I am a frequent doom scroller, as I am sure most of you are too. Unfortunately, lately my doom scrolls have been full of just that, doom. It is a blessing and a curse to be politically aware. On one hand, I am informed, and that helps create empathy for the people around me. On the other hand, I see all the evil and tragic things that are happening daily in our country. Because I am willing to educate myself on the current political climate, my feed seems to think I want to see that all the time. And I am very aware of the privilege I have to be able to turn off my phone or scroll away and not live through some of the atrocities that are so common. I am privileged that I can go through my daily life and only see war and evil on my phone.
We cannot binge on ‘newsworthy’ news, expecting to feel balanced, happy, and healthy afterwards. We will build a skewed picture of the world, and carry that with us into other areas of life.
The Haven
At night, when I’m scrolling and scrolling, it is easy to get stuck on the negative. It seems like that’s all it is lately. I’m worried for all of our collective mental health. Without technology, we would not see the tragedy happening across the world. But think of it this way, without technology, so many more tragedies would happen in silence. Our generation uses social media for activism. This is amazing, but we can’t focus only on the things that are wrong with society. There is good out there for us to find and positive media to consume. It is easy to experience dread stacking, a build-up of overwhelming, negative information over time, without the time to process it.
Yes, be aware. Yes, be informed. But also protect yourself and know when it is time to put your phone down. World peace will not be achieved by staying up for hours in bed scrolling on the internet.
I have found some ways to combat the overwhelming sense of dread on the internet.
Hopecore Videos
As cringe and comical as this has become, I never scroll past a hopecore video. Hopecore is a social media trend and aesthetic featuring uplifting, positive, and motivational content designed to inspire hope and counter negativity online. It includes videos and images of achievements, kindness, and other feel-good moments, often set to stirring music. This trend serves as a curated escape from doomscrolling. Some things that I see in these types of videos are military parents reuniting with their children, silly videos of babies or pets, and beautiful sunsets and landscapes. Some of these are tearjerkers, too. I’m not too proud to admit I’ve gotten teary eyed watching these videos.
Taryn Elise
Now, if you know me, you know that I am a picky eater. One of the pickiest! One of my fatal flaws, I am not afraid to admit. But something about these cooking videos gets me every single time. I will sit and watch all of her recipes and cooking videos. Would I ever be adventurous enough to eat her food? Probably not. But it’s entertaining nonetheless. I like her videos because they are long. They’re not the typical 60 second videos. I find that this helps with doomscrolling because I get hooked on one ten minute video. I swear she is single-handedly rebuilding my attention span.
Brooke and Connor Make a Podcast
BNCMAP is my favorite thing on the internet. They post a podcast episode every Thursday. (OR if you pay for a subscription, you get a bonus episode) They are a duo of Brooke Averick and Connor Wood. Each episode is at least an hour long and let me tell you, I am locked in the whole time. There truly is no way to explain them to someone who doesn’t watch. Sometimes they try to figure out what NATO is, and other times they are just telling stories and laughing so hard they fall out of their chairs. They truly are the perfect balance. I can assure you they are never too serious so don’t worry about them talking about anything heavy. Just give them a try for me, you won’t regret it!
ASHBY
Let me tell you, when I am scrolling my fyp and I see that Ashby is live, I always join. I find her so funny and her comedic timing is something we don’t see much. She does physical comedy too. You might know her from creating the Hamilton trend, which had people getting in full Hamilton costume and climbing out of their windows. Her Lorax character will always get me laughing. I could see her doing more sketch comedy and maybe even working her way to SNL.
Good Mythical Morning
This is something I will always come back to. With new videos every weekday, you will always have something to watch from this pair. Rhett and Link started this series on YouTube in 2012. I started watching them with my friends after school in middle school. These two have been a constant in my entertainment. They produce a wide range of funny and entertaining content. They try absurd food combinations, blindfolded challenges, and games. It is fun and even if you just play it in the background when doing homework or getting ready, it keeps you off the phone.
PUT THE PHONE DOWN
Here is a crazy idea, and forgive me for even suggesting it but… you could always just put the phone down. I’m talking to myself just as much as anyone else. I am guilty of getting in bed early and giving myself plenty of time to get a full restful night’s sleep. Then… poof… it’s midnight, and I am on my phone still, and I have to be up in 6 hours. Read a book, listen to music, journal, watch a movie, literally anything other than staring at a phone. It isn’t good for us. We aren’t meant to look at a screen for that long. 66% of Americans suffer from Nomophobia, the fear of being without their phone. Which I think could honestly be higher. I know easier said than done but it is always an option.
Give yourself grace. With everything going on, if you need phone time to yourself to feel better, do it! Anything that makes you feel good, I’m here for it. Take care of your mind.