i had a life too but all that did was tear me down and make me compare myself with others even more. I'm 5 months clean from social media and not once do i regret deleting my soc meds. Best decision I've ever made.

If you've never experienced addiction, a small warning, it sucks. I mean that literally: it sucks you in and prevents you from being happy, reaching your dreams, or living life.

Mahika, 15, Frisco, United States
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Mahika, 15, Frisco, United States
May 21, 2021

Earlier this year when the Social Dilemma came out, I - just like everyone else - flocked over to Netflix to watch it. I'd heard about it from school and after watching it I felt INSPIRED. This motivation to break away from technology coursed through me. I took all the measures: detoxed my phone, even deleted apps, limited phone use. I joined seminars and tried to become a part of this amazing community, this movement. Obviously, this doesn't sound like your normal "technology ruined me" story, but just wait.......So everything was going well, I was reaching my goal of having a good relationship with technology. And then it all stopped. There was no more adrenaline, and slowly those apps I had deleted reappeared on my phone. Not only did I go back to my former self, but I also got worse. WAY WORSE. I got addicted. The worst part is that I knew what I was doing was wrong, I knew the dangers of the endless scroll, but I still got sucked in. It caused me to push aside my studies, my education, my GOALS. I know what it's like to be a caged bird because I was social media held me captive. These small apps on my phone made me fall into depression, and I felt the only way to not feel sad was to use those very apps. If you've never experienced addiction, a small warning, it sucks. I mean that literally: it sucks you in and prevents you from being happy, reaching your dreams, or living life. You must be wondering how I'm so self-aware of all this now. Well bad things to end, and by the extreme measures of my parents, I lost my phone. Which was the root of all my issues. When my phone went I needed to accept that it was over, and that's when I saw the damage I had caused in my own life. I had nothing else to do so I fixed it. I'm still fixing it. It's not easy, I'll say that, but I've truly experienced life after coming out from this dark place. You don't realize how beautiful the world is if you stare at your phone all day. I realized how much I hadn't noticed about the people around me and myself. Now a little advice for everyone who's suffering as well. Sure the phone gives you happiness but you can use it whenever you want. Even if it's for an hour, go outside and breathe the fresh air. Go for a walk or play with your dog. I promise you will feel happier and lighter. We aren't here for long - life is short - so don't waste it on a device that will outlive you.

I have disabled my account for months on end and feel GREAT and productive and free without the app. However, as soon as I get it back I fall back into my old ways.

Ana, 20, Elizabethtown, United States
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Ana, 20, Elizabethtown, United States
February 24, 2021

My experience on social media has always been very love hate. I have a very hard time getting off Instagram when I need work to be done. I cannot help but waste hours on the explore page and watching people's stories. In an effort to stop my time wastage on the app, I have used time limits and unfollowed almost 200 of the 400 people I follow. Still, I find it very hard to get off. On top of that, the app definitely shows a false sense of reality. I feel bad after being on the app, as if I am missing out on something important and that people look better than me. With the being said, I am still a very happy person and thankfully this does not affect me deeply, but I think that's the case because I limit myself so much. I have disabled my account for months on end and feel GREAT and productive and free without the app. However, as soon as I get it back I fall back into my old ways. I would get it back with the excuse that I need it to stay up-to-date on school events. With COVID there is not much going on and I graduate in a semester. So I disabled my account for good. I won't get rid of it in case I need it for school but I wish I was able to just let it go altogether. I started Instagram when I was 16 so not that young, but I still have a hard time letting it go. I barely post but use it for the explore page and looking up people. I always and still to this day feel that without an Instagram account you are seen as weird or introverted. I feel that if I do not have an Instagram I am the odd one out. I wish I never made one in the first place, I have never gotten any direct benefits from the app. It just clutters my brain and causes negative affects. I also have the pressure of having to keep up with DMs from friends. I do not want to have to constantly check and respond to their images and videos they share. I don't like the expectation of having to like someone's post or view their story. I literally do not care about 95% of the people I follow nor do I see them with or without COVID, but I still "have" to follow them. I am so excited to actually let it go and connect with my family and real friends more. I am so happy for this movement and hope that many people realize that Instagram isn't that important and is actually a waste of time.

I feel like I've become a numbed zombie
Trainor, 22, Toronto, Canada
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Trainor, 22, Toronto, Canada
October 14, 2021
It's come to a point where I don't know what to do without this technology. What do people normally spend their time off doing? It's far easier these days to sit down and look at a screen then to engage in any important or pleasurable activities outside the internet. I feel like I've become a numbed zombie who see's no value in anything outside distracting his own immediate attention.

My anxiety is spiking when I sit there and wait on people to like my stuff.

Lea, 21, Los Angeles, United States
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Lea, 21, Los Angeles, United States
February 24, 2021

So I have two experiences to share that both occured on instagram. I follow a lot of feminist and activist accounts. While I just wanted to support marginalised communities I have been vilified in the comments because people misunderstood me. One time I was accused of being homophobic even though I wanted to do the opposite with my comment and uplift the lgbtq+-community. I don't like being vilified for something I never said but I also know that sometimes it isn't worth it to fight with strangers about your moral opinions. The second experience I want to share is that because of post anxiety I can't post something on there except stories. I get so invested in how many likes I get that I just stopped posting except instagram stories. My anxiety is spiking when I sit there and wait on people to like my stuff. I've also come to an agreement with myself that I don't want to lie about my personal life so I'll never post anything personal because I don't wanna seem egocentric. I just made it my goal to uplift marginalised communities and voices. That's how I made peace with the craziness of social media.

Only a discovery that my favourite YouTuber may be a white supremacist shocked me back to my senses.

Anonymous, 21, I, Pakistan
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Anonymous, 21, I, Pakistan
May 21, 2021

During lockdown, I had too much time to spend on YouTube. Several rabbit holes later, my views on Feminism, and politics morphed into ones where my respect for certain members of society was much lower than before. Only a discovery that my favourite YouTuber may be a white supremacist shocked me back to my senses. Even though I avoid preachy YouTubers now, I still YouTube is a source of toxicity in my life.

I open the app probably 50 times a day to find nobody has texted me anything.
Jannat, 19, Sawantwadi, India
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Jannat, 19, Sawantwadi, India
March 3, 2022
So, I still have an addiction with whatsapp. I open the app probably 50 times a day to find nobody has texted me anything. I fear that if I didn't check my WhatsApp, someone will be waiting for me to get my help.But when I find no messages,I feel so left out.Like something is wrong with me.I self question and self doubt myself. I constantly think if there is something wrong with me. I had tried recording screen time, setting app timer and what not.Still there is insatiable need to check messages.Everyday I put app timer and due to some reason I disable it and spend more time on it. Like every day routine. Today I tried new method, I had added chat shortcuts of the people who matter to me on homescreen.I am just visiting their chats to see if there is anything important there. In this way,I am not feeling disappointed as if they need me they will text me and I don't have to see other people ignoring me. Because in my head only this 6 people and 1 family group exist. It proved most beneficial to me.Hope I am making sense. Thank you.
I used Instagram in night time and it affected my sleep.
Pratyush, 20, Pune, India
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Pratyush, 20, Pune, India
March 4, 2022
I used Instagram in night time and it affected my sleep. Already I had some personal mental issues like depression and anxiety and social media usage made my mental health worse. Whenever I felt alone and anxious and I used to scroll through Instagram. Every time I scrolled through Instagram, I ended up using it for more time than I initially decided. I knew that Instagram wasn't making me calm and relaxed, but still I couldn't stop it. I watched 'The Social Dilemma' and realized the whole game here and I quit Instagram. I am happier now.

The first thing I do in the morning is reach for my phone, I’m always on it during school, it's the first thing I look at when I get home. It’s even caused some people to be pretty rude,

Kara, 17, Dayton, United States
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Kara, 17, Dayton, United States
May 21, 2021

When I turned 12 i got my first phone, with that came social media, Instagram, Snapchat, and at that time Musical.ly. I loved being a part of the group that had a phone and even better social media but now 5 years later I feel myself having a problem, the first thing I do in the morning is reach for my phone, I’m always on it during school, it's the first thing I look at when I get home. It’s even caused some people to be pretty rude, my freshman year (I’m a junior now) I was very confused with my sexuality so I did some wandering around, seeing what I liked and didn’t like, girls at my school did enjoy that very much. I had a secret girlfriend who ended up telling her friends about it and they really didn’t like that, they called me “d*ke”, “f*g”, ''lesbo ``,''freak `` things like that and I spiraled, I thought there was something wrong with me, i thought I was messed up and it let me into a deep and dark depression but, I got up, and got over it. I’m now comfortable with my sexuality and myself. I’m working on myself and that's the most important thing.

I’m trying to prove to myself that I can rewire the thoughts in my brain
Nyah, 20, Leechburg, United States
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Nyah, 20, Leechburg, United States
March 4, 2022
The facts that shocked me the most after watching Social Dilemma were the facts about suicide rates & depression in preteen girls and young adults. Just like in the show, everyone in my class had an IPhone in middle school. I just HAD to have one. I was relentless. My parents just wanted to make me happy! At the time they weren't really thinking about any future consequences. I don’t blame them for that, knowing that they couldn’t of known any better. I mean what “user” could’ve? I believe the first smartphone came out during the 1900s. I believe that the first IPhone came out during the 2000s. Everyone just bought these products and started using them, no questions asked. Smartphones are something that some of us have ever known. Personally social media is all I’ve ever known since I was 14 years old. I’m 20 years old now and I’m trying to change that. I’m trying to make myself realize that it’s not NEEDED! I’m trying to prove to myself that I can rewire the thoughts in my brain that tell me it is NEEDED. I feel like I’ve been programmed to feel that way. After watching Social Dilemma, it just confirms that my feelings are valid. I have deleted all forms of my social media before. It is hard because the world around me doesn’t understand why I do it. I allow that pressure to get to me and I download again. I really need to listen to myself this time. I truly am happier without social media. I want to believe with my whole heart that this is a battle the world can face. People NEED to WAKE UP!!! #fakewoke
Growing up with social media has been a roller coaster.
Joshua, 18, Harrison, United States
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Joshua, 18, Harrison, United States
April 12, 2022
When I was younger I always thought it was so cool to be on social media. I would see my older cousins using it, and as well as my parents. I was so fascinated by the virtual world and everything about it. My parents always tried pushing me away from social media like they were trying to save me from something. Looking back that was probably the best thing they could do for me but, that just made me crave it more. I wondered “what is through those locked codes”? I was fooled by society by thinking I was behind on something that I needed when in reality I didn't. There was a time when my older family members were laughing because of something on Facebook and I was extremely jealous that I cried. Honestly, they were probably trying to save me. This might be cheesy but, growing up with social media has been a roller coaster. Yes, social media has made me laugh, smile, boosted me with tons of motivation, but I've had some of my darkest times on social media. I have been a victim of cyberbullying. From middle school to me being a senior now, people have been homophobic to me online. It has been a common theme that has happened in my life, but I choose to not be phased by it too much. I didn't always think like this, I had to create thick skin. At the beginning of it all, I definitely would get trapped in dark holes that I never thought I would get out of. Thankfully, I know how to control it a little more, but that shouldn't be something that has to be learned. Social media can create self-protective motives that would've never existed if social media never existed. Modernly, I’m trying to disconnect from my phone. I have recently been feeling like I'm trapped as if I’m unable to escape. Usually, a lot of motivation comes from technical uses, so I want to get into journaling. I've noticed in the past that it has kept me at peace and helped me through many eras in my life. I want to start finding the motivation and confidence from within to achieve my goals. I know with hard work and dedication, anything can be accomplished. It has been hard recently though, only because of the recent state of the world. It seems as though, every time we move 1 step forward, we go 3 steps back. I'll be willingly trying to do things at home like meditating. It has been leaving me sane and keeps me from being off my phone, so for now, this is what's working.
I couldn't stop watching youtube
Anonymous, 13, Seoul, korea
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Anonymous, 13, Seoul, korea
March 4, 2022
When I was in 6th grade I always thought to myself that I was gonna finish watching this last video but that lead me to another video and eventually I couldn't stop watching youtube, so I had to stay up late and finish all my homework. Social media is an obstacle to my time management. -Anonymous

My focus has drastically dropped using these technologies. I couldn't even focus on a thing for more than 5 mins.

Harsha, 19, Guntur, India
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Harsha, 19, Guntur, India
February 24, 2021

Soo social media started to me when I was young only around 14 years I have had my Facebook first then but later on it didn't really affect me that much cause I didn't used to care about it that much but later on days passed by now I'm 19 years old and in this 2020 year I felt that I was in addiction with my smartphone I was using my phone around more or less 5 hours a single day and 8+ hrs in some days that has been a wake-up call for me so from then I tried multiple things to quit social media and smartphone use tried removing apps but eventually I started finding other ways to use my phone again and again at this point now I am addicted to Instagram I was using it for 2+hrs in a single day for mostly messaging and memes and mindless scrolling..... Later I realized that I am also addicted to YouTube. I was watching mindless videos every day.. (My focus has drastically dropped using these technologies. I couldn't even focus on a thing for more than 5 mins & My relationships also not so good using this tech) Then I tried using a not soo smartphone recently only and very basic phone which can be used for calls, messaging, WhatsApp. only and the best thing is the battery in that phone only lasts around 1.5 hours only so I know the things that I want to focus on. (Tried Siempo launcher it's the best one.)then after a week of changing my smartphone to a basic android phone now my screentime is less than 2 hours.I don't have any regrets about changing my smartphone to an old basic android phone.The problem is with the apps and till date now I feel like checking my Instagram around 10 mins a day but didn't felt the urge that i used to and siempo doesn't let me use more than 5 mins...My small advice to people is that just try to live in this moment.. Our parents don't have this technology but they are happy and they have better relations than ours.(Instagram is not worth the time that you spent on it.)Thank you Centre for humantech for giving a wakeup call to me and the people in this movement.Special thanks to (Team Siempo.)

I saw myself declining into a black hole of frustration and loneliness because of all the Instagram stories and posts.

Hannah, 18, Kemaman, Malaysia
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Hannah, 18, Kemaman, Malaysia
February 24, 2021

It was in the earliest stage of lockdown in my country, it was the month of April. I wasn’t living in the best moment of my life. I had my final exams results and I wasn’t eligible to get a scholarship. It was very frustrating to me because it’s my dream to study overseas and that was the only way without emptying my parents’ bank accounts. What happened later when I was scrolling my Instagram, there were hundreds of posts from my friends about them getting all A’s in the exam, celebrating with friends and family, received new things and I realized I was very jealous and felt really really lonely and kinda depressing with my achievements. “Why am i so stupid?” I asked myself. It’s been days and I saw myself declining into a black hole of frustration and loneliness because of all the Instagram stories and posts. Then, I listened to a podcast and that person recommended to their listeners to watch a new documentary on Netflix. The Social Dilemma. After I watched the documentary, I quickly knew that Instagram was very toxic to me at that moment. That’s why I took a break from social media, mainly twitter and Instagram. It’s like a situation where I need to disconnect to connect with myself.....again. I was so lost with the jealousy I felt and how it made me hate myself so bad. I disconnected from my social media accounts for a month and spent more time with myself, family and my close friends through messaging. Fast-forward a month, I decided that I’ll put myself back into the world where it’s just one tap away to connect with others and I did make some changes. I turned off my notifications for everything except my messages. Well I am proud to say that my life does improving A LOT after the break. I rarely use my phone now. Some days, my phone can get up to 3 days without charging because that’s how rarely i use my phone now. Social media is not everything. We must learn when to get some rest from it. We should also learn to stop sharing everything on social media, we don’t know what people will do with these information we choose to share. It’s better to share it with our inner circle and maybe share some of our general events that happens in our lives.

What I've noticed is that TikTok has become a life-consuming obsession among young kids. Kids that aren't even in their teenage years yet, are glued to their phone screens 24/7.

Denise, 21, Weston, United States
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Denise, 21, Weston, United States
February 24, 2021

I'm a child caretaker currently working for a family in Connecticut.Generally I work with younger kids, but recently I joined a family with teenagers. I won't describe any further details for the sake of their privacy.What I've noticed is that TikTok has become a life-consuming obsession among young kids. Kids that aren't even in their teenage years yet, are glued to their phone screens 24/7. Some kids have admitted that they are addicted, they spend 14+ hours on social media in a day. Yet, when asked what's interesting about TikTok, they struggle to formulate an answer.It's impossible to have even a 5min conversation with them without them losing their focus and continuing their endless scroll. How does this impact their attention span? How does it impact their ability to have human conversations? I don't think we can even comprehend the full extent of damage that is being inflicted on their minds by allowing them to be so consumed by these online realms.Another growing concern is how fake news is impacting the younger generations. These stories are being forced on them through social media, misguiding their entire perception of the world they live in.All young children are naive by nature and will believe nearly anything they're exposed to without the consideration of getting a better idea of the bigger picture at hand.I think it's amazing how readily available such a broad scope of information has become through these online portals, but it's important that the information we receive is received with intentionality. We're all forcedly exposed to a one-sided perception of national and global activity due to targeted news and ads.We're robbed of the chance to know the TRUE FACTS of both sides of an argument, because we are limited to what the online portals think we should know instead of what we actually should know. I'm terribly afraid of how this addiction to technology and social media is impacting the younger generations. Not just today, but when these kids have grown to become the leaders of the world.I think that anyone with access to the internet and any social media channels should be well educated about what happens to the data that is taken from our interactions with the web. Why are the Big Tech companies so reluctant to share with us exactly what they use our data for? And more importantly, what data are they actually scraping from our interactions with their sites?If these companies are going to monopolize industries the way they have, and gain such value, we need to be much more aware of how we are really contributing to their scale and value. And why exactly their overtaking of these industries are causing a drastic increase in inequality.

I turned to self harm to cope with my internal distress and ended up joining a pro-anorexia group-chat

Anonymous, 18, Westbrook, USA
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Anonymous, 18, Westbrook, USA
May 21, 2021

When I was in 7th grade I started having really terrible mental health problems. I turned to self harm to cope with my internal distress and ended up joining a pro-anorexia group-chat, becoming a member of a forum on a separate website. In the kik group-chat situations I even came into contact with a predator posing as a young girl in my age group. I used Instagram to find people who felt the same as me about their body image and posted very damaging and dangerous things. This went on for years and I truly believe that if it weren't for the social media platforms and groups that I found so young (11 years old!) I would not still be fighting to finally recover years after when I am a college student with real world responsibilities. It was damaging physically and mentally and will haunt me for years to come.

I've been manipulated by the social media posts without realising that I was
Saurab, 20, Siliguri, India
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Saurab, 20, Siliguri, India
March 4, 2022
I've been manipulated by the social media posts without realising that I was, and then the turning point was when I watched The Great Hack; after that I read Mindf*ck by Christopher Wylie and then The social dilemma gave me extra information: thank you James Harden for recommending on official account. I want to quit using yet I need it, now I know what to post, I always fact check.
When I was on social media, it would suck up my time uncontrollably
Boo, 16, Brisbane, Australia
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Boo, 16, Brisbane, Australia
August 11, 2021
When I was on social media, it would suck up my time uncontrollably and before I knew it the day was up, I'd achieved nothing I'd wanted to, spent no time with family and just totally ignored the world around me. I was scared I was falling down a rabbithole away from reality, so it was time I took ahold of my life. I've now realised how trapped I was, and though it was a temporary decision at first, I made it permanent and now I'm free.

I realize I now have this unproductive habit of mindlessly scrolling through these pretty pictures, which is something I never used to do.

Abrielle, 25, Winter Park, United States
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Abrielle, 25, Winter Park, United States
February 24, 2021

I started my social media experience back in middle school (2008-2009) on MySpace, spending my free time checking on friends, doing bulletin board surveys, and learning to code in HTML to customize my page. After MySpace, I moved to Facebook in high school (2009-2013), I got sucked in more to what people thought of me, what I was being tagged in, liking pages, getting likes on my photos... I was sick of it, so I deactivated my profile when I graduated. I joined Instagram in the summer of 2013. At first, it was similar to Snapchat and Facebook; I used it to communicate with friends and see what they were up to. Then I started following cool travel pages, celebrities, movements, news sites... and I find myself with a feed of pretty pictures from people I don’t even know. I realize I now have this unproductive habit of mindlessly scrolling through these pretty pictures, which is something I never used to do. I’ve thought about deleting my Instagram, but I instead want to re-evaluate my use of it. I’ve turned off all notifications and I’ve begun a huge unfollowing spree for those accounts of people and groups I don’t know. I find it useless to be spending time staring at photos of beautiful places when I could instead be earning money to get myself there. I find it useless to be staring at beautiful women who I know are fake or portraying themselves in the best light they can find, looking at myself as inferior when I know the great shape I am in. Come to find out (big surprise), likes or comments on a photo do not affect my real life, and spending time focusing on them is a waste. I’ve put my phone in grayscale mode so that it’s not as pretty to look at, and I’m finding that I get sucked into those scrolling traps less. If I were to identify a specific problem, it’s the culture of influencers we’ve built and given our attention to. Travel influencers, fitness influencers, food influencers... pages to follow, scroll through, and mindlessly get lost in while letting all of our other responsibilities fall to the side. We find ourselves without enough time in the day, but never complain about the loads of meaningless funny videos we spend an hour watching and sharing (taking other people’s time from them). I want to unfollow all influencers. I only want to see my friends and people I know on my timeline, and then I want to make the conscious decision to check on them when I want to — NOT get trapped into scrolling through all of them. I would rather participate in a social media service without “Pages to Follow” like Facebook and without Influencers like Instagram. Mindless phone scrolling is the dumbest pastime that does absolutely nothing besides make us yearn for things we aren’t or don’t have. When I’m with my significant other, I don’t feel the need to touch my phone ALL day. It just proves it’s a habit based in boredom that breeds lower productivity. I hate it. I feel much better and more in control with my phone in grayscale mode and by following less accounts I don’t know. I have implemented time restraints of 30 minutes per day for my Instagram. I am inclined to reduce that to 15 minutes. I want to use the platforms to connect with my friends and that’s all. Share photos with my friends, not care about likes, and that’s ALL. All I want is an environment that facilitates that.

I felt constantly watched and wasn't free to be myself.

Alicia, 15, Valencia, Spain
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Alicia, 15, Valencia, Spain
May 21, 2021

When I started high school at age 12, I was completely overwhelmed.It was a time when I was starting to open up my social circle and meet new people, that's why image was so important. Everyone I met was posting their "amazing" lives on Instagram and I started comparing myself to everyone in everything. I felt guilty for not liking what I was supposed to like and not having their lives. I felt constantly watched and wasn't free to be myself. I just had to fit in and find my place in "the social ranking". I wasn’t living my own life and I felt trapped in my own image. That affected me in and out (real social life) of my social media accounts. This led to loneliness, a lot of social anxiety, body insecurities and some depressive periods.After almost 4 years, I've grown up but I'm still learning to deal with it and struggling to be myself.

Instagram was making me hate myself and made me want to be someone I wasn't.

Jay, 21, Garfield, United States
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Jay, 21, Garfield, United States
February 24, 2021

I used to be on Instagram a lot, but at the age of about 15 or 16, I realized what it was doing to me. I realized it was making me feel bad about myself and having major fomo. It made kinda depressed so I decided to take the first step and not cave into the network effect where I feel like I have to have it to stay connected with people. I found that if people are meaningful enough they would connect with me in whichever way is comfortable. Instagram was making me hate myself and made me want to be someone I wasn't. I'm glad I realized its impact on me at an early age and stay away from social media for months. I did go back eventually, but this time I stopped posting because I didn't want to make others feel bad. Then just recently after social dilemma, I decided to unfollow everyone who wasn't close to me and now my feed mainly composes of funny videos which is why I mainly use it. When looking at social media from the outside in, you can see the deliberate steps that companies have taken to ensure you stay on their platform and pay attention to it. I truly believe that social media is not good for society, at least the way it is currently being represented. I think after social dilemma, the next documentary should be about dating apps, because they are pretty great at making some people feel really bad about themselves and making others feel great. Also the way they are marketed, it almost makes you feel like that is the only way to actually meet someone. Linked in also makes you feel bad about your career but I still use it just for the profile for recruiters. Wish that didn't feel like the only way either.

Deleting my Facebook and Instagram accounts has completely changed my lifestyle, my thoughts, my days, everything!

Konstantina, 23, Athens, Greece
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Konstantina, 23, Athens, Greece
February 24, 2021

Hello! I'm 23 years old student from Greece!I would love to share my experience about the best decision I have ever made in my life! Deleting my Facebook and Instagram accounts has completely changed my lifestyle, my thoughts, my days, everything! There was a period of time I was addicted to Instagram, Insta Stories etc. Then, I started thinking.. Why do I watch others personal stories? Why do I spend so much time watching what others do? Do I really care? Why do I share my personal life?? I post my personal moments or thoughts or everything to people that I don't even know or care about their opinion.. After deleting my Instagram account, I've started spending a lot of time scrolling on Facebook... Everything has changed when I watched "the social dilemma". When I watched this amazing documentary, I immediately deleted my facebook account. I got so sick of this system and the advertisements. I really don't need these applications and no one does. I am so happy now. I have new hobbies and the most important thing is that whoever wants to talk to me, he'll call me. He won't remember me cause I just uploaded a photo, or a story... Congratulations to all those people who participated in this documentary. Great work and great team! The tips in the end are super helpful.

the number of followers on Instagram became an index of how ugly or beautiful... a person is
Aadit, 16, Amritsar, India
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Aadit, 16, Amritsar, India
August 11, 2021
For me, the number of followers on Instagram became an index of how ugly or beautiful, or how good or bad a person is... As a result, I started disregarding my own talents and personality.

I'm finding the right direction no thanks to social media and I hope with my whole heart that future generations don't have to go through such scarring things.

Isaac, 16, Burleson, United States
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Isaac, 16, Burleson, United States
February 24, 2021

My name is Isaac, I'm 16 and id like to share the impact social media has had on my entire existence. I was raised in an abusive household full of drugs and manipulation. My parents divorced when I was 7 and I had gotten a phone from my mother at the young age of 7 to contact my father because he was no longer in our household. Having been surrounded by the internet since such a young age I have a pretty decent understanding of media and it's effects on society today, I've witnessed people dying, pornography and animal abuse and more all by the age of 12 due to the unregulated internet and my young curious mind. Fast forward to high school I've experienced cyber bullying and lies created about me on social media which has been one of the causes me to get into fights and abuse multiple substances(Marijuana, LSD, MDMA, Adderall, etc.) This January I got kicked out of school due to those reasons coming back to bite me. Now, December 2020, I've graduated with an online program at the age of 16 and just recently I decided to delete social media. To delete the worry of what other people who I don't even talk to think about me, to delete the horrid things and false information that has been spread into my brain and into my peers brains. I'm finding the right direction no thanks to social media and I hope with my whole heart that future generations don't have to go through such scarring things. I am so glad I no longer waste away my days staring at a screen hiding internal conflict and I can contribute to society and move the world into a positive direction. I would love to help the social truth and help create ideas to end the societal sufferings my country and my planet are experiencing.

The cake recipes sandwiched in between crash diets and messages to love yourself were disorienting.

Clare, 17, Dayton, United States
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Clare, 17, Dayton, United States
February 24, 2021

When I was younger, in middle school, I made a conscious effort not to be on social media because I knew the effects it could have. Eventually though, I started to feel left behind, not only by my friends who were online, but I kept being told I needed to be on it if I wanted to get published as an author in the future. As I got older I realized this was no longer an individual choice I was allowed to make. It was how the world worked, and I would have to conform in order to get my work to a larger audience. The final straw was realizing I was already stuck in scrolling cycles, if it wasn't on social media yet it was on a news app or Buzzfeed, whatever I could find. when I finally caved I experienced the negative aspects first-hand. The cake recipes sandwiched in between crash diets and messages to love yourself were disorienting. Every time I saw a message that made me feel good I was two swipes away from one that wouldn't. I especially started to become invested in activism and politics, but social media adds a new layer of pressure. You must always be aware of the tragedies going on in the world and if you don't repost them then you clearly don't care. You can never be 'woke' enough, you're always saying something wrong, and you see the backlash from it, even from friends. I've noticed people are a lot more radical online, several of my friends have posted "If you support (insert political candidate) I will not associate with you." It's disappointing to see them not only make rash assumptions about other's beliefs in that way but to be openly propagating it. How can they ensure their assumptions are founded in reality if they aren't associating with these people? My friends don't mean this I'm sure, but that is the precise problem with the polarizing effects of social media. It would be best for me to remove social media altogether, but as I mentioned, it's necessary for networking, so I must learn to use social media more healthily. I only use Instagram and YouTube as opposed to other apps, which helps. I've written a research argumentative paper on the role of social media in polarization and radicalization, and am looking forward to working with the company LOG OFF in the future. In the paper, I argued for a governmental committee on the advancement of technology and the revision of Section 230, which is largely responsible for the way social media works today. There are, of course, fixes we can all make around screen time and who we follow, but young people will continue to get trapped in this hole we have to dig ourselves out of unless the laws start to change. The algorithms must change, otherwise, the problems we face now will only incur for the next generation.

I got addicted, always checking my phone, obsessed with keeping my streaks, worrying that someone needed my attention 24/7.

Dasani, 16, Phoenix, United States
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Dasani, 16, Phoenix, United States
February 24, 2021

There's been real tension in my household lately, and social media has been my sort of coping mechanism. When I felt alone and hopeless, I could just scroll through instagram and not feel like crying anymore. I've never been allowed to go out much, so when I felt disconnected with my friends, I just spread my face across snapchat so I could talk to new people. I got addicted, always checking my phone, obsessed with keeping my streaks, worrying that someone needed my attention 24/7. I thought that was great to be needed, interested in, and meeting interesting people, until some of those people started asking things of me that I'm not comfortable with. Disconnected once again, I deleted snap and went back to my default scroll. Then I watched the social dilemma and really got to see that I wasn't the only one having these types of problems. I started to limit my screen time, schedule my days according to online school, pick up other hobbies I haven't done in a while like drawing, being part of the church choir, ect. I still don't have the best social life, but at least I'm spending my time alone productively.

I had a totally different persona on FB.

Gayathiri, 24, Kandy, Sri Lanka
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Gayathiri, 24, Kandy, Sri Lanka
February 24, 2021

I don't even know where to begin. I created a facebook account when I was 19. I had a bad breakup and I was looking for ways to distract myself and facebook gave me the best platform to do that. I was in facebook all day along and eventually I facebook started determining my self worth. If someone comments on my post or messages me it will make me feel good. If my posts didn't get enough likes I would feel down. I started to get into fights with people over comments - the typical comment wars. I had a totally different persona on FB. It looked like I am an unapproachable rude person even though I am a humble person in real life. My fb contacts from university started perceiving me as my FB persona. It affected my self esteem a great deal. I felt awkward and shy to start a conversation with a new person. Where ever I went in campus I started to worry and wonder, who knows me and what they thought about me. I deleted my facebook account in last June and I feel really better. My self esteem has improved a great deal and I am really content, without knowing who got into relationship with whom and not getting into comment wars. People are taking social media way too serious. Yet again, when you enter into it, you get lost into a different kind of world that sucks you into it.

I decided to finally let go of Tiktok and Instagram... I found myself getting to bed at 10pm, instead of the usual 1 or 2 am
Yvette, 16, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
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Yvette, 16, Hsinchu City, Taiwan
August 16, 2021
Up until around three months ago, I was averaging 4 to 5 hours per day on my phone, with the number going up to 14 hours over the weekends, most of which was being spent on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube. Having grown up in the digital age, I never felt as if my life was good, not even as a kid. I envied many of the things I saw on social media and was exposed to many inappropriate situations far too young. After getting the book Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport) recommended to me, I decided to finally let go of Tiktok and Instagram, the two apps holding me back from doing things I truly care about. For the first week, I found myself getting to bed at 10pm, instead of the usual 1 or 2 am, but I also felt as if I was missing out. After two weeks, I decided to "reward" myself by getting Instagram back for just a day. What I found was that I truly did not care for the majority of the posts I missed, and that no one really noticed my absence. I believe that social media utilizes the 'spotlight effect' that creates a general sense of self-importance that would make us think that everyone else is hyperfocused on us. The day I downloaded Instagram back, I used it for three hours. When I realized, I was very disappointed and deleted it again, because I thought I had already beat the addiction. Now, months later, I feel very liberated. It's an odd feeling, but it feels as if I'm free to do whatever I want without the judgment of others. I still occasionally check my social media apps (once a week or so), but have used it instead to focus on the positive benefits it can bring, such as connecting to friends living abroad.

I began to be aware that I was believing things that... didn't exist.

Jasper, 24, Cape Town, South Africa
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Jasper, 24, Cape Town, South Africa
February 24, 2021

Both Facebook and Reddit were the worst. Facebook was an endless scrolling distraction, removing me from myself, making me watch more and more far right content, and distracting me from my friends, family and work. I despised it, and decided that I should try to live without it - but I still had Reddit. Reddit was okay? Surely? It was a way to get the newest information about the world? So was Youtube? They were just videos. How wrong I was. Firstly; Reddit became a balm for my social anxieties, and paradoxically, also a stimulant of them. There you can frolic and get drunk on the syrup of humour, new information and the illusion of debate and community. Meanwhile you get slowly sucked in, spending more and more time on it. I began to be aware that I was believing things that...didn't exist. Or they did exist, it just felt more and more like a cult, a group of anger and not support. I found that strain of outrage and anger in all my communities - I tried to take a break, but would be dragged willingly to gorge on the dopamine rush, the faerie food of reddit. Youtube is the same; I began to watch more right things - "the intellectual dark web" slowly stepping onto more and more anger and outrage and "common sense." I tried just "unliking" all the video I saw. That did not work. Then I began using blocking apps to stop recommendations, and only show subscriptions, and limit my time on Youtube. Facebook, Youtube and Reddit all led to a warped image of who I was, of what I was worth. Youtube and reddit fed into each other and led to an echo chamber, which led to a depression. After that I tried everything to stop myself being on any social media - I feel a lot happier.

After using it for 2 months I started feeling mentally disturbed as I felt self doubt, jealousy and anxious looking at various post of my friends on insta

Yash, 21, Nashik, India
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Yash, 21, Nashik, India
February 24, 2021

It was 2018 when I was in my first year of under graduation and I signed up on instagram...... After using it for 2 months I started feeling mentally disturbed as I felt self doubt, jealousy and anxious looking at various post of my friends on insta.....i used to compare myself to others for looks and followers and began hating myself.... I cried too sometimes about it.... So I started to unfollow people whose post induced negative feelings in my heart and also muted off the notifications of instagram ..... This Went for like 2 years and it was very hard for me to resist to not open the app....I even tried to disable my account but couldn't resist the urge to recover my account.... I asked myself why was I using insta.... It was taking toll on me as I felt like I m in prison so I deleted my insta account after lot of thought and hesitation ..... After deletion of my insta account , I felt so happy and started loving myself without comparing myself to others.... I started taking care of myself and my heart felt so free..... I stared focussing on my hobbies and work instead of worrying about my number of followers and feeling jealous about number of likes and comments on other ppl posts ........This has been one of the best decisions of my life .....Take care

Now I have some friends who are always there for me and who know the real me and not the one who is virtually present only in their mobile phones.

Abhijeet, 21, North Solapur, India
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Abhijeet, 21, North Solapur, India
February 24, 2021

Let me clear this first of all that I was not addicted to any of these social media platforms. I am an undergrad. I started using Facebook since 7th standard, it was my friend who introduced me to Facebook. Initially there was only Facebook, smartphones were not there in the markets, there was scarcity of internet data. So my browsing was limited to Facebook only, it was the starting phase of Facebook and I was so desperate to go online, see what others are doing and the special feature of Facebook Chatting online. This single feature attracted me to Facebook a lot. Me and my friends used to spend a lot of hours in the cyber cafe just scrolling down the feed of my account and chatting with known and unknown friends. Whatsapp entered in the markets. This app changed all things for me, it made communication so easy and fast like never before. Sequentially all the social media accounts started to hit the markets. After wasting a lot of time on these platforms I realised that I am loosing some precious time of my life and helping earn money to some technocrats who build platforms like these. Then I quit facebook on 15 June 2017. Immediately after quitting facebook, it was something unusual for me, But after some time I got used to it. Now its been 3.5 yrs and I don't think I'll be ever activate my Facebook account. Now as whatsapp is there for some official purposes as well, till now I was unable to get rid of it. but as I have finished my college I uninstalled whatsapp. and now I am not active on any social media.Impact of Quitting Social Media accounts:-Aaaahh after social media my life become so easy to live. I started reading books, I could concentrate on my studies much better, I am loving trees and some pet animals. I spend like days with some of my close friends...... sitting in cafe.... getting to know each other in this real world. Now I have some friends who are always there for me and who know the real me and not the one who is virtually present only in their mobile phones. I am knowing myself much better, working on my strengths and weaknesses, I am building myself and creating my own future. At the same time now I am more sensitive towards environmental problems, societal issues etc. Actually I was active only on Facebook, Whatsapp, Youtube and Telegram. After knowing what happens behind the screen of my mobile (like the algorithms and all) I am more aware of my actions on internet, and I don't think that I'll be active again on these platforms except for official use.Guys just give yourself one chance to live without social media for some months.... you will realise the things which I have realised so far. Life is much more than this virtual reality.

It brings us so much comfort that we don't want to understand it's harms. I can't name last time I was trully alone. As soon as I feel uncomfortable, anxtious, etc. my phone is my escape. Is that normal? absolutely not. Do I understand that? 100%. But at the same time , am I still addicted? Unfortunately.

Nutsiko, 19, Tbilisi, Georgia
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Nutsiko, 19, Tbilisi, Georgia
May 21, 2021

I've always been taught that phone is bad, distractive, addictive etc. etc. My perspective has always been that: people who haven't been born in the era we are , will never fully understand where we come from, why are we so dependent on it and why can't we find will to give up. "well you were addicted to different activities , like reading . You can't stop the world from evolving." -this has been my argument for several year, but in the back of my mind I always knew that something was very wrong with what was going on. I had phases where I would decide to give up social media fully. It would last 2-3 weeks, then something would happen and I immediately ran to it. This past year has been tough for me in terms of corona. Being left alone with so much time to yourself, you really start seing things you've been avoiding for very long time. I'm starting to see how dependent I am, not only on social media but on my phone in general. I put it in different room while studying to eliminate distractions but all I can think of in that period of time is when am I going to be able to have my phone back. It brings us so much comfort that we don't want to understand it's harms. I can't name last time I was trully alone. As soon as I feel uncomfortable, anxtious, etc. my phone is my escape. Is that normal? absolutely not. Do I understand that? 100%. But at the same time , am I still addicted? unfortunatly. Few months ago I came across your center and I finally felt that I wasn't alone. There were actually people who not only realized the problem but started a movement. Since then I've been taking small steps towards improvement. I can proudly say, I deleted my instagram and tiktok accounts. Sadly I can't really delete my facebook or gmail because I need it for my univercity but I'm willing to participate to make even the smallest change. Thank you for bringing attention to topic that must bring freat fear to everyone!

I am facing the reality of the attention deficit and lack of real social skills that has left me with.
Kallum, 17, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Kallum, 17, Birmingham, United Kingdom
August 16, 2021
I found myself becoming more and more addicted to apps like Instagram in my mid-teens, where I would spend hours just scrolling through content which had no meaning or value to me. Now as a young adult I am facing the reality of the attention deficit and lack of real social skills that has left me with. Something which was a trendy new tool to speak with friends quickly became an escape from reality and a means of 'fast-food' entertainment which undoubtedly has left me in need of a 'tech diet'. Now I think it's more important than ever to knock down and rebuild this idea of how we use digital technology and re-purpose it as a tool as it was meant to be - and to be completely honest I think that the CHT and their experience in industry are the perfect people to take lead in the issue.

I'm tired of feeling like I'm dumb, not pretty enough, not rich enough, not popular enough, not everything enough

Lily, 20, Los Angeles, United States
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Lily, 20, Los Angeles, United States
February 24, 2021

As someone who was in the 8th grade when Instagram first came out I remember it an innocent hub of photos, but it wasn't too far down the like that likes and followers were a big factor to your profile. I remember being in 8th grade and making excuses to my parents why I should make a Instagram, meanwhile I did have a facebook, my first experience with that being one for a school project. My parents at the time were not aware of Instagram and what it was about, I wish they didn't let me make an account but I was granted permission so I had two. fairly innocent, I would post random photos. fast forward high school and in and out of high school I am disabling my social media and getting back on it, constantly. I thought that me getting a flip phone would decrease my social media use but it didn't, I would use my brothers iPad. I see how people have all different perspectives of social media. but at the end of the day its a fake profile. I had to disable my social media this month after debating for a few months. I already knew when I had a social media account how different it feels when I don't have one, but I know the best thing to do is to not have one. I find myself educating myself more on what's going on all around. The thing is, that I've noticed among my generation is that social media is playing a huge part in allowing people to just follow the herd, and even though the people posting may feel like they are "woke" or "fighting the system" they are not open minded to understanding that there are people who may have a different opinion about things and that is okay, as humans we are all allowed to have different perspectives and understandings on certain issues, but when it comes to that Instagram story, if you were to post the slightest thing different from what everyone else posts, you get totally bashed for it. Social media is creating a generation of people who may think they are on the frontlines but in fact, sitting in the back not actually putting there posts to action. It is all about action. Social media is shaping the minds of our growing generation when we should be the ones to shape it ourselves. I am scared and I'm concerned about the depression, narcissistic, one sided perspectives our generation will start to have. I done think people understand that there is a world outside of there cell phone and there close circles. There is a whole world out there, what are we doing staring at a screen comparing ourselves to fakeness. I'm tired of feeling like I'm dumb, not pretty enough, not rich enough, not popular enough, not everything enough- that is all the illusion of social media. Ever since being off social media this time around I have taken the full detox, no tik tok, snapchat , Instagram face book, none of it. I am learning so many things about myself, what it means to be 20 and how these years are crucial to my growth as a human being on this earth. I think in the future there's going to be two types of people, those that 100% embrace all the factors of technology and those who may question it and those who choose to stick to reality, which means that we endure less dopamine to the brain than those who accept all the crazy wonders of technology. I have decided to use my brain, my skills, my personality and all things that make me in the real word. If I truly cared to talk to someone, or if someone truly cared to talk to me, we could just give each other a phone call or send a dang letter! It's not that hard, I hope more people my age grow to realize this. I am tired of having narcissistic friends that only care about taking selfies and getting likes.

The day I graduated from college, I uploaded an Instagram post sharing the news with my network, only to realize a few hours later that I was checking how many like I got.

Bautista, 24, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Bautista, 24, Buenos Aires, Argentina
February 24, 2021

After several months of feeling uneasy with social media, I reached my turning point 3 years ago and never ever looked back. The day I graduated from college, I uploaded an Instagram post sharing the news with my network, only to realize a few hours later that I was checking how many like I got.At that moment, I said to myself "How is it possible that after 4 years of hard work and studying, I'm paying more attention to the count of likes instead of being innerly satisfied with the goal accomplished and the closure of an important stage in life?". After that, I stopped using all my social media accounts (Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin) and continued to see more and more downsides of the apps I used, specially in those around me. Once you quit, you really see how addicted people have become to their phones and social accounts.It's as if a cloud had been lifted from my sight. My attention came back to focus and I could reconnect with the real world, real interactions and real bonding with people. All in all, if social media doesn't make your daily life happier, what's the point in having them at all?

I really struggled when I looked in the mirror after joining social media- I’m too fat, or I have ugly features, or my neck is too long, or my hair doesn’t frame my face correctly.

Morgan, 14, St Louis, United States
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Morgan, 14, St Louis, United States
February 24, 2021

I was around eleven or twelve when I first started really delving into social media as a whole. I was a young girl still- merely an insecure and immature child who was struggling with sexuality and unsure of where I fit in or belonged, so when I learned that I could roam the internet and make friends I was all ears. I downloaded Tik Tok (everyone was doing it, why not me too?) and I had Tumblr. I always avoided other social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat because I had heard all of the stories that people had shared about things that happened to them and their mental health- and I figured it wouldn’t happen to me if I just steered clear of particular sites so I allowed myself to dive deep into exploring the internet. I REGRET IT!!!My self confidence PLUNGED. When I was younger, I used to love myself so much, love my body and my personality and I never obsessed over the little things because everyone makes mistakes sometimes. I really struggled when I looked in the mirror after joining social media- I’m too fat, or I have ugly features, or my neck is too long, or my hair doesn’t frame my face correctly. I overthought every word that I spoke, for fear of being unliked by someone. It was always something, and it still comes back every once and a while. I also have seriously struggled with depression and anxiety that I never had before social media, and I overlooked it until I started to have suicidal thoughts and considered starving myself to loose weight. I hated myself, and I hated my life. I constantly saw people who hated other people over the littlest of things. I saw anon hate, as well as blind hatred out in the open with a name attached. I experienced hate myself. I saw posts of people who would tag “gay pride” or something only to talk horribly about it for the sole purpose of people in the LGBTQ+ Community to see it; and the same thing under other tags as well. So I, young and new to the internet, was faced with a harsh reality that people are not entirely kind, and there are hateful people who hate you even though they only know one thing or sometimes nothing about you. I was confused, and I was hurt.I deleted all of my social media accounts during the Coronavirus pandemic. It was bringing me so much more anxiety than I would normally have and it was weighing me down so much. After I deleted it, I started to feel so much better. The social media impact on mental health is insane- and it’s REAL. I never realized how bad it was until I deleted everything; my confidence is beginning to rise again, and my depression is getting better, and I have started loving myself again. I can walk around feeling good and confident in myself. Social media is meant to be a wonderful place, that’s what it was designed for. But people are cruel, and for some the internet’s poses as a mask to say whatever they should wish and never face consequences for it. After deleting social media, I saw the world around me again. The beauty of nature. The smell of old books. The sunrise and sunset. This was the world I was missing when I was on social media; the real, authentic world that I can touch and see and love because the world IS a wonderful place regardless of whether or not I can do a Tik Tok dance or not. Social media is bad- but it can be changed. It takes empathy and common decency that gets lost the more time you spend on the internet to create a world where we can al stand hand in hand no matter what your race, religion, sexuality, or anything else that makes us different. Being different is a beautiful thing- you shouldn’t hate me for liking a different anime character than you, and I shouldn’t hate you for liking a book that I don’t like. It is our differences that makes this world the place that it is; a diverse, beautiful place. With time and effort, social media could become healthier than it is now. But as for right this second? I recommend deleting your social media, or using your social media to raise awareness of how toxic we are being through the internet and how it is seeping into our everyday lives. You won’t regret deleting social media. It made things so much better for me and my health, and I am confident that it will do the same for anyone reading this who is struggling with mental health or self confidence like I was.

I truthfully had never felt more alone
Magpie, 17, Union, United States
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Magpie, 17, Union, United States
March 4, 2022
There was a time where I was in a really bad place mentally, and to cope with it I threw myself into the internet and social media. Looking back on that time period of my life I truthfully had never felt more alone. There were millions of people online that made me feel like a single drop of water in the entirety of the Pacific Ocean. It did nothing to help my depression and anxiety at the time, in fact it was making it worse by exaggerating the feelings of isolation and envy I felt.

Sometimes I feel like I can't tell the difference between the image and my life...

Heather, 17, Montréal, Canada
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Heather, 17, Montréal, Canada
February 24, 2021

Last night, I compared myself to different models and couples on Instagram. Then I went to look for the meaning or definition in psychology on why I need to compare myself to others?And I felt sadness, my self-esteem was at its lowest, these images are ideological, the things that are no longer fashionable, the problems of buttons, and indirectly I feel influenced by all that.And that influences my conversations with my friends. By talking about it with my close friends, I decided to uninstall my account. I decided to just uninstall without disconnecting my account to start. To keep consistency.Sometimes I feel like I can't tell the difference between the image and my life, and I remembered a comment from my big sister who told me that she had a clothing style influenced by networks.While my best friend was talking to me, I noticed that she adopted the same style that we find in some videos we see on Tik-Tok, it is so above us, we have very little latitudeI find that a lot of young people post quotes about the right way of life. And that is completely wrong, that is not at all our reality. Many famous people publish quotes and young people take examples on it, it is serious.

I sometimes wonder to myself when will I ever be perfect, like the girls on social media
Roselyn, 14, Menifee, United States
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Roselyn, 14, Menifee, United States
August 16, 2021
I sometimes wonder to myself when will I ever be perfect, like the girls on social media or models. It hurts when you look at them and you want to be them but also admire how everyone respects them more than someone from the “beauty stander”
My total screen time since I started using twitter was 785 hours.
Violett, 18, JEDDAH, Saudi arabia
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Violett, 18, JEDDAH, Saudi arabia
August 16, 2021
I have been using social media too much.. Especially instagram since i was 10 years old, i always thought how great I am by keeping up with every single thing around me and meeting people who have the same interests. Until I realised how much time it took from my dailylife and how it wasn't a dailylife but more like instagram like and i deleted my acc and the whole app.. Those days i still didn't know that the problem was with the apps themselves not myself so I started using twitter and oh boy that was the worst hole i have even been into. It was worse than instagram by hundereds, awful news, lots of problems and fight in the timeline and my addict to it was unbelievable my totall screen time since i ever started using twitter was.. 785 hours.. I wish i was joking but this us from 2018 till november of last year where I realised that something is wrong this needs to change, i didn't find anyone who shared my sentiments those days and even my cousin said that i was crazy for hating social media and how will I live if i stopped using them?? Glad to tell you I started digitial minimalism, deleted many apps so now I am at any social media at all only whatsapp for talking with my family and friends and youtube but with addson and no recs no trend and no feed or comments. From november 2020 to now may 2021 I can't express how my life changed for the better. I am still suffering yes im still working on my screen time but now at least i am using it more effeciently and intentionally with my own autonomy. And i am dealing with my problems without the pressure of running away to social media only to feel even worse than before. Using tech wisely is not a once or short term solution, it is a life time journey and i am still learning but at least as i hope.. For better :)

There used to be such freedom in the way that we behaved as kids, and now people were obsessing over likes and hearts and everything.

Amanda, 19, Sydney, Australia
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Amanda, 19, Sydney, Australia
February 24, 2021

I got on social media around high school, and I saw people become more distant because of it. There used to be such freedom in the way that we behaved as kids, and now people were obsessing over likes and hearts and everything. For me using social media like Facebook made me feel terrible and self-conscious, and I'd compare myself constantly to the lives of friends. Asking myself, why isn't my life as cool as theirs? Why are they so much more popular than me? It was really bad for my mental health. Along with that I used Instagram and Twitter, and over time my attention span got completely decimated - I was so used to short posts I'd look at for 2-3 seconds, that I couldn't even focus on anything for a long period of time anymore. Twitter was good at first but around 2016 onwards it just became a cesspool of hate, criticism, and negativity. I couldn't believe it when I saw people wishing death upon others even when the topic was like, video games or something. There was a time I went on holiday with a friend from primary school, we were basically best friends. She didn't get off her phone the whole time! It was like the relationship had been replaced by a digital device, and I notice it with even couples who are dating who literally don't even look at each other, they look at their phones. The one thing that really sickens me is I have always been a creative person, obsessed with music and drawing and writing. I went from reading 30 books a day as a kid to not being able to read the first few paragraphs. My brain felt like it'd been hijacked. I've deactivated my insta, facebook and twitter and I still use reddit and youtube - I got rid of the recommendations though.Ever since 2012 I felt like the world was going insane and I couldn't figure out why. People seemed more stressed, more anxious, self-conscious. Things felt like they were going bad all at once, and the 24/7 cycle makes the world's problems seem right outside our bedroom door. I used to love OG facebook and youtube. They were so cool. But lately I've been wondering about the price we had to pay.

I didn't sign up for it, and yet here I am 12-ish years later trying to undo things that are inevitably fundamental to who I am.

Annika, 20, Pasig City, Philippines
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Annika, 20, Pasig City, Philippines
February 24, 2021

I literally grew up with social media. Some of my earliest vivid memories are trying to figure out how I could get make a Multiply account despite being way underage. I spent many pre-teen summers playing pet society and farmville, or on youtube watching random videos. As the internet developed, so did I. I never really realized how detrimental it was to me or my mental health. Looking back, it was probably because my generation's parents were learning how to use technology at the same time. At that point, no one really understood how much it could actually do. Every kid was on social media then because it wasn't a huge deal, it was just like getting a new toy. While I do love that I grew up on social media so I get to look back at so many wonderful memories, that also means that I watched firsthand as it grew to be such a vile place. What used to be wholesome photos, statuses, and games became a cause for outrageous fighting between creators, and divisive moral, political, and religious rhetoric. I became more conscious of my social media use as I entered college, but it never really bothered me until I started looking at my screen time. Even now during the pandemic, I'd feel so ashamed about how much time I'd be on my devices if you combined my laptop, ipad and, phone. The social dilemma and discovering CHT's work, made me feel seen but also incredibly frustrated. I felt trapped because social media was hardwired into my brain as it developed when I was a kid. I didn't sign up for it, and yet here I am 12-ish years later trying to undo things that are inevitably fundamental to who I am. I started with little things like deleting some apps on my phone and ipad, as well as turning off notifications and trying to follow downtime more responsibly. The pandemic has made it really difficult to become responsible social media user, especially as a college senior with tons of extracurriculars. How can you lessen screen time when your entire window to the world is through your screen? Despite all that, I'm pretty hopeful that I'll eventually be able to have ownership of my social media use. Until then, the discomfort of not having notifications or youtube recommendations will have to do.

Me and my peers in 7th grade have been addicted to technology for a while.

Anonymous, 13, denver, USA
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Anonymous, 13, denver, USA
May 21, 2021

Me and my peers in 7th grade have been addicted to technology for a while and we weren't aware of our situation until our class study of technology's risks. And it wasn't until now that we realized how exposed to addiction we are. We all think this is a real issue that we need to be aware of. Most of the issues that we have had in our class have been about technology and most of our conversations have been about technology. Then we saw "The Social Dilemma" and most of our conversations about technology have stopped. Some of our classmates have not recognized their dependence on technology and social media and it has an affect on our whole class culture. Our hopes for our future are to try to get away from technology and to stop our addictions on technology.-Kenneth, Josan, Mario, Ashley (7th graders , St. Rose Of Lima Catholic Academy , Denver, Colorado )

I don't miss that life of social media at all. It was, is and will always be the best decision I have ever made for myself.
Ali, 21, Al Mizhar, United Arab Emirates
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Ali, 21, Al Mizhar, United Arab Emirates
August 16, 2021
I think it began to hit me more so than ever when I found myself obsessing over the likes and comments and started seeing that other people were getting the attention I thought I deserved. But then it just hit me that, I was doing this to myself. And social media was becoming the cause. I knew right away, I needed to quit social media before it made me quit things I did not want to quit. So here we are, Facebook was gone in 2016, Snapchat in 2019 and Instagram in 2021. And I have been happier since living a life that I am content with. I don't miss that life of social media at all. It was, is and will always be the best decision I have ever made for myself. And no one can convince me otherwise now. The Social Dilemma woke me up to the realizations, and I am thankful for it for making me aware and able enough to consciously decide to quit at the right time. And if I ever get the opportunity to help someone make that decision, I would help them out in realizing how much it would be helpful.
I keep scrolling and scrolling in what seems to be a life sentence.
Anonymous, 13, Seongnam, Korea
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Anonymous, 13, Seongnam, Korea
March 4, 2022
When I use social media on my phone I find that hours and days can go by without doing anything that is productive. I keep scrolling and scrolling in what seems to be a life sentence. I've had many good experiences from social media as well like improving my social skills by meeting people online and how to make friends in real life and online.

I am so glad I never downloaded tiktok.

Anonymous, 18, Westbrook, USA
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Anonymous, 18, Westbrook, USA
May 21, 2021

I am so glad I never downloaded tiktok. I see how many people my age are addicted to it and even more worrisome, kids way younger, kids I work with in my childcare job. I didn't download it because I knew I would become addicted to it and I have been tempted many many times but I have kept that promise I made to myself and I'm so happy that I did seeing how people are now.

I learned that life was beautiful without a phone screen in my face all the time.

Haley, 17, Englewood,
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Haley, 17, Englewood,
May 21, 2021

Freshman year I got grounded and had my phone taken away for a majority of the year. When i finally got it back i forgot how to even turn it on and vaguely remembered my password. In the beginning it was hard because it thought that I was gonna die without my phone and social media. In the middle i would ask my mom if i could have it back like every few weeks and then in the end i didn't even notice it was gone. I feel like losing the privilege I've had a majority of my life was daunting in its own way. I feel like it was a great learning experience and that I could take in my surroundings better. I learned that life was beautiful without a phone screen in my face all the time. Now as a junior in high school I have my cellular turned off so I can enjoy the car rides I take with my family and so I can take in my surroundings.

...it isn’t the people that I fear but the application itself that makes me do things I’m consciously unaware of.

Mira, 21, Seremban, Malaysia
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Mira, 21, Seremban, Malaysia
February 24, 2021

3 weeks before watch the Netflix film, I had deleted my Instagram account because Something just hit me and I’ve been quite unhappy for a real long time the more I spend my time on the app. After watching the movie, I have gotten a clear picture of what’s actually going on and I felt rather relieved and paranoid at the same time. I used to be very careful on what I share on my social media accounts but now I’m not so sure anymore because it isn’t the people that I fear but the application itself that makes me do things I’m consciously unaware of. I have reduced my usage of Twitter and Snapchat. Most of my friends think I’m just being paranoid or plain stupid but I know my priorities now. I have learned how to manage my time and I feel free. I’m not obliged to post anything or have the need to even share a picture of what I ate. I don’t care what people do with their lives because in the end of the day I have to take care of my mental health and stability. I wouldn’t say I have completely deleted my social media accounts, but I have learned to use them wisely as a tool instead. And I have to thank the film for this.

I would go through periods where I would have kept the app off my phone for weeks, only to decide to download it late one night, and not be able to delete it for another month. The app made me feel so horrible, but somehow I could not stop.
Adelina, 14, Scottsdale, United States
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Adelina, 14, Scottsdale, United States
March 1, 2021
The first distinct moment dealing with social media that I can remember vividly was when I was in 7th grade. I was scrolling on my instagram feed while laying in my bed late at night, maybe around 9 or 10, when a picture pops up on my feed. It was of my best friend hanging out with the group of girls in the school I hated, but secretly was jealous of and desperately wanted to be a part of. In that instant, I broke down crying, not knowing what to do with myself. This began an awful downward spiral of insecurity and depression. If I am being honest, I remember little from that time in my life except the fact that I was broken, and I knew that social media was behind it. I made the decision to delete Instagram off my phone, and the things I felt began to alleviate, and I started to be myself again. Well, except sometimes, when I couldn't help myself but to re-download it. All of the feelings I had worked so hard to get rid of instantly began rushing back. It's an addiction, that eventually I learned to manage. All was well for a while, until I downloaded TikTok. The endless scrolling, time wasting, mind controlling app. I do not even want to think about how much of my life I have wasted because of TikTok. To make it worse, it made me feel depressed, anxious, and awful. I can't explain why it made me feel this way, and why I continued to use it despite this, but I did. I finally came to my senses at some point, and deleted it. That lasted maybe 3 hours until I downloaded it again. Out of all apps, TikTok is the most addicting by far. I instantly started experiencing withdrawals. I would go through periods where I would have kept the app off my phone for weeks, only to decide to download it late one night, and not be able to delete it for another month. The app made me feel so horrible, but somehow I could not stop. It took months to finally get me off of it for good. As of today, I have a instagram and snapchat account, but don't keep either on my phone. I download them maybe once every two weeks just to check things, and delete it right after. This system gives me the best ability to keep the benefits of social media and eliminate the harms of it. I am so worried for my peers, and for the generations after me. It makes me shudder to imagine the horrific things my friends might be going through trying to deal with social media, and how the use of technology may impact the future of our children, and our world as we know it. This must stop.

My peers began shifting from jovial university freshman to bitter introverts.

Triston, 24, Grass Valley, United States
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Triston, 24, Grass Valley, United States
February 24, 2021

There was a time in 2017 when I began to notice the effects of social media algorithms on my community. I had just set off for University in Montreal, Canada as a psychology student. I was excited to make new friends and engage with communities away from where my hometown in Northern California. But unfortunately it was during this time that I feel the power of the algorithms started to take off and have a palpable effect on the people around me. My peers began shifting from jovial university freshman to bitter introverts. The common tropes fuelling the simmering resentments among my friend groups ranged from the common and occasionally entertaining rants by young women about how they "hated men" to more shocking and confusing ideas such as "killing the bourgeoisie." Statements such as the latter were more common than I was comfortable with and I continually found myself blown away these ideas could be casually raised while hanging out at bars on Friday nights. People I had known for years becoming bitter enemies over politics was an all too common occurrence. But for me the most painful part of this sudden onset of social media tribalism was the subtle ever-present underlying sense of being policed by the people around you, sometimes the people closest to you. The feeling that I had to be "clean" and free from the blemishes of political or social nuance. Blending in with the binary "rights" and "wrongs" of ideology. I should mention that generally I'm a very agreeable and politically correct person. However, as my community became more hostile I became more and more convinced that I had extreme positions that should not be spoken. Soon after feeling the weight of all of this I began to investigate my own Facebook and Instagram feeds and got a sense of the source of the issue. 2018 was the year that I could not shut up about algorithms, as I was genuinely afraid of what was happening. I learned what I could primarily through the writings and lectures of Jaron Lanier, as he is the only figure I found who I felt treated the problem with the appropriate degree of seriousness. Our society cannot bare the weight of continued polarization. I was so delighted with the release of the Social Dilemma. With the film as our foundation I feel we have the tools to genuinely address this issue.

#MySocialTruth is a story bank project for young people to share their experience on and off social media, and their ideas for how social media could be reimagined. The Center for Humane Technology will share #MySocialTruth with leaders from Washington DC to Silicon Valley.

Learn more about the movement for humane technology at humanetech.com.

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