The new year can be a great time to rethink our relationship with technology. Almost 50% of Americans spend between five and six hours a day on the phoneSo if you want to improve your life, starting with an “app cleanup” can be a good starting point.
Ask yourself: is your phone full of apps that you don’t use? Is social media sucking up your time? Do some apps make you feel bad about your life? Then maybe it’s time to say goodbye.
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Remember, you are not the only one in this. Therefore, here we tell you which are the most common apps that people will say goodbye to before the start of 2022.
Social networks: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone. Several studies have indicated that social media can negatively affect mental health. Maybe that’s why most of the people we interviewed said they plan to say goodbye to social media, at least temporarily.
“I’m a firm believer that social media stresses us out because it seems like everyone’s life is perfect,” says Aseem Kshore, CEO of Help Desk Geek. “I uninstalled the social networks that seem toxic to me and now I plan to focus on my own happiness and satisfaction.”
“I’m tired of seeing false positivity in people who never seem to have a bad day in their life,” says Emma Miles, co-founder of Pawsome Advice, who says he will say goodbye to Instagram.
“I want more time for myself instead of spending it watching influencers live their life while I spend mine scanning my phone screen,” says Clyde Steuber, marketing manager for Independent Fashion Bloggers and who will delete TikTok.
Sure, saying goodbye to social media is not an option for everyone. The people who depend on them for work (think journalists, freelancers, or marketers) can’t just erase them. For them, taking a break or putting a limit on the time they spend on them might be an option.
Mobile games
After social media, mobile games can be a great distraction. “I even play games at work, which actually distracts me a lot,” says Andrew Johnson, founder of Prime Seamless and a roofing contractor.
“It’s tempting to open game apps as they constantly send notifications to your phone while you’re at work,” says William Cannon, CEO and founder of Uplead. It also overheats your phone and takes up storage space, making it harder to find the apps you really need, he adds.
“I’m going to remove all my games to have a happier life without the hundreds, maybe thousands of hours I spend on the phone that are practically sucking up my life,” says Amit Raj, founder and CEO of The Linsk Guy.
Still, deleting all the games on your phone might not be the best option. Sometimes they can be a way to de-stress you from the worries of work or even a way to have fun with friends. Use your discretion, do you need to eliminate your games or just better manage your time?
Apps de citas: Tinder, Bumble, etc.
Dating apps have gained popularity in recent years with the transition to the online world of dating. But the growing dependence on these apps is not a positive change for everyone.
“I’m someone who had self-esteem issues for much of her adult life, and Tinder only made it worse,” says Jonathan Tian, co-founder of Mobitrix. “At first it seemed like a great way to meet new people, but meeting them on Tinder doesn’t mean I’ll do it in person.” In addition to increasing her anxiety, the app also made it difficult for her to prioritize self-care. I’m glued to the screen for hours trying to get a matchSo I lost hours of rest when I had to work the next day.
Rising subscription prices for these apps, matchmaking algorithms and security concerns are also reasons to prioritize in-person dating and say goodbye to these apps in 2022.
Food Delivery Apps: DoorDash
Food delivery apps can be a convenient option when you don’t want or don’t have time to cook. However, you can end up depending on them quickly.
“Food delivery apps can make it very tempting to order a Big Mac or pizza every night,” says Glen Carroll, chief operating officer of clicksmarketing.com.au. “These apps behave in a clever way, they send you a notification in the hours that you would normally cook. I understand this is a marketing tactic, but they derail the goal of healthy eating. “
“I’m getting rid of the food delivery apps I have on my phone, DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub,” says Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love. “I spend a lot of money on these services and I definitely used them whenever I felt like I didn’t want to cook.”
Unfair practices and the lack of environmentally friendly packaging are also reasons to stop using these apps.
Apps to scan documents: CamScanner
Document scanning apps are useful for people working in various industries, but with growing security concerns about how they store and use personal data, some users are tempted to say goodbye.
“As a SaaS business owner, online security is a priority,” says CEO of CV Maker, Justin Berg. “I used to scan confidential documents with CamScanner, but found out that doing so puts my business at risk.”
In addition to cybersecurity concerns, some users acknowledge that these apps are useless. Most modern phones include functions to scan documents with the camera, so why have another app?
Uninstall or not uninstall
Uninstalling apps is more than a New Years trend. It can be a great way to change your lifestyle as long as you are aware of why you are saying goodbye to them.
Jeannie Asimos, Director of Content for Way.com, suggests this consideration when saying goodbye to an app: Does this app improve or absorb my life? If you’re not sure, consider taking a break before saying goodbye.
Analyze the nuances and think about how you use them instead of removing them or downloading new apps, says Paul Sherman, director of marketing for Olive.
“For example, instead of dismantling Facebook, think about how you can use it to contribute instead of absorbing your energy. Maybe you can turn off notifications, unfollow or no longer be friends with certain people, or limit your use to one or two hours a day. “
In short, find the option that works best for you. Remember to invest your time and energy in apps that add to you, not take away.
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