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Limiting and quitting social media: Benefits and how to do it

By Amanda Stevens

Social media has come to dominate life on the internet over the last 20 years. But it also sometimes dominates life offline -- including life in the workplace.

Approximately 67% of the largest generations in the U.S. use social media daily, according to statistics curated by Statista in July 2025. A GWI survey further found that internet users spend an average of two hours and 20 minutes each day on social media, with the typical user visiting an average of 6.86 different social platforms per month.

In a professional context, social media helps people stay informed about news and events in their fields and can even turn them into brand ambassadors for their organizations. But there can also be negative effects, including the following:

• Loss of employee productivity.
• Negative mental health outcomes.
• Exposure of sensitive company data or intellectual property.
• Loss of public reputation for the employer.

This article discusses how organizations benefit when employees quit social media and how businesses might implement a social media reduction strategy. Instructions are also included for those interested in deleting personal social media accounts.

Benefits of limiting and quitting social media

Reports about the potentially negative effects of social media use -- particularly on children and young adults -- make headlines regularly, but the effects on workers are often overlooked.

Here are some workplace benefits to people quitting -- or even reducing -- social media use.

Increased productivity

Anything that takes attention away from someone's job reduces productivity. Even if business devices prohibit personal social media access, workers still have instant access to these platforms on the personal mobile devices they always keep with them. Limiting social media use at work can help turn productivity around.

Improved mental health

In a paper published in Science Direct, researchers determined that those who compare themselves to friends, family members and coworkers online can experience "ego depletion" due to a sense of inferiority.

A trait of most social media platforms is that they provide a curated look into people's lives. When exposed to one profile after another filled with seemingly perfect lives, people can start to feel inadequate, unhappy or angry. Over time, this can have a negative effect on mental health.

By reducing or eliminating social media use, employees can stop comparing themselves to others who are either deliberately showing off or creating the same effect by carefully selecting their posts. LinkedIn, a professional social media site, can lead to "LinkedIn envy," which is a feeling people get when they don't feel they have accomplished what they should have and compare their careers to others. This can also lead to a lowering of self-confidence among users. If employees feel pressured to show off to "keep up with the Joneses," turning away from social media can stop that impulse and help them feel more satisfied with both their personal and professional lives.

Improved data security

Social media has provided an outlet for people who chronically overshare, perhaps without even realizing it. They post photos of their homes, vehicles, family, friends and co-workers without stopping to think of the possible security and privacy issues of revealing such personal information.

According to a post by IEEE, oversharing aids profiling that can expose users to identity theft and cyberattacks. Social media is rife with scams, as threat actors thrive on these platforms. Common scams include phishing, impersonation, spreading misinformation and account verification.

Using social media on work computers or through the workplace network, employees may be opening security gaps that malicious actors can exploit.

Implementing a social media reduction plan in the workplace

When creating a plan to reduce personal social media use in the workplace, be sure to get buy-in from HR, IT and employees themselves.

A typical plan could include ensuring employees know why social media efforts are in place, offering training on digital well-being, balancing enforcement with encouragement and establishing "tech-free" zones.

Ensure employees know why social media reduction efforts are in place

Some workers may assume an employer is asking or requiring them to refrain from using social media due to outdated views or because a certain individual is being singled out. Make sure employees are aware that these policies apply to everyone in the organization and that they are -- at least in part -- designed to improve morale and mental health.

Offer digital well-being training

Digital well-being training might help employees think before logging into or posting on social media. Training can be offered using the following methods:

• Asynchronous learning modules.
• HR webinars.
• In-person coaching sessions with a professional.  
• Informal luncheons.

No matter what method is used, the goal is to educate employees about the potential harms of social media, how overusing it can negatively affect job performance, and how reducing or quitting social media can improve their lives at work and at home.

Balance enforcement with encouragement

The best place to strike a balance between enforcement and encouragement will vary from one organization to another, as there are pros and cons to each approach. Enacting stringent policies to prohibit employees from using social media at work may appear effective on the surface, but some employees -- such as digital native Gen Zers -- may find it too restrictive and unfair. This could result in employees finding ways to sneak in more social media time by taking longer breaks, therefore being less productive.

Encouraging workers to take advantage of digital wellness resources and stop scrolling on their phones while at work can be effective in some environments. Employees may respond more positively to being asked rather than ordered to give up what is an important part of life for many people. However, by not backing up the requests with either the promise of rewards or the threat of disciplinary action, employers run the risk of employees not taking those requests seriously and may go back to old habits after a week or two.

Every organization has its own workplace culture, so the "right" method will vary. Whether an employer chooses enforcement, encouragement or a hybrid model, it is important to be consistent and open to feedback.

Establish "tech-free" zones

Establishing "tech-free" zones doesn't mean tossing out everyone's computers and returning to pencils and paper. Rather, it means establishing policies -- formal or otherwise -- that restrict personal device use to certain times and places. Unless social media access is a component of an employee's role, ask or require them to limit it to personal time, such as lunch or break.

It is even possible to restrict access to the break room or recreation area to help employees create a mental association: While at their desks, phones are not to be used for social media, and they're free to check out their platform of choice in areas where they aren't expected to be working.

How to delete social media accounts

For people interested in going a step further and ditching social media completely, here are the steps to follow on some popular platforms to delete those accounts.

Facebook

• Click on the profile picture.
• Select Settings & privacy, then Settings.
• Click Accounts Center at the top left.
• Scroll to Account Settings and click Personal details.
• Click Account ownership and control, then click Deactivation or deletion.
• Select the account or profile to delete.
• Click Delete account.
• Click Continue and confirm.

Instagram

1. Click the More icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom left, then click the Settings icon.
2. Click Accounts Center, then click Personal details.
3. Click Account ownership and control, then click Deactivation or deletion.
4. Click the account to delete.
5. Click Delete account, then click Continue.

Reddit

1. Click the user profile picture and select Settings.
2. Scroll to the Advanced section, then click Delete account.
3. Enter the required details and select the checkbox to confirm understanding that deleted accounts cannot be recovered.
4. Click Delete.

If Google or Apple ID was used to create the Reddit account:

1. Click the user profile picture and select Settings.
2. Scroll down to the Account authorization section and click Disconnect next to the Google account or Apple ID that was used for sign-up.

TikTok

1. Tap Profile at the bottom of the app screen.
2. Tap the Menu button (three horizontal lines) at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Settings and privacy.
4. Tap Account, then tap Deactivate or delete account and follow the instructions to delete the account.

X

1. Click on the More icon (represented by three dots) and select Settings and privacy from the drop-down menu.
2. From the Your account tab, click on Deactivate your account.
3. Read the account deactivation information, then click Deactivate.
4. Enter the password when prompted and confirm.
5. Click the Deactivate account button.

Amanda Stevens is a freelance writer who focuses on customer experience and engagement, marketing and content creation.