The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of her campus.
This article is written by a student writer from our campus branch in Nottingham.
For our generation, social media is a normal part of our lives and has become deeply ingrained in our daily lives. Most mornings, I wake up, turn off my alarm, and immediately open Instagram. A “quick” scroll in the morning can result in at least 30 minutes of mindless consumption of content you aren’t even interested in. Over the past few weeks, I’ve deleted Instagram, TikTok, and BeReal. I found these apps to be the most time consuming or the most upsetting. But I couldn’t get sober to battle my mild social media addiction. Instead, I’ve found some other social media apps that I personally find more relaxing and less pressurizing. You might enjoy this too.
letterbox d
If you’re a big movie fan, Letterboxd is the app for you. Released in 2011, this app lets you rate, review, and share your favorite movies with friends and other movie fans. Although you can “like” other people’s reviews, there is no pressure to check the number of “likes” like on Instagram, so I think it is a very easy-going app. . I usually try to take my reviews in a more comical direction, but you can add more details if that’s your style. If you’re looking for a quiet movie night, Letterboxd is a great app to choose movies and even rate them later.
strava
Strava is an app that tracks running, hiking, cycling, and more. But don’t stress! You don’t have to be an experienced athlete to join Strava. I use it to track my running progress and my way back from college campus, but it slows me down when I’m trekking up Renton’s triangular hills. It’s also a great place to involve your friends in your fitness journey, as you can record your activities together and share your praises. [Strava’s alternative to likes] To motivate your friends. It’s also nice to be able to share running and hiking routes and photos. At the end of a run or hike, I usually end up taking a sweaty, blushing selfie. It’s similar to Instagram, but there are fewer people involved, so you don’t have the same hassle or anxiety. And although I am very proud of my 7 followers, [big achievement I know] That means don’t be embarrassed to post a very slow run, one that actually drags your feet. I don’t need to be afraid of any criticism as I only post with my close friends.
spotify
I know it’s a very popular app, but especially with the recent Spotify Wrapped, I realized how much I use Spotify. According to the algorithm, exactly 48,770 minutes. But I never thought of it as social media, you have followers, and you can save other people’s playlists. However, it does offer a bit more anonymity, making it an easier and more relaxing app to use. Spotify is also one of those apps that gives you the best of both worlds: scroll through to discover new songs and artists to create your perfect playlist, or shuffle through your favorites to disconnect from the outside world for a bit. Masu.
Deleting certain apps can mess up your vision, and you might find yourself checking Instagram on Google to see if you’re missing out on anything fun. [a new low I know]. For me, this isn’t a permanent change, but it’s been a refreshing break from social media and has given me more time to explore other hobbies while still feeling connected to media and the internet. We hope these other apps will help you feel the same way and enjoy your screen time without any pressure.