Have you been successful with avoiding social media completely?

I ditched everything in 2018 or so, the only one I retain is LinkedIn to check on job markets, but it remains hibernated except for when I check once a year (no connections etc).

Otherwise I still get to enjoy limited exposure (Instagram, Twitter et al as friends still share stuff via other methods like IRC etc) via the various front-ends that exist now..

You'd be surprised how little it really matters - people you actually know and/or care about in real life will generally be happy to use other more direct contact methods, if not maybe they don't consider you worth talking to anyway (the Facebook syndrome, "friends" with people you never interact with).

You can always use IM like telegram etc via other means such as matrix bridges, which is how I keep in touch with family as they aren't quite adept enough to handle a platform that has serious bugs and generally isn't that user friendly (matrix, element).

Really though it all depends on how dependant on social media you are for communication and content, it's certainly difficult if you consume a lot, but after a while you'll probably realise it's a waste of time anyway and spend that wasted time doing something productive or beneficial for yourself.

Outside of YouTube, Whatsapp and LinkedIn, I've been mostly successful.

I removed and deleted my accounts for Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram a long time ago. I haven't had any desire to go back to any of those platforms.

I use my LinkedIn profile mainly for LinkedIn Ads to do my work. Outside of that, I'll occasionally update my profile.

I haven't gotten rid of YouTube but have reduced my time on it significantly by stopping personalization on YouTube. This got me out of the trap of clicking video recommendations based on my YouTube and web history. Now, 99% of my time on YouTube is related to channels that I'm subscribed to.

Youtube can actually be useful. Fixed my HVAC using it. LinkedIn I use to keep in contact with past work mates. Never had the Facebook, the Twitter, the WhatsApp, the SnapChat or an Instagram. I don't watch TikTok. Frankly they have never been missed and I cannot understand why someone would spend so much time staring at their phone. My son is constantly distracted by it. Now that he is older he is starting to spend more face time in the Real.

I'm still here, and I still lurk on Reddit, so I can't honestly say I've given up social media entirely.

I don't consider YouTube to be social media when I ignore the comments... but I deleted Facebook months ago and I don't miss it.