{"id":42953,"date":"2025-08-04T13:57:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T13:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/42953\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T13:57:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T13:57:13","slug":"stephanie-tretheway-the-emotional-moment-playing-with-my-daughters-doll-that-made-me-quit-instagram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/42953\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephanie Tretheway: ‘The emotional moment playing with my daughter’s doll that made me quit Instagram’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A few weeks ago, I<\/a> deactivated my Instagram account.<\/p>\n

It had been coming for a while. The signs were all there. The endless scrolling, the constant distraction, the nagging sense<\/a> I was living a little bit too much of my life through a screen<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But the final push came one night in the bath.<\/p>\n

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\"StephSteph Tretheway came to a realisation while in the bath. (Eliza Beer Photography)<\/p>\n

I was soaking in some rare quiet time, when I spotted my daughter’s mermaid Barbie perched on the edge of the bath. <\/p>\n

I picked her up, dipped her under the water, and watched as her hair magically changed from purple to pink, just like it’s meant to; usually to the awe of my little girl, not me.<\/p>\n

But out of nowhere, I got emotional.<\/p>\n

It took me back. To my own childhood. To baths filled with bubbles and toys and imagination. To a time before phones and notifications and algorithms. A time when magic and connection never came from a screen. It was pure joy from the simple things.<\/p>\n

I realised in that moment how far we drift from that kind of simplicity in adulthood.<\/p>\n

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\"Steph“Out of nowhere, I got emotional.” (Supplied)<\/p>\n

About 18 months ago I’d already taken a step back from social media \u2013 turning my Instagram account to private, deleting thousands of followers, and keeping just a small circle of close friends, family and connections. <\/p>\n

It was a decision rooted in protecting my kids’ privacy (and mine) and it felt right. But even within that safe little bubble, Instagram was still a drain. It still took me away from the present. From my kids. From myself.<\/p>\n

So I pulled the pin. At first, I kept reaching for my phone out of habit, my fingers hovering over the app, ready to doom scroll without even thinking. But after a few days, I stopped reaching. I stopped noticing.<\/p>\n

And I haven’t missed it. Instead of feeling left behind, I’ve found something else\u2026 more space, and more presence. <\/p>\n

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My charity’s social pages are lovingly cared for by my team, and while I still post on there and connect with our community, I’ve stepped away from the constant pull of the platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If I ever decide to reactivate my personal account, I’ll start from scratch, choosing carefully who I follow, and what accounts truly give to me, rather than take. But truthfully? I don’t know how I’d resist the pull to scroll endlessly. That’s the trap. It’s designed to keep us there.<\/p>\n

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We live in a world full of contradictions. We’re urged to embrace technology, keep pace with AI, stay visible, stay relevant. And at the very same time, we’re told to slow down, to be more mindful, more connected, more present. <\/p>\n

For anyone, that’s a lot. But as a parent, it can feel impossible to navigate.<\/p>\n

When I was grappling with my mental health as a first-time mum living on a farm in rural Tasmania, I kept looking outward – searching for answers, for reassurance, for a sign I was doing it right.<\/p>\n

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\"StephanieStephanie is reclaiming her free time with other childhood loves. (Eliza Beer Photography)<\/p>\n

I was clinging to the noise around me because the silence inside felt too confronting. I was disconnected from myself, just trying to get through each day.<\/p>\n

But the other night, during my bath-time moment with a mermaid, something shifted. I was fully there; no scrolling, no distraction, just me (and her!). And in that simple moment, I felt it. Magic.<\/p>\n

It reminded me that I already have the answers. They’re not out there in the algorithm, they’re in me. I just need to turn off my phone and tune back in. Childhood is meant to be magical. But lately, I’ve been wondering\u2026why should the magic stop when we grow up?<\/p>\n

These past few weeks, I’ve been quietly inviting some of it back in. <\/p>\n

\"Stephanie“As I turned those familiar pages and headed back to Hogwarts, I felt that spark again.” (Supplied)<\/p>\n

I picked up the first Harry Potter book again. A series I absolutely adored as a child but hadn’t opened in 20 years. And as I turned those familiar pages and headed back to Hogwarts, I felt that spark again. That wide-eyed, heart-open wonder I used to feel as a little girl, believing in spells, flying broomsticks, and enchanted castles. The same wide-eyed wonder I see in my daughter when she finds magic in the tiniest things.<\/p>\n

I’m still on Instagram through my work, but as for my personal account? I don’t know if I’ll go back. Maybe someday. Maybe not at all.<\/p>\n

But right now, I’m here. A little less distracted. More present. And slowly rediscovering the magic that’s been waiting for me all along.<\/p>\n

Stephanie is the Founder and CEO of Motherland, a national charity that supports rural mums across Australia. Tune into her weekly podcast which shares real, raw and unbelievable stories of motherhood. And if you haven’t deleted your own Instagram account, you can follow Motherland via @motherlandaustralia\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE<\/a>: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.<\/p>\n