Any Extra Time I Had was for Doomscrolling. Here’s How I’m Fixing That

An EU student texts their friends while chatting over dinner. (Ian Murphy)

Despite being a busy college student, I find most of my days taken up by scrolling on my phone. Wake up in the morning, phone. Get out of class or work, phone. Eat a meal, phone. Lay down to sleep, phone.

Any extra time I have that I could be doing something else, I am often on my phone, with my screen time on average an embarrassing 7-9 hours a day.

It was affecting my attention span, making me sedentary, increasing brain fog, and scrambling my dopamine levels.

With a month and a half before I had to return to campus for the spring semester, I made it my goal to break my phone addiction and embrace hobbies and healthier habits again.

In a world where everything is fast-paced and online all the time, I wanted to take a step back and start living in the moment again. My phone is not going anywhere, but opportunities to slow down and make memories will slip away if I don’t grasp them.

I started small by picking up things I already love, like books, puzzles, and word searches. Activities that kept my mind and hands busy made it easy to stay off my phone, especially when I had music or a podcast playing in the background.

Music and podcasts were one of my go-tos during this process because they felt like a middle ground between being on my phone and not being on my phone.

I also started replacing some of my “scroll times” with productive habits or chores. I paired the laundry and dishes that I had been putting off with a funny podcast. Journaling, I combined with soft background music. Going for a walk or stretching, I relied on motivational music to keep me going.

Fairly quickly into this process, I noticed that my energy levels and mood were improving. I did not feel as sluggish or irritable. I was becoming excited about these new habits too rather than instantly resorting to social media to fill my time.

Another observation I made was that I was reaching for my phone less when I was with others. My attention and presence were locked in the moment rather than wandering to the notifications on my phone.

My screen time on some days is still higher than I would like, but little by little the average time spent on my phone is decreasing. I do still fall victim to doomscrolling, but overall, I am stepping away from my phone more and more, so it is still a success.

We only have so many hours in a day, and those hours should not be wasted away from doomscrolling on social media or playing mobile games.

Technology is present in many areas of day-to-day life, which is why it’s important to make time to simply be human and take in the moment.

Find joy in reading a book, or spending time with friends, or simply making a cup of tea. A tiny phone screen should not be what takes up our sight for half the day each day.

I have fallen in love with many hobbies and habits over this break that I will absolutely be bringing into the spring semester with me.

My phone does not run my life anymore; I do.