Listen, I get it. Posting and scrolling on Instagram is fun. 

The aesthetic pictures, funny reels, communities and life updates from friends are all reasons why Instagram is so beloved. 

But, being without it is so much better. 

Ever since I deleted Instagram, I have become more relaxed and been able to build stronger relationships. 

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I’ve always had an on-and-off relationship with Instagram. I’ve never been much of a TikTok girly, so Instagram has always been my go to social media platform with all the aesthetic posts. 

But, it’s always been too much of a go to app. Everytime I clicked on the app, I’d be paralyzed into an endless scrolling trance. Five minutes would turn into 30, and 30 minutes into hours. 

I’d delete it for a few days and then re-download it for the next month or two after having a nice detox. 

I’d always enjoyed my vacation from Instagram. Once I re-downloaded it, I’d be excited about the cute pictures I’d missed and the new things my friends were doing. 

But the endless scrolling cycle would always continue, leaving me with an addiction of constantly wanting to be entertained. 

I didn’t like the feeling of always needing to fill every spare moment I had with the latest post. If I wasn’t busy with school or work, I’d be busy on Instagram seeing everyone’s highlight reels. 

This constant busyness left me feeling like I could never fully relax. It left me feeling burnt out, anxious and unable to think clearly.

I realized how silly it was that I couldn’t just sit in silence. 

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So, this New Year’s Eve I thought, “Why not delete Instagram for a year? What could happen?”

With no other way to see my friends’ life updates, I began to be more intentional about reaching out to those I don’t see as often. 

Catching up over coffee is much more fulfilling than commenting on an Instagram post. 

Connecting with others in person and getting to know more than just their highlight reels allows for deeper friendships to grow. 

And now that I don’t have an app calling my name every time I have a spare moment, I have more time to relax in-between my busy college days. I am not so anxious about needing to constantly be filling my brain with something. 

It’s allowed me to be more present in my life and enjoy my college experience instead of worrying about the right picture to take so I can post later. 

And I get it, I love sharing photos and connecting with others. But having a life online isn’t worth sacrificing genuine relationships and peaceful moments. 

Editor’s note: This is the second article in a “Here’s why” series on things opinion editor Abigail Nichols has done that she believes readers should do too.