Taking back control of your use of social media may be difficult to begin with, so here are some useful tips to get you started and give you the best chance of staying Scroll Free this September. We've also got some downloadable resources to help you, which you can find at the bottom of this page. 

Out of sight, out of mind!

Get rid of temptation by deleting social media apps from your devices. Don’t worry, you’ll be able download these and log back in after September! If this sounds too much or you aren’t planning on going completely Cold Turkey, it could be helpful to turn off notifications.

Go to the ‘notifications’ menu in your phone settings and click ‘off’ for all notifications for each social media application you wish to take a break from. Deleting the shortcut to social media apps from the home-screen of your device could also be effective when trying to stay Scroll Free.

The extra time it takes to find the app could give you a chance to question why you are using it in the first place! To resist the temptation to scroll, you could also try leaving your phone at home occasionally, or taking a ‘dumb’ phone which doesn’t support social media so you can remain in contact if needed.

Tell everyone in advance what you’re doing 

Not only will this give your followers a chance to come to terms with the fact they might not know what you’re having for breakfast for a month, but thanks to the Hawthorne Effect, feeling like you’re being observed increases your chances of success!

Before 1 September, why not update your bio, send a final farewell post or add a line to your email signature to share that you are participating. Leave your number and tell them to give you a call if they need you – or better still, what a great excuse to meet face-to-face.

Do it together!

Rally a group to join you in taking part in Scroll Free September. Talking to others about how they are taking a break from social media and sharing your own progress and tips for staying Scroll Free could help keep you motivated and make you feel less alone.

It also gives you a chance to hang out with your friends and family without it being documented on social! Why not run a competition with your peers to see who can stick to Scroll Free September the longest? 

Reflect

Reflecting on the reasons why you are going Scroll Free throughout the month is important to staying motivated. Taking some time to reflect on the benefits, and even the things you might miss about social media throughout the month, will be helpful when establishing a healthier and more balanced relationship with social media in the future.

When signing up, you can also consent to being contacted by our research organisation partner to share videos and images of your experiences and help the Scroll Free September team learn more about how you got on!

Enjoy yourself!

Why not put your newly found spare time to good use and set yourself a personal goal not involving social media? You could take up a new hobby, work your way through a cookbook, catch-up with friends and family as much as possible face-to-face or on the phone, or even learn a language.

The possibilities are endless for what you could accomplish with your spare time not spent scrolling!