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This phone obsession I hate!!

(82 Posts)
Blondiekins Mon 08-Sept-25 09:43:51

Every morning I wake up and switch on my phone. Firstly I go to my whattsapp messages then emails then perhaps the news or the weather all thats fine but then I click on Facebook. Half an hour or more later Im so annoyed at myself for the time Ive just wasted watching reels and being sucked in by click bait articles and Ai generated stuff. I HATE it! Facebook was great when all you saw was your friends and could share photos etc but its not the same now is it. I probably speak for most of us that we have become addicted to this hand held device in our lives. But for the forums I follow Id gladly delete Facebook on my phone. Trouble is the forums I follow are diet and drug tapering advice ones so very important to me. I know there are ways to stop getting things but you have to click not interested in each individual topic which takes the time I dont want to spend but then annoyingly something else just turns up in its place. What can we do? I feel trapped and not IT literate enough to stop the cycle. Facebook of course is great for forums & advice so I dont want to delete it. That said my phone via goggle is also great for answering questions but Im starting to HATE my phone because its listening all the time and it seems like theres no escape. Can anyone relate.

Faxgran Fri 12-Sept-25 12:42:35

I can relate, but then I am interacting with you on Facebook!
I make excuses for myself, ‘just while I detest my meal’ etc.
I successfully deleted Twitter when X became a cesspool but still sometimes miss it.

Catgrann Fri 12-Sept-25 12:49:24

Hello everyone. I am new here. I tend to follow a few things on UTube,and if course use WhatsApp for keeping in touch. Still I find things popping up and end up scrolling.
What I found useful was to set parental controls! Of course I can change that easily,BUT it makes me stop and think. I've found it works for me

MayBee70 Fri 12-Sept-25 15:37:17

Having been banned from Facebook ( still don’t know why) I’m now finding my way round instagram. Thus far I’ve been able to chat with a few people who I used to know on Facebook but I’m still trying to work out how to download pictures.

CariadAgain Fri 12-Sept-25 17:43:03

MayBee70

Having been banned from Facebook ( still don’t know why) I’m now finding my way round instagram. Thus far I’ve been able to chat with a few people who I used to know on Facebook but I’m still trying to work out how to download pictures.

I'm used to FB throwing my friends off at intervals and it seems to be because they've not used protective language. We've all had to learn there are words one cannot use - or FB algorithms will go for you (eg it's Covid "carrots" for instance = the jabs) is one fake substitute word we have to use or the algorithms have a go. "Unalive" is a substitute word for "I've had enough - I'm outa here/off Earth" and we can't use the "s" word - because there's an algorithm set up to pick that out.

But yep...that has been by far the biggest problem - ie having to find a substitute word as regards matters to do with Lockdown and Covid.

It's nuts that we have to be protective like this about using perfectly ordinary words and concepts - considering that a mainstream article recently explained in detail just what Facebook censors are supposed to be there to look out for - and it was awful - real nasty stuff and I couldnt do a job looking out for the sort of stuff they're supposed to be there looking out for (eg child porn, genuine violence etc) and people pay to watch it!!!! That sort of stuff is fair enough for the censors to go for - as my hair was going white just reading what they're supposed to be removing and often have to.

So I really wonder why the heck they sometimes go for normal people just exercising our right to "freedom of speech" about normal subjects.

JasmineH Mon 15-Sept-25 23:26:57

I am addicted to my phone. It replaced TV and reading as well. Due to my dry eyes, I switched to Audible and YouTube for language learning which has become my hobby in my senior years and lately AI! I have downloaded 6 types of free AI and I ask all my questions, issues on current events. It has become my therapist and travel and budget advisor. So my phone is my source of communication, information and entertainment. I can't do with out it.

Mt61 Mon 15-Sept-25 23:50:32

I suppose it is. I don’t know about being addicted, I miss my grannies input’s, if I don’t go on for a few days. Maybe I am slightly addicted ☺️