Instagram can help you spread awareness of important social issues, build businesses from your phone, and stay close to loved ones. However, the downside of Instagram is that many users feel drained, anxious, and even jealous when using the app.
1. Mute People You Don't Want to Unfollow
There are plenty of ways social media can bring people together, but sometimes loved ones act differently online than in real life---and you may not like their personality on social media.
If you feel like unfollowing your friends and relatives would cause needless drama, you can mute them instead. Muting a user will stop their posts from appearing in your feed, but don't worry, Instagram won't tell them.
To mute an account, go on their profile and click the arrow next to the Following tab. After that, choose Mute > Mute Posts.
2. Mute Stories From (Almost) Everyone
One problem with Instagram is that it can lead to social media envy. Seeing other people's seemingly perfect lives can affect productivity by demotivating you and damaging your confidence.
Do you spend hours watching videos of friends' holidays or browsing pictures of their fancy shopping trips? You can change that by muting all of your followers' stories, except for those who provide genuine value to your life.
You can mute a person's stories on your home feed by holding on to their icon at the top of the page. When the options list shows up, select Mute > Mute Stories.
3. Have a Clear Reason for Logging In
Do you find yourself going on Instagram just because it's a habit? If so, having a clear reason to sign in is a way to fix this.
When you next pick up your phone to open the app, stop and ask why you want to log onto Instagram. If you can't answer this question, put your phone down and work on something more productive instead.
4. Toggle Your Instagram Notifications
If clicking on push notifications causes you to spend too much time on Instagram, turn them off. But if you open the app because you've turned off notifications and want to stay updated on everything, switch them on.
To change your notifications, go to your personal profile tab in the bottom-right of your screen. In the top-right, you will see three lines; select these and go to Settings > Notifications.
5. Search Instead of Scrolling
Do you feel like scrolling on your home feed doesn't update you about the people you care about? Save time and energy by searching for the accounts you care about instead.
7. Set Physical Boundaries
Both Apple and Android smartphones have screen timers that can put a barrier between you and Instagram. If you have an iPhone, turn on Screen Time in your settings and go to App Limits > Add Limit. Tap the Instagram icon and set how long you want to spend on the platform each day. You will automatically be locked out of the app once you reach this limit.
8. Make Your Feed Boring
If the pink and orange colors of Instagram keep luring you into the app, you can make your news feed less appealing by taking colors away from your phone.
To do this, go to Settings > Accessibility. When you're there, turn Color Filters on. The first option is Grayscale; choose this, and all saturation will be taken out of your phone screen
