• Hawaii residents are the most eager to quit social media in the US, with 568 monthly searches for keywords related to deleting social media per 100,000 people on average. 

• California is in second place, while Nevada follows in third. 

• Mississippi is the least eager state to quit social media, with just 320 monthly searches per 100,000 people. 

A new study reveals where Americans are the most eager to delete social media platforms, which platforms they are most keen to quit and tips for reducing screen time this summer.

Healthcare publisher, Recovered, used Google Keyword Planner to analyze the average number of monthly searches on a state and national level between April 2024 and March 2025 for keywords related to quitting social media.  

The platforms used for the analysis were Instagram, Facebook, X, Snapchat, Telegram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Reddit, Messenger, Threads, Pinterest and WhatsApp.

The search combinations used for the analysis included: “delete [platform],” “[platform] addiction,” “how to delete [platform] account,” “delete [platform] account,” “how to deactivate [platform]” and “how to leave [platform].” 

To reduce the effects of population bias, a monthly search volume per 100,000 people was then calculated to rank the states with the most interest in deleting social media.  

James Wittams-Smith, founder of Recovered, commented:

“For those who engage with social media apps regularly, the process of scrolling and intaking images, posting and receiving positive affirmations from others, and other stimuli create the chemical dopamine in the brain. The more you engage with social media and receive the rewarding dopamine hit it creates, the more your brain will seek it out to get another hit. This can lead to social media dependence and addiction. 

“For those considering a break from social media, start small by setting aside a certain amount of time dedicated to social media per day. Using a timer or app that blocks social media can hold you accountable for this. Taking up new hobbies that are not technology-related is also a great way to take time off social media, as well as intentionally seeing friends and family in person. 

“Keep in mind these platforms are designed to get and hold your attention, so work on taking control of your usage instead of letting these sites control you. This way, social media can be something that enhances your quality of life, instead of diminishing it.” 

The 10 states most eager to quit social media 

Rank	State	Average Number of Monthly Searches	Average Number of Monthly Searches Per 100,000 People
1.	Hawaii	8,145	568
2.	California	205,598	528
3.	Nevada	16,810	526
4.	Georgia	56,610	513
5.(=)	New York	99,118	506
5.(=)	Texas	154,388	506
6.	Colorado	29,598	504
7.	Arizona	37,221	501
8.	Washington	39,048	500
9.	Virginia	42,916	492
10.	Oregon	20,124	475

Hawaii is the state most eager to quit social media, with 568 monthly Google searches per 100,000 people. On average, the state has a total of 8,145 searches for the keywords every month. The three keywords with the highest number of searches were “delete Instagram account,” “how to deactivate Instagram” and “delete Facebook account.” 

California is second, with 528 monthly searches for keywords related to a social-media-free lifestyle per 100,000 residents, and a monthly total of 205,598 searches on average. The keywords with the highest searches include “delete Instagram account,” “how to delete Instagram” and “delete Facebook account.” 

Nevada is in third place, with 526 monthly searches for every 100,000 people, and a total of 16,810 on average per month. The top three searched keywords in the state were “delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook.” 

Next is Georgia, which has an average of 513 searches every month per 100,000 residents, and a total of 56,610 searches a month. Georgia residents Googled “delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook.” 

New York and Texas share fifth position, with 506 monthly searches on average per 100,000 people in both states. In New York, there are 99,118 searches per month on average in total, where “delete Instagram account,” “how to deactivate Instagram” and “delete Facebook account” are the most Googled queries. 

In Texas, there are a total of 154,388 searches every month on average for quitting social media, with “delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook” being the top three searches in the state. 

Colorado ranks sixth, with an average of 504 monthly searches for every 100,000 people and a monthly total of 29,598 searches in the last year. The most searched terms were “delete Facebook account,” “delete Instagram account” and “deactivate Facebook.” 

Arizona is the seventh most eager state to quit social media, with 501 monthly searches on average per 100,000 residents, and 37,221 in total every month. The three most searched keywords were “delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook.” 

Eighth on the list is Washington, with an average of 500 searches every month per 100,000 residents, and a monthly total of 39,048. “Delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook” were the top three most searched keywords in the state. 

Virginia is in ninth spot, with an average of 492 monthly searches per 100,000 people, and a monthly total of 42,916 searches. The three most searched keywords in the state were “delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook.” 

Oregon completes the ranking, with 475 searches for terms related to quitting social media on average every month. In total, the state averages 20,124 searches each month, with “delete Instagram account,” “delete Facebook account” and “deactivate Facebook” having the highest number of searches. 

The social media platforms that Americans are most eager to quit 

Rank	Social Media Platform	Average Number of Monthly Searches
1.	Instagram	545,449
2.	Facebook	538,533
3.	X	155,862
4.	Snapchat	88,234
5.	Telegram	67,148
6.	TikTok	28,526
7.	LinkedIn	27,663
8.	YouTube	17,384
9.	Reddit	17,234
10.	Messenger	16,909
11.	Threads	8,300
12.	Pinterest	7,195
13.	WhatsApp	6,096

The study also ranked which social media platforms Americans most want to quit. Instagram tops the list with 545,449 average monthly searches for terms related to deleting or quitting the platform, while Facebook follows closely with 538,533 monthly searches. X, formerly known as Twitter, is next, with 155,862 searches every month on average. 

The most eager US states to quit social media 

Rank	State	Average Number of Monthly Searches	Average Number of Monthly Searches Per 100,000 People
1.	Hawaii	8,145	568
2.	California	205,598	528
3.	Nevada	16,810	526
4.	Georgia	56,610	513
5.(=)	New York	99,118	506
5.(=)	Texas	154,388	506
6.	Colorado	29,598	504
7.	Arizona	37,221	501
8.	Washington	39,048	500
9.	Virginia	42,916	492
10.	Oregon	20,124	475
11.	Illinois	59,404	473
12.	New Mexico	9,953	471
13.	Maryland	28,792	466
14.	North Carolina	50,037	462
15.	Utah	15,531	454
16.	Delaware	4,676	453
17.	Rhode Island	4,886	446
18.	Tennessee	31,616	444
19.	Massachusetts	30,865	441
20.	Connecticut	15,613	432
21.	Florida	96,981	429
22.	New Jersey	39,608	426
23.(=)	Michigan	41,783	416
23.(=)	Alaska	3,052	416
24.(=)	Pennsylvania	53,768	415
24.(=)	Kentucky	18,774	415
25.	Indiana	28,141	410
26.(=)	Vermont	2,642	408
26.(=)	Oklahoma	16,528	408
27.	Maine	5,643	404
28.(=)	Ohio	47,494	403
28.(=)	Louisiana	18,422	403
29.	Wyoming	2,340	401
30.	South Carolina	21,468	400
31.	Missouri	24,286	392
32.(=)	West Virginia	6,928	391
32.(=)	Arkansas	12,007	391
33.	Nebraska	7,666	387
34.	New Hampshire	5,388	384
35.(=)	Kansas	11,259	383
35.(=)	Minnesota	21,966	383
36.	North Dakota	2,998	382
37.	Idaho	7,448	379
38.	Montana	4,273	377
39.	Alabama	18,524	363
40.	Iowa	11,344	354
41.	South Dakota	3,240	352
42.	Wisconsin	20,214	342
43.	Mississippi	9,403	320