One day off social media showed me how addicted I really was

I’ve been using social media daily for over 10 years. TikTok, YouTube, Instagram – I told myself it was just “entertainment” and “relaxation.”

But last week I decided to cut it all out for just 24 hours. No TikTok, no YouTube, no Instagram. I thought it would be easy. Instead, I caught myself unlocking my phone every 10 minutes without even realizing it. I felt anxious, bored, and even a little depressed during the first hours.

At the same time, something interesting happened: I read 40 pages of a book in one sitting (which I hadn’t done in months), I went to the gym, and I actually slept 8 full hours without scrolling in bed.

It made me realize that this isn’t just a “bad habit.” My brain has been rewired to crave constant stimulation, and without it, I felt withdrawal. That was a scary wake-up call.

Now I’m wondering if I should push it further. A lot of people talk about doing a 7-day dopamine detox. Has anyone here tried it?

Did the cravings actually fade after a few days, or is it always this hard? Any advice for making it past that restless first stage would be really appreciated.