KICK THE FACEBOOK HABIT IN 5 STEPS

Here are my five tips for giving up a Facebook addiction:

  1. Uninstall the app
    This breaks the “see-button-hit-button” habit
    Also, there is one great reason to use the web-version of FB (see below)
  2. ALWAYS log out when you’re done
    This introduces a little speed-bump to your FB usage, but more importantly it allows you to…
  3. … check the number of notifications before you log in
    Using the web version of FB on your phone means that, before you log in, FB tells you how many notifications you’ve got waiting. For those who haven’t seen it, it looks a bit like this:IMG_1984I make a rule that I only log in if there are more than five notifications – but you can make up your own number.
    This is the single most effective way to tackle a FB addiction, because it circumvents the intermittent variable rewards cycle
  4. In order to use messages, use Desktop version
    The problem with using the web-version rather than the app is that, when you go to messages, FB will try to get you to install Messenger, which defeats the whole purpose of not using the app, in my view.
    To get round this, when you want to look at messages on the web-version of FB on your phone, switch to Desktop mode. (Instructions for iPhone and Android here)
    It’s really easy once you get into the swing of it
  5. Create a custom friends list of all your friends
    OK, this isn’t actually about kicking the FB habit, but it’s a fun tip.
    I got annoyed with FB deciding who my “important” friends are. So instead, I created a friends list, and added all my friends to it (instructions here).
    Instead of looking at my news feed, I now look at my custom friends list, which I find not only shows me a much wider range of people, but also shows stuff in chronological order, with the most recent at the top (which, from what I remember, is how FB used to be, right?)

Good luck!

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