This to many people spend to much time on there phones during a day. Wastes so much time. I for one besides the occasional Reddit post I chime in for I basically only use the phone for music. No tiktok or social media. I bet people would be happier to lol
I’ve been trying to get off social media for a couple months. Best thing is to delete Tiktok and Instagram. Besides, what are we actually doing anyway, scrolling through hundreds of garbage videos and poorly disguised propaganda to maybe find a single funny video? That’s addiction. Most of the videos are reposts of popular videos anyway.
Unfortunately deleting those apps have only made me spend more time on Reddit and YouTube. So, my next step is to delete Reddit and get off YouTube and then actually choose real life activities.
It’s been difficult so far, but it’s also been kind of a wake up call in realizing just how much of my life I’ve been wasting on social media.
I don’t think some shit like YouTube Reddit is bad but definitely having some self restraint helps in not making it harmful to your mental. Because I still mess with YouTube and Reddit but fumbling through all of them aimlessly seems harmful. I’ve only ever had Facebook so instagram never been an issue for me. Internet is a beautiful place but like you said all the propaganda that’s shoveled into our feed or the negative things that’s almost always present isn’t a good thing. Less of a social media now than it was when MySpace Facebook first came onto the scene.
To better answer this without being demeaning. Doomscrolling is designed to give you instant dopamine and activate reward centers in your brain. No waiting for loading screens, no learning curve, no competitive lobbies if you’re playing online. Instant reward, little to no effort.
In that way, it’s an addiction and it’s worth trying to limit your time doing it and getting help doing so if needed.
This is why I have recommited to taking a book into the shitter with me rather than my phone. I am reading a lot more books this year because of it. Of course I waste a lot of time on reddit otherwise especially at work -- but I do hit my deadlines, so whatever.
To play games you need to apply your brain, turn it on and work it again. While gaming is fun and relaxing, I find myself, in my mid 30s only playing once every 2 weeks due to this reason
I think even though college is tough it's singular focused with minimal interaction with others. For me it was a lot of work but far off deadlines with work to do myself for the most part that I can schedule how I feel like it.
My job is sometimes harder and sometimes easier than college but my mind is splintered way more. Between juggling multiple projects, moving deadlines, working with other capabilities, managing juniors, etc. even if it's not super busy it can be draining.
Fortunately for me I'm at a director level so I have way more control on what my days look like and keeping things manageable. If you work under a bad manager it can not only ruin your days but also ruin your nights.
Phone addiction can be as simple as reaching for it when you shouldn't. When you get home, put your phone in a drawer. You'll realize pretty quickly that you are always reaching for it. Go play your game.
If you really want to help yourself, there are plenty of browser extensions to block sites on specific schedules or daily time limits. LeechBlock NG
Or going for system wide blockers like Cold Turkey Blocker or Freedom.
Then there's at the DNS level of set up parental controls so it hits your phone too, but its more setup.
You are what you practice. That is what motivated me to put my phone across the room at night and only read books before bed then always get up to get my alarm to avoid the night doomscroll.
That's your brain telling you that it needs some time off. Doom scrolling doesn't need any brainpower. Plus it can turn into an addiction. Because brains usually like funny and colorful pictures/sounds passing by in rapid succession.
You could just do just about anything else aside from doomscroll tho. Like gaming is infinitely better. Theres also books, games, working out, crystal meth, cooking, etc
The first thing I'd recommend is rituals. Ritualize the self-care to decompress. Change your clothes to something comfortable. Play a favorite playlist and enjoy a small treat in a comfortable location. It could be lying on a couch or taking a walk for 20-30 minutes. The key is this is separate rest and separate fun.
Then make starting up your hobby take as little effort as possible. Before you do your decompress ritual, turn on your PC/console. Have a game you can jump into and out of quickly. I'd grab Slay the Spire over something big and time demanding like something competitive online or limited saving like some soulslikes. Then commit just doing it for 10 minutes knowing you can stop then but if you're having fun, you keep doing it.
Planning ahead helps, usually I have a mental checklist of what I plan to do while I have motivation to plan.
I find if I doomscroll a lot at work that it carries over to home, I also feel like it fry’s my brain from overstimulation, jumping from topic to topic, funny things, sad things, enraging things all within seconds of each other. I’ve been reading, stretching, little errands that I can possibly do from work etc. just to stay off the phone.
I call it going back to the 90s where I’ll take off my smartwatch, put down my phone, and do what I had intended to do all day rather than just waste my time away scrolling nothingness
Short form content is an addiction like smoking cigarettes. Your friend shares you a reel, you watch 10 more. It's insidious and most people don't even realise they're addicted to it. I have removed any apps relating to short form content. I worry about younger people and kids who aren't aware of the damage they are doing to their brains.
Doomscrolling takes no effort or even attention it’s just spoon feeding interesting thing after another and you don’t even have to pay attention if you don’t want.
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u/Stunning_Box8782 22h ago
Why is this.
I'll get home and literally doomscroll instead of doing the thing I've been daydreaming about