Media overwhelm and doomscrolling are extremely common these days, but as it’s unrealistic for us to completely avoid our devices, we may as well learn how to scroll in a healthier way.

Do you lose track of time when scrolling? Do you reach for your phone first thing when you wake up, or even check your phone if you wake up in the middle of the night? If so, you’re not alone. Screen time has been ramping up these past few years and causing more than a little stress.

Though our phones can be super useful, they’ve transformed the way we live, and not entirely for the better. Sometimes we get stuck in a spiral of scrolling through so. much. negative. media.

Here are some ways to scroll less and more intentionally.

The apps on our phones are designed to hold our attention for as long as possible, and they’re doing their jobs well. So, it’s not your fault if you feel glued to your phone, even when you want to use it less.

Brad Marshall and Lindsay Hassock, authors of “Do Not Disturb: How to Say No to Your Phone,” explain that technology keeps us coming back because we get a “hit” of dopamine each time we get a like or a comment, for example. And then it’s tempting to keep checking back to see if there’s something exciting waiting for us.

Though we pick up our phone subconsciously hoping for a dopamine reward, we can also get caught in an endless scroll through content that makes us feel sad, anxious, hopeless, or angry — aka doomscrolling, which was aptly named word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary in 2020.

Doomscrolling keeps us constantly alert, and it can harm our physical and mental health, and even our relationships.

In 2024, the average American picked up their phone 205 times per day (up 42.3% from the year before) and spent an average of about 5 hours per day on their phones. That’s 1,825 hours per year, or 76 days, or about 2.5 months.

While that is a lot, it’s not just the time spent that is cause for concern; it’s what we consume and how we spend that time.

People are starting to talk about mindful media consumption, so what is it exactly?

It’s intentionally curating what you consume and how you engage with media — seeking content that nourishes and uplifts you. Remember that your attention is valuable.

Hopescrolling (verb)

The act of deliberately searching for and consuming positive content that may feature acts of kindness, uplifting stories, art, humor, coziness, self or community improvement, the beauty of nature, etc.

This requires self-awareness, setting boundaries, taking breaks, and deliberately unfollowing or following certain accounts. Less doomscrolling, and more, shall we say, “hopescrolling.”

Tailoring our digital experiences is such an important part of modern-day well-being, but it’s easier said than done. So be easy on yourself as you try to change your habits. After all, it will take time for your news feed algorithm to adjust to your new, more positive searches.

Tips for hopescrolling:

  • Set a time limit: Hopescrolling is not about sticking your head in the sand; it is about avoiding overwhelm. So, if you wish to stay informed, set a timer for, say, 10 minutes to scan news headlines. If a timer isn’t enough, most smartphones have the capability to lock certain apps after you’ve used your allotted time for the day. There are also screen time apps, like Opal, that can help with this.
  • Delete if necessary: Is setting a time limit not working? It might be easier to just delete that news app to remove the temptation entirely.
  • Manage notifications: Ding, ding, ding! These notifications constantly pull at our attention, and turning them off helps you from picking up your phone as often and then being tempted to scroll.
  • Curate your feed: Believe or not, there IS good news out there. You may want to look into things like Nice News, Positive.News, or Good News Network. And of course, follow people and accounts that inspire you, artists that spark your imagination, pet accounts that make you smile, or educational content that fuels your hobbies. Maybe it’s following a motivational speaker, a flower farmer, a travel account, or a baker who shares tutorials. The more you click on these, the more suggested posts you’ll get in the same vein.
  • Check in with yourself: Take a breath and ask yourself: How do you feel? How long have you been scrolling? Why are you scrolling? As Marshall and Hassock write in “Do Not Disturb,” if you’re “feeling stressed, upset, or agitated, that’s a good sign it’s time to get off your phone and do something else to relax.” You could even choose an accountability buddy and check in with each other each week about how your phone time went.

Phone swap

If you find that a smartphone in the palm of your hand is just too much access to, well, everything, you might consider switching to a minimalist phone (called “dumbphones” by some, in contrast). A healthier tech option, like Wisephone, has no internet, email, social media, or games, and a limited practical app menu, but it still has a high-def camera.

If you’ve given all these tips a good go and still feel the unstoppable pull to doomscroll, then consider speaking with a healthcare professional. They can offer support and help teach you coping strategies.

If you’re going to spend several months each year on your phone, you may as well use it intentionally to boost your joy, increase hope, spark creativity, and connect with folks about positive news.

If you learn to tune in to how you feel when looking at your screen and manage those notifications, you’ll likely take more breaks naturally and reduce your overall screentime in the process.

Even if you only replace doomscrolling with hopescrolling a few times per week, that’s an improvement. Eventually, mindful media consumption will become second nature.

And if you slip up, don’t beat yourself up. You’ve caught yourself, and you can use that awareness as you go forward.