Deciding to Quit
Write out the reasons why you are thinking of quitting. It's helpful to let your thoughts about this fairly irreversible action gel by writing them down. Consider doing this the old-fashioned way—pen on paper as you sit somewhere comfortable. Away from the computer, your resolve to quit might be strengthened and you might also come up with more reasons for cutting the cord, including: You're spending too much time on the X platform. Your head is full of the world as your followers see it. You're reading all their links, soaking up all their viewpoints, and you're wondering if you even have a mind of your own anymore. It's boring. The X platform has a natural funneling effect that leaves many users with like-minded followers. You probably already worked that out the first time you said something that disagreed with followers who are not like-minded and they unfollowed you. The X platform is a natural filter that leaves you with a majority of followers on your wavelength. That can be a source of relief, or it can be boring when there is no dissension or questioning of viewpoints. For sure, nobody wants to be at the receiving end of trolling, but robust debate is not something the majority of X accounts welcome or even accept! It's a numbers game. For a large group of people, X's following system has become a numbers game. When it comes to thinking "How many followers have I got?; "How many has X got?"; and "He who has the most followers at death wins", then it's probably a very good time for you to reassess the whole point of being a part of the X platform! Worse than boring, this is digital competitive dullness. You're feeling compelled to make constant updates, just to keep your account "exciting" for your followers even though it's lost its edge for you. This can make you feel harassed, or just worn out! Your only followers are companies. What sort of relationship can you really have with employees who are bound to speak their company mind?
Decide upon the extent of your quitting. There are several possibilities open to you, depending on the results sought: Don't delete, just rely on self-disciplined weaning. Leave messages telling people that you're on a social media break. Of course, this kind of "quitting" is a half-measure that leaves the door wide open for you to convince yourself you don't really want to quit and tomorrow might very well see you right back at it, retweeting everything that pops up before you. Beware of this option if you really want to quit! Remove all of your followers. A bold and furious statement, one likely to engender a flurry of "Hey, what the heck are you doing?" and "Who do you think you are" tweets and many unfollows. If that's the sort of reaction you're looking for, go for it. The only problem with this is that... you're still a part of the X platform and the temptation to resurrect the account awaits. Delete your account. Final, this represents closure, and you can move on. You have not only quit, but you've removed your brand building and essence of what is you online, all in one fell swoop.
Expect withdrawal symptoms unless you're really resolved and resilient. Withdrawal symptoms can occur, especially if you were a heavy user. Here are some symptoms that might appear post the Twit-quit: You have a compulsion to keep checking your feed. You have a compulsion to add new content. A link here, a 140 word comment there, an RT of something curious. Watch those X tabs on websites everywhere! You may feel an urge to click "Tweet me" or "Share". Of course, if your account has gone, it won't work but the ghost of the action will remind you of your former online self... You miss some of the friendships you formed. If you were sensible, you hooked up with the best of them prior to quitting and have their emails still.
Be ready in case there is a flurry of emails sent to you if you're well known and can be found elsewhere online. If you're popular, you might be at the receiving end of other people's astonishment, disgust, annoyance, or unhappiness at your decision to quit. Or, they might be saying bravo, and lauding your courage. Either way, the email aftermath can be disarming. Be aware that if you have another source of being known online, that your followers may find their way to your email address and start pinging you with their personal opinions about your Twit-quit. Even if you can't be tracked down elsewhere, be aware that you might be a blog target for complaints, "lessons learned", or anything the blogger feels like conjuring up!
Start coping. If you're feeling fine and very glad that you've quit X, then that's great! If not, it's important to be gentle on your post-X self – things to help you cope may include: Find other distractions. Make them good ones that you really enjoy, from sport, to a hobby, from spending time with your friends, to renovating the house. Email your friends, or give them a call, and a have a real conversation. Keep being internet savvy. The X platform is a current phenomenon. It doesn't have to discolor your view of the rest of your internet usage, nor do you have to paint yourself as some sort of technological Luddite. Find the best 3–4 news sites and stick with those to keep yourself informed. Subscribe to your favorite blogs or interest sites to keep you informed on the areas that interest you. If you need a refreshing tangent, use the search engine! View yourself as a discerning customer, a savvy user, a person with a mind of your own who has decided to prioritize other things online. And that's OK. Be proud that you've stood out from the crowd and done something that many others secretly wish they could do too but lack the something that leads them to quitting for real.
Trust yourself. The final message for someone quitting is to trust that you know enough to live well, and that you don't need the constant barrage of advice from others. You don't stop learning just because you've stopped the X stream; you remain open to all other avenues of learning. And you will probably find you've got more time now, and less need to tell everyone what your latest mundane thought actually is!
Downloading an X/Twitter Archive
Login to the X website. This won't work on the mobile app.
In the top right, click on your profile image, and then click Settings.
Next to "Your Archive", click Request your archive.
When the archive is ready to download, you'll get an email with a link to download it.
Check your email. If you don't see an email from the X platform, be sure to check your spam folder.
In the email, click the link provided.
Click Download. Your archive will download as a ZIP file.
Find the archive ZIP file in your downloads folder, and then double-click it to open it. If your computer won't open the ZIP file, you may need to download a ZIP application. If you use Windows, click here to download 7-Zip. If you use Mac OS X, click here to download iZip.
In the unzipped archive folder, open the index.html file in your browser. The index.html file lets you look through your archive locally using a web browser.
Deactivating an X/Twitter Account
Log in to the X website. This won't work on the mobile app.
In the top right, click on your profile image, and then click Settings.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and then click Deactivate my account. The X platform provides additional information about what deactivating your account means. The X platform will save your account information for 30 days, and then delete it. You can reactivate your account at any time within 30 days. You don't need to delete your account to change your username or email address. Deleting your account won't delete any content indexed by search engines. Your content on the X platform should be removed within a few minutes, but sometimes it takes longer than that.
Click Okay, fine, deactivate account.
Enter your account password, and then click Deactivate account.
Wait 30 days, and your account will be deleted.
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