What I learned from giving up Instagram for Lent

And, yes, I will be returning to the app to share this post...

I’ve been thinking…

About what I’ve learned from observing Lent this year. My observation was likely a bastardization of liturgical tradition, but it was meaningful to me, and I wanted to reflect before I “break my fast.” As a member of a faith that does not explicitly observe most parts of the liturgical calendar, instead focusing our celebrations and observances on Easter and Christmas and the seasons leading up to them, this was a new experience to me. I believe truth and faith-promoting practices are found in so many different religions and traditions, but I don’t always do my best at adopting them into my own life.

Thanks to some of my coworkers who talked openly about their observance of Lent, often giving up sugar or alcohol, or another so-called vice, I became more aware of the intentionality of this practice. I felt called this year to give up something that was a definite vice for me, and the fast was a little-T transformative experience.

For my Lenten sacrifice this year, I fasted from Instagram for over 40 days, or since Ash Wednesday. Now for some this may seem a trivial or easy fast, but I do believe I’m on the spectrum of addicted to my phone and social media, especially the more I learn about the methodology of their creation, practically being built for compulsive use.

I don’t pretend my experience is novel in any way, but I still wanted to share my thoughts and insights. Here’s what I learned from my 2025 Lent observance:

1. It wasn’t as hard as I thought. Sadly, my impulses the first few days were to swipe to the part of my home screen that previously had the app and then realize it was gone, but that quickly dissipated. While I certainly had moments I was “wondering what’s going on,” overall I felt a bit more free from the grasps of the online world.

2. Facebook is a dreary place. I didn’t limit myself from other social media (since they aren’t as much of a vice for me), and I found myself checking Facebook a little more than usual. There’s so much AI garbage and so little actual sociality. This podcast episode and its citations do a lot to explain the downfall of Facebook, which used to be the source of endless “fun” for ninth-grade me.

3. I love reading. Okay, I definitely already knew this. But I read a little more than I might usually, and I was really glad to have the extra time for it. I am rereading The Hunger Games series after the most recent prequel came out (I loved Sunrise on the Reaping and highly recommend it if you’ve read the others!), and it is joyful for me to revisit teenage favorites, even if the subject matter is not-so-joyful.

4. Direct communication is so much richer. I found myself sharing photos or experiences more directly with friends and family, pulling out my phone to look at pictures together or sending a message with more of an update or story, and seeking that out from others. I can recall reading in Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism that texting is a far lesser form of communication than speaking on the phone or face-to-face, but I still feel it has an important place in my life and can serve almost as “mini-letters” back and forth.

5. I had to more intentionally stay “up to date.” Both with friends/family and with the news, I felt like it was more up to me to know what was going on, not a passive occurrence that usually happened via scrolling. I intentionally navigated to news sites, but not with the frequency that characterized my updates via Instagram. I’ve never had breaking news notifications on my phone, and I will certainly keep it that way. My anxiety about the world and all its current terribleness dissipated without the steady stream of updates. I participated in person in protests and a “do something” party to contact representatives about concerns we had. Awareness is certainly important, and social media contributes a great deal to that. Action, however, is transformative—not only does it add to a collective, but it helped me feel a bit more hope about the future.

6. Life feels a bit narrower, but not in a bad way. Because of the need to intentionally seek out updates from friends, I do feel like the peripheries of my social circles have faded away a little. With over 1,000 people on Instagram that I’m “keeping tabs on” from all parts of my life (including some celebrities or influencers aka strangers), there’s some relief and freedom in having that greatly reduced for a time. Friends who post regularly become people I don’t feel the need to reach out to as much, since their lives are documented for me to consume—but nothing on Instagram captures the whole picture, nor any sense of reciprocity. While I still appreciate the social part of social media, I realize it doesn’t replace real connection.

7. I enjoy sharing parts of my life. I think I did so more on here, but I did miss the occasionally Instagram story update I had been accustomed to posting. As I dip my toes back into parts of the online world after being away, I plan on being a bit more intentional about what and how I share, with the aim being to add value.

8. Instagram is a great marketing tool. My co-authors and I learned recently that our book, Jane Was Here, is set for a late summer reprint with a special edition in honor of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. This is very exciting for us, but a little inside baseball: using Instagram to market the book is pretty important, so I’m glad I’m now going back to help out with that effort. Check out details about the reprint: https://www.janewashere.com/book

9. There is still not enough time in the day. I wish I had time to read every single book on my ~physical TBR~ (the bookcase in my room that houses all my unread books), or to talk to all the friends I miss, or to explore every country in the world, but life is full of compromises. I’m glad I eliminated a source of wasted time. Great news: I’m back on my New York Times crossword streak.

10. There’s a bigger purpose to all of this. The whole reason for Lent is to honor Jesus Christ’s 40-day fast in the desert. As a Christian, I am inspired by the example of Jesus in all things, and this was a special way to commemorate the season leading up to Easter. It certainly felt like a bit of a trivial offering to give up an application on my phone, but it was meaningful to me. I’ve had countless opportunities over the last few months to get to know myself better and to identify where my shortcomings can be made strengths through Christ.

    

    The Temptation of Christ, Tobias Verhaecht

11. The Earth is beautiful. I spent a bit more time exploring during Lent, and even more time reflecting on that exploration. I feel more connected to the physical world and grateful for the beauty and lessons I learn from it. More to come.

    

    

    The seasons are changing!

Happy Easter Monday!

With love,

Nicole