CNBC reports that Instagram has more than 3 billion global monthly active users. While Meta does not publicly disclose the specific number of daily active users (DAU) for Instagram, they do report that the platform has approximately 172 to 188 million total users in the United States, at press. With about half-of the American population counted as an Instagram user, it is not surprising to learn that tens of thousands of individuals across the country self-report as spending too much time on the social network. It’s these individuals who actively seek insight for how to beat Instagram addiction.
While social media addiction (relating to Instagram or other platform) is not currently classified as an official disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), it does feel like an addiction to those who are not able to control their behavior or compulsion to open the app and scroll after having promised themselves that they were going to take a break. Additionally, with Instagram’s owner, Meta Platforms Inc., being recently found liable in California and New Mexico for designing the app to be addictive, the phrase “Instagram addiction” is becoming widely accepted in the public lexicon. Legal experts predict a significant surge in further litigation against Meta.
As an individual who is included in the fast-growing group of Americans who struggle to use Instagram responsibly, you’re looking for help. You can reach out to Kindbridge to connect to a counselor who specializes in treating unhealthy social media behavior right away by clicking here, or read ahead first for further insight.
Overview of Why You May Struggle with Addictive Behavior on Instagram and How to Overcome the Compulsion
Instagram is Designed to be Addicitve
Juries in New Mexico and California (with more surely to follow) were not wrong in concluding that Meta has designed Instagram to be addictive. The platform essentially functions like a slot machine, a comparison that you’ve probably already heard. And if you hadn’t, it made sense the moment you read it. Below is a summary of how the Instagram user-experience is a lot like slot machine gambling:
- Infinite scroll / endless content: Instagram users never reach an end of available content, so there’s no natural stopping point. Akin to pulling the lever on a slot machine, over and over again, there’s always another Story, Post, or Reel one swipe or scroll away.
- Variable rewards: Not every Instagram Story, Post, or Reel is equally engaging or interesting, but occasionally users arrive at one that grabs their attention. This unpredictability mirrors the same principle behind slot machines. A user’s brain keeps chasing the next “win”.
- Autoplay: Reels and Stories delivered on the Instagram interface start playing automatically. This removes friction, giving users zero time to think or make calculated decisions about scrolling or swiping through content – they just keep going.
- Enticing Alerts and Notifications: The red dots and buzzes that indicate various interactions, updates, and activities related to your account or the people you follow, act like the lights and bells of a slot machine, creating a sense of expectation and urgency to reengage.
- Newness and Novelty: There’s always something new to keep users from getting bored or complacent. The Instagram platform delivers a continuous wave of Reels, Posts, and Stories to showcase different content and influencers, creating a newness and novelty that triggers dopamine release and reinforces consumption behavior.
Who is More Vulnerable to Addictive Behavior on Instagram?
Detrimental experiences in adolescence, underlying mental health issues, and behavioral health concerns all intersect with self-reported Instagram addiction. Relationships are complex, but the breakdown below provides insight into why you may struggle to quit or take a break from Instagram.
Adverse childhood experiences: Research suggests that individuals who experience early abuse, trauma, maltreatment, or neglect may engage with content and other users on Instagram as a coping mechanism to manage emotional distress, such as anxiety or social isolation.
Mental health issues: Research confirms that high-levels of anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, chronic stress, depression, low self esteem, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are all associated with higher rates of addictive behavior on social media, Instagram included.
Behavioral health issues: Research also suggests that individuals who struggle with online gambling, trading, video gaming, and online shopping exhibit higher rates of addictive behavior on social media, including Instagram.
Signs of Addictive Behavior on Instagram
If you answer in the affirmative to multiple items listed below, or even just a couple of the more severe ones, counselor-support to beat Instagram addition is strongly recommended.
- You lose track of time when scrolling through and engaging with Instagram.
- You have an uncontrollable urge to frequently refresh the Instagram Feed of Stories, Posts, and Reels.
- Instagram is the last thing you look at before bed, and the first thing you look at in the morning upon waking.
- You engage with Instagram when waking up in the middle of the night (often linked to nighttime anxiety).
- You get irritable, restless, or anxious when they are not able to get on Instagram.
- You are on your phone, scrolling through Instagram not safe, such as when operating a motor vehicle or on the treadmill at the gym.
- You are on your phone, scrolling through Instagram, when not appropriate, such as when at work. Inappropriate scenarios also include when at an event or a gathering requiring your undivided attention, such as when in attendance at a wedding, a graduation ceremony, a Place of Worship, et cetera.
- Your opinions on sociopolitical (and related) affairs are formed entirely by what you’re exposed to on Instagram as opposed to using your own critical thinking and in-person discussions w/friends, loved ones to form opinions.
- You have an outlook on life that is greatly influenced and informed by who (influencers) and what you’re exposed to on Instagram.
- You feel the need to constantly comment on, share, and save content that you come across on Instagram.
- You feel sad, upset, or disappointed when not getting engagement (comments, likes, shares, views) on the content you have shared on Instagram. Conversely, you experience a dopamine rush when you do receive engagement on the content you have shared on Instagram, and chase the high by obsessing over what to post next.
- You frequently participate in doomscrolling on Instagram (view more on doomscrolling addiction).
- You have lost interest in other activities – often healthier ones – that you used to care about so that you can maintain focus on Instagram.
- You have attempted to control or cut down on Instagram use without success.
- You engage with Instagram as a means to cope with and escape negative feelings.
How to Overcome Addictive Behavior on Instagram
There are powerful tactics to help you control the urge to reengage with Instagram.
a) Recognize Emotions That May Lead to Reengagement
Among the signs of addictive behavior on Instagram, is the act of engagement to avoid negative feelings and emotions. Emotions to watch for that may trigger reengagement when trying to take a break include the following:
- Feelings of anxiety, stress, rumination, and racing thoughts (view more).
- Feelings of grief, sadness, and depression.
By recognizing and acknowledging – without judgement – that negative feelings and emotions are what lead you to reach for your phone to scroll Instagram, you have the opportunity to “catch yourself” before committing to the experience and pump the brakes. Further, this will help you identify that intervention from a professional may be required to manage these feelings and emotions (the likely root of the problem).
b) Take an Inventory of What You’re Engaging with on Instagram
The content that you’re scrolling through very likely factors into the uncontrollable urge to stay on or reengage with Instagram. Negative content, for instance, can be addictive because people possess an evolutionary “negativity bias,” that causes the brain to prioritize potential threats for survival. This connects to doomscrolling on Instagram, which activates the amygdala to scan for danger, while the brain’s reward system releases dopamine when uncovering new and distressing content. Tap here to view more on the dopamine-loop associated with Instagram doomscrolling.
Meanwhile, content that produces positive emotions can also be problematic. Joyscrolling taps into the brain’s reward system as a reaction to enjoyable content, novel information (memes and gifs, etc.), and unpredictability of delivery. It triggers a dopamine release that keeps an individual hooked, leading to involuntary, repetitive consumption of Stories, Reels, and Posts.
By recognizing and acknowledging – without judgement – the types of content leading you to engage with Instagram, you have the opportunity to rethink your actions.
c) Establish a No-Phone Rule During Most Vulnerable Times of the Day
There are certain times of the day when you feel the strongest pull to reengage with Instagram, which sends you down a rabbit hole of content and compulsive behavior. Implementing a no-phone rule during these periods can help you break the habit. Two hours before bed is an effective strategy to combat late-night Instagram scrolling. Further, charge your phone outside of the bedroom when sleeping so that you don’t reach for it to engage with Instagram upon waking, either in the middle of the night or first thing in the morning. Additionally, tuck the phone out of reach when eating, when at work, when exercising, and when attending an event or gathering when Instagram use is not safe or appropriate.
d) Swipe-Up to Replace Instagram with Healthier Activities
Replace excessive Instagram use with other, healthier, activities that also produce dopamine. Examples are laid out below.
- Exercise: Replace the “cheap” dopamine from Instagram scrolling with exercise to create lasting, healthy satisfaction, a sense of accomplishment, and structural brain changes that increase dopamine receptors. Outdoor activities are particularly effective.
- Write in a journal: The act of writing, particularly in a consistent or reflective manner (e.g. keeping a daily journal) acts as a therapeutic outlet that lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and negative emotions, while triggering both dopamine and serotonin to foster emotional stability so that you don’t need to retreat to Instagram to cope with negativity.
- Work on a creative project: Working on creative activities such as drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, and even baking/cooking are scientifically proven to produce dopamine and serotonin, along with other endorphins that are generally beneficial for emotional regulation.
- Work on a passion project: Working on an entrepreneurial passion project can replace the dopamine provided by Instagram. Doing so may shift the brain from a state of passive consumption to active reward-seeking. While Instagram provides low value dopamine via instant gratification (likes, comments, shares, etc.), passion projects offer high value and deeper levels of dopamine through anticipation, accomplishment, and mastery of knowledge and skill.
- Mindful meditation: Routine, mindful meditation increases dopamine and serotonin levels, enhances mood, and reduces stress that may otherwise tempt someone to reengage with Instagram.
e) Connect to a Counselor Who Helps People Break Away from Instagram
Given that you arrived here after searching “how to beat Instagram addiction” you have clearly attempted to take a break on your own, to no avail. Further, there is a strong chance that your habitual or compulsive use of Instagram is linked to adverse past experience, underlying mental health issues, and/or other behavioral addictions. As a result, intervention through a specialized counselor is strongly recommended and likely required to quit or take a break until you can learn to use the platform responsibly.
Kindbridge counselors are specifically trained in treating addictive behavior on social media and cooccurring issues. Click or call get support. Assessments are FREE (and no commitment required), while insurance and direct billing are available to cover ongoing treatment.
