I deleted Instagram from my phone for a year. Being desktop-only connected me to friends without the drawbacks.

In: film cameras. Out: documenting everything on our phones.

Julia Pugachevsky

• I deleted Instagram from my phone for a year and only used it on my desktop.
• I felt happier because I was more present and stopped comparing myself to others as much.
• It made me crave being even more offline.

A little over a year ago, I started my 2025 resolution early: purging Instagram from my phone.

If you're a boomer or Gen Xer — someone who didn't grow up uploading multiple...