appstinence

According to Nguyen’s website, appstinence means “refraining from having personal social media accounts and instead using direct-line communication like phone calls and texts.”

Teens Are Practicing ‘Appstinence’ — & It Reveals How They Really Feel About Their Phones Sydni Ellis 2025

And even the biggest boosters of appstinence can find themselves pulled back into the habit of constant scrolling.

Is America headed for an age of dumb phones? Julia Pugachevsky 2025

“Appstinence,” which (as you may have guessed) refers to abstaining from using your apps, is a movement encouraging people to get off social media and become less attached to their smartphones.

Should you practice 'appstinence'? Gen Z and Gen Alpha are embracing this Harvard student movement 2025