How to lose the grip social networking has on my life?

[Ethan]

I can't do it. I can't can't can't. I want to delete all my social networks, and I've done it a few times before, but every time I do "permanently" a while later I make a new account because I feel so awkward interacting ALL the time without it. As you may well know, social networking can serve as a brief respite from communicating face-to-face. We didn't use to need this but now that it's around it's permanently influenced the way we communicate with each other. And it's crazy how immensely that bothers me. /:

I've just deleted my social network sites again. I have to wait 30 days for twitter to disappear, and 14 days for Facebook to. I don't know if I can last that long without caving in. Plus, who's to say during that time or after that I still won't be tempted to look at other people's (unprotected) twitter accounts and the like?

I'm only 16. I want to change things before it's too late. I want to be able to take pictures with a disposable camera and hang them up in my bedroom. I want to be able to vent to people without using a form of text communication to do so because otherwise it'd be too awkward. I want people to not look at their phones when we're having a conversation. It bugs me so much and there's so much I want, but I know I won't be able to make such a change in my life if I don't get rid of these sites for good and try to adapt to not using it as a form of communication.

Please help. D:

[Robby]

Delete them! Get a job!

[Kevin]

Find something else to do... Learn an instrument or some other hobby where it's not social networking. Play a video game. Go outside without your phone and walk around. That's what I did.

[Michael]

To be honest i just got over the same problem you are going through right now. I deleted everything and i never looked back. Twitter, facebook etc. was taking over my life because i too always relied on my phone or computer. I wasted so much of my time doing so and i actually became depressed at one point. I couldnt of dealt with the problem better than deleting it all. If you do decide to do the same you need to find yourself something to do to keep yourself distracted to replace the time when you would be socializing over the network. Hangout with friends and you can even vent to the ones you trust face to face. Explain how you feel to people and open up and who knows you may even find someone with the same feelings and perspective. You'll find yourself smiling a lot more if you do so. Goodluck

[Josh]

The best thing to do is get a new hobby. Perhaps learn an instrument or build model cars. Whatever interests you. Delete them all together. Talk with someone who you can trust for help. But the most important thing is to keep your mind off of it.