I quit the website some years ago, though I never posted or commented very often to begin with. Once I managed to get off it for long enough, going back became shocking. Seeing /b/ with fresh eyes made me never want to go back, and I haven't. There are better places.

I have a similar story with Reddit, though that addiction was more recent and harder to break.

Facebook was easy. I refuse to use Twitter or Tiktok because I know what will happen.

I don't think my HN problem is quite bad enough to want to quit entirely, but I do want to read it less. The same goes for Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Moderation is proving to be much harder than quitting entirely.

I think I'm very lucky because my interactions with social media tend to be very reserved. I almost never post anything anywhere, I just passively consume.

> I don't think my HN problem is quite bad enough to want to quit entirely, but I do want to read it less

For me, social media is a problem when I'm pulling out my phone to use it when I'm on vacation or in the presence of other people.

I have no problem going weeks without checking HN if I'm on vacation, and I don't think I've ever checked HN while at lunch with friends.

By contrast, I check FB more when I'm around other people — it's as if there's a social element to it, and some popularity signaling. If everyone else around the table is checking their notifications, then it makes me look like I've got nothing going on if I'm not checking my notifications also.