health
March 10, 2026
A 24-year-old who ditched her smartphone and social media wants you to be 'appstinent' too
Appstinence founder Gabriela Nguyen deleted her social media accounts and downgraded to a dumbphone after finding the tech had become her "center of gravity."
TL;DR
- Gabriela Nguyen, 24, advocates for 'appstinence,' a movement encouraging young people to remove social media from their lives.
- She describes social media apps as becoming the 'center of gravity' of her life, degrading her attention, sleep, energy, self-esteem, and confidence.
- Nguyen's 'appstinent' journey involved decreasing, deactivating, and deleting social media, eventually leading her to use a 'dumb' phone.
- Social media companies like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat deny their platforms are clinically addictive but acknowledge 'problematic use' and highlight safety features for teens.
- Appstinence aims to help individuals pursue real-world activities and invest more time and attention in face-to-face relationships.
- Nguyen's advocacy group offers 'digital lifestyle planning,' with hundreds of people expressing interest and thousands attending events.
- She emphasizes that her movement is not about total abstinence but about moving in the direction of reduced social media use.
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