But I finally figured it out: It’s the lack of smartphones. Ferris and his fellow ditch-day accomplices spend their whole day in the moment as opposed to scrolling through it. Ferris even says, “Life moves pretty fast, and if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” These days, we’re all missing it… and stressing about it… and our phones are the culprit. And I think we could all use a day off from doomscrolling and so we can take time to look around. Also: How to throw an unforgettable Super Bowl party Taking the day – or every day – off of doomscrolling doesn’t require some elaborate scheme or deleting the app altogether. Rather, it’s the implementation of a few small practices I’ve started to incorporate that make for big results.
5 ways to ditch doomscrolling and beat screen fatigue
Also: How to set app limits on your Android For now, I rely on App Limits. Both iPhone and Android have default App Limit settings that are easy to enable. Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok also all have built-in screen time limitation options. The key, however, is not to ignore the timers that you set. Just like how setting a timer is a realistic goal for limiting social media scroll-time, set a reasonable limit and see it as a hard stop rather than a suggestion. Always-On Display only makes matters worse. And while Apple fixed its Always-On Display setting for the iPhone 14 – coincidentally a month after ZDNET’s June Wan suggested a solution – a screen that’s always on is just begging for you to interact. Turning it off might be the best thing for your concentration as well as your smartphone battery. Also: How to control the iPhone 14 Pro’s Always-On Display on iOS 16.2 If your phone doesn’t have an Always-On Display feature but still distracts you, I find it helpful to put my phone in Focus or Do Not Disturb mode, especially when I’m working and can’t afford to scroll. Also: 10 productivity apps that could transform the way you work After all, doomscrolling often only adds anxiety and sucks away time. Digital wellbeing apps like ActionDash and Attentive also integrate scrolling regulations while inviting you to practice mindfulness and stay present. If you find yourself also just wanting the comfort of something in your hands as you sit, opt for a fidget spinner or stress ball. Also: How to set better screen-time boundaries on your iPhone This might be a viable alternative if you find setting app limits daunting. Consider the alarm your wakeup from a social media slumber and put it away. Who knows – after a while, you may even be conditioned to “beat” the alarm and put your phone away unprompted.
