Former X-Factor hopeful Joe McCaul is in the middle of a four-week social media detox after he revealed he had been spending up to 10 hours per day on Facebook and Snapchat.

"I just wanted to give myself a break," he told Breakfast Republic on 2fm today.

"I wanted to see if I could do it because I was extremely addicted to it. Snapchat and Facebook especially."

The 27-year-old, who was a contestant in last year's X Factor and represented Ireland at Eurovision in 2005 with his sister Donna, said the social media ban is also for a good cause. He's raising money for Console, the National Suicide Charity.

Expand Close Joe McCaul performs with sister Donna during the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev. GLEB GARANICH / Facebook

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Whatsapp Joe McCaul performs with sister Donna during the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev.

"If I'm going to do it why not have an incentive to do it?" he told Bernard, Keith and Jen.

"I want to make raise as much money as I can for a charity that does remarkable work that goes unnoticed. Most of us know someone who has died by suicide, most of us know someone who has attempted suicide."

Joe revealed that his addiction got so bad, he was spending most of his waking hours on social media.

"I would spend nearly about 10 [hours] a day on Facebook. Checking in, putting up pictures of my food... It was just a pure habit. I got so sick of it."

The Athlone man said that since quitting social media he's become more productive and is enjoying better methods of communication with his friends and family.

"I'm looking them in the eye and actually speaking to them now.

"I feel better," he said.

"The first couple of days were tough because I had separation anxiety. I felt really isolated because I wasn't communicating with anybody."

If you'd like to donate to the cause, visit here.

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