Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
Leaving social platforms entirely rather than moderating usage, on the grounds that the products are engineered to defeat moderation. The objections are professional: networking, reach, audience. The counter-argument is that those benefits are usually assumed rather than measured. A hard case to make, made in practice by at least one person in this directory.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Cal NewportDoes it
Computer science professor · author of Deep Work
Has never had a personal social media account, and argues the professional benefits people assume they would lose are rarely real.
Source: calnewport.com: resolve to live a deep life - Seth GodinDoes it
Author · Seth's Blog, published daily
Says he does not look at Facebook or Twitter, and his own rule is no social media unless a project needs it. Tim Ferriss asked which decisions would simplify a life; he named this alongside two other subtractions, then asked listeners how many hours a day dropping them would free up.
Source: The Tim Ferriss Show #837 transcript“For example, I don’t go to meetings. I don’t watch television on my own. I don’t look at Facebook or Twitter.”
The Tim Ferriss Show #837 transcript (opens in a new tab) · 28 Nov 2025 - J. Kenji López-AltDiscusses
Chef and food writer · The Food Lab
Talks about Twitter turning him into the worst version of himself, and about how odd it is to hold a megaphone while still feeling like a normal person. He weighs that against the books it sells, then asks whether it is worth it. Quitting is not something he says he has done.
Source: The Sporkful: Kenji Lopez-Alt No Longer Calls His Recipes The Best
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under focus or stress.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 17 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - HabitFREE, no cost
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it, 3 recommend it - HabitFREE, no cost
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - HabitFREE, no cost
Chess
Short games used as a mental reset between blocks of demanding work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Habit$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Jigsaw puzzles
Thousand-piece puzzles as a screen-free way to switch the mind off
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.