Pledge Here to Try a Social Media Detox
“I thought I’d feel FOMO, but instead I felt freedom.”
— Alex, 2023 participant To officially be a part of the challenge and receive our free resources, you have to sign up. We have 3 ways you can participate in this challenge as we want to accommodate different needs. We highly recommend giving the All In approach a shot, but the other options are less intense if you are feeling hesitant!
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Take a full 1 month detox. Delete all social media and addictive apps for 30 days.
This includes Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Netflix, Snapchat, Pinterest, gaming apps, etc. -
Pledge to a 1 day, 1 week, or 2 week detox - fully customizable to your needs.
Perfect for testing the waters or giving yourself a break. -
Need 1 app for your career? Keep it.
Delete all others, and only use the professional app strictly for its purpose. No extra scrolling. -
Not ready to delete apps? That’s okay.
Use our tips and tricks to reduce screen time, set app limits, and build healthier habits with tech.
NoSo’s Short Film
Maddie shares about addictive design, and why we should all consider trying a detox alongside the Director of The Social Dilemma, Jeff Orlowski. Then, we introduce the NoSo Detox Challenge.
Your Detox Toolkit
Why take a break from social media?
There are a million reasons.
You only need one.
What to Expect
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Social media makes me anxious
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I feel disconnected and isolated
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I’m not reaching my full potential
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I spend too many hours scrolling
How to Detox
November 1st: Delete all of your social media apps off your phone! Keep them deleted until December 1st
For shorter detox, pick a start date and delete the apps that drain your focus (Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, YouTube, Pinterest, Fortnite)
Turn off non-essential notifications.
Move other distracting apps off your home screen.
Habit replacement is key - fill your new free time with fun activities and healthier coping mechanisms.
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Turn off non-essential notifications.
Move distracting apps off your home screen.
Create phone-free zones (bedroom, dinner table, study time).
Set a start and end date. On the start date, delete distracting apps (Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, YouTube, Pinterest, even games like Fortnite).
Replace scrolling with something physical (walk, stretch, read).
Habit replacement is key - fill your new free time with fun activities and healthier coping mechanisms.
Day 1–3
You may feel bored or restless. You might compulsively try to open apps and feel anxious when they’re not there - that’s normal.
Day 4–7
Focus and sleep improve. You feel less tethered, more present in offline hangouts. Other hobbies start feeling more appealing than scrolling
By Week 2
Stress lowers, presence increases. You may feel mental health improvements, like a weight lifted - maybe you won’t want to return to social media.
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Pair up with a friend doing NoSo November.
Try a screen-time app or turning off notifications
Set firm boundaries with yourself according to your personal values
“After a week without scrolling, my sleep and focus were completely different.”
— Jamie, 2022 participant
“1 month away from Facebook leads to a significant improvement in emotional well-being. In an experimental study of over 1,600 American adults (who normally used Facebook for up to an hour each day), deactivating Facebook accounts led to a significant increase in emotional well-being (including a reduction in loneliness and an increase in happiness), as well as a significant reduction in political polarization.”
— Allcott, H., Braghier, L., Eichmeyer, S., & Gentzkow, M., 2020. American Economic Review↗ Via: Ledger of Harms↗
Commonly Asked Questions: Detox Information
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Sign up to pledge above to subscribe to our interactive newsletter
For All In- On November 1st, delete every social media app on your phone (Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat, Youtube, Netflix)
For Half-In- Delete all social media apps other than the 1-2 you need to utilize for work or school
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The first day of the detox, we highly recommend pulling out a journal and writing down 25-50 things you have always wanted to try, need to get done but haven’t had the time, or things you want to spend more time practicing. We have a template we made for you here! Make this a checklist, so every time you get bored and don’t know what to do, don’t reach for your phone, reach for your journal, complete an activity, and check it off!
Additionally, go to our resources page- we have many different ideas for things you can try during this month and ways to get involved with the NoSo community -
Go for it, but just make sure your intentions are pure. You’ll most likely want to redownload in the early days of the detox or feel some withdrawals, so if this is the case, throw your phone somewhere and go outside, talk to someone about it, or journal about the pull you feel.
But if you really need to use it to contact someone, download it, use it for that purpose, then re-delete it if possible. There’s no shame, just try for as long as you can. But try your hardest to resist the urge!
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If you set yourself up for success before the detox, you may actually find a deeper and more fulfilling connection to those around you. Make sure to post our announcement on socials before you log off to let everyone know you are taking a break, and provide your phone number if you feel comfortable. Also, make sure to reach out to close friends and family to alert them to the best way to contact you (text, call). You will find that the people who truly care about you will reach out and initiate conversation, and you may realize you have many more shallow meaningless relationships from social media than you may have realized. This is a good thing, it will show you who truly cares and wants to make effort in your life, and this will give you the opportunity to deepen and invest in those relationships.
“NoSo helped me replace late-night doom-scrolling with real rest. I feel lighter.”
— Sam, 2024 participant