Listen, I love media consumption as much as the next girl. I am constantly reading, watching, listening, and scrolling my way through life, drinking up the information, opinions, projects, and stories that my fellow humans share. But as temporarily satisfying as this constant consumption is, I find that the never-ending stream of media dilutes the potentially valuable message gained from any one piece of content. That is, when you never pause to consider one piece of media before moving to the next, it becomes just one more meaningless drop in an endless ocean of brain-rotting sludge.
As much as I romanticize the idea of tossing my phone off a cliff and never looking at another piece of content again, this is not a realistic way for me to manage my media consumption. Interacting with media is a large part of my career path, the way I connect with my friends, and my passion for storytelling. So, instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I’ve spent 2025 attempting to focus on creating things rather than only consuming them.
If you, too, are in search of a way to un-rot your brain without quitting cold turkey, here are some options for outward expression that’ll keep you grounded and help you reclaim your time.
Crafting
Perhaps an obvious outlet for creation is anything artsy or crafty. And before you tell me that you have no artistic talent, let me ask you: to create something, must it be “good”? The answer is no; we are seeking to simply engage our brains away from screens, not make Lourve-worthy masterpieces. So, make something bad, something messy. Dig out the old, nasty art supplies sitting in your closet from your childhood. Don’t copy something you’ve found on Pinterest… draw a person or object around you, draw from your imagination, or draw nothing at all and simply focus on making marks on the page. Explore color, texture, and shape. Find your favorites! What does the inside of your brain look like when it’s not crowded with constant content? Find out and make a physical manifestation.
Writing
Another classic creative pursuit is writing. As a member of Her Campus, I’m certainly biased, but this kind of expression is one of my favorite ways to rediscover my unique voice when my head gets crowded with the noise of news or brain rot. Everyone has something to say; what do you want to share? It could come in the form of poetry, prose, or song. Again, let go of the expectation that your work needs to meet any sort of standard. This kind of writing is not something you ever need to share, if you don’t want to, although I’m willing to bet that this exercise will spark some epiphanies worth shouting from the rooftops. Get in touch with your younger self. Think back to the time when you believed magic was real and anything was possible. Pen a story, muddle the lines between fact and fiction, and live out dreams that haven’t yet come to pass.
Reflecting
Oftentimes, I find myself using media consumption as an escape or to numb the discomfort of my own life. It’s all too easy to fall into this habit, but when I catch myself, it is genuinely terrifying. As far as we know, we only have one life to live, and it won’t last forever. How can we be okay with choosing to check out at every opportunity? When I feel the urge, I’ve been turning instead to reflection. Whether that means journaling, meditating, or walking in nature, reflection can bring your attention and intention back to the present. These activities help, but no one is perfect, so I also use reflection in tandem with my media consumption. Challenge yourself to review the media you consume when you can’t resist the pull of a new movie, TV show binge, or YouTube video essay. Think of it like writing a book report: summarize the content, touch on the important themes, and note your personal analysis and takeaways. This can help you consume content more intentionally and practice exercising your mind.
Learning A New Skill
Imagine what you could do if you spent the same amount of time teaching yourself a new language or instrument as you spend doomscrolling on TikTok. You’d be unstoppable, right? Learning new skills is a great way to fight brain-rot and keep your mind agile. Whether it’s crochet, skateboarding, cooking, or fishing, diving headfirst into an unfamiliar activity keeps you busy and builds mental resilience. Not to sound like a broken record, but you probably won’t be “good” at it (not yet, at least). But that’s okay, because the benefit comes from the process of learning, not just the end result. If you’re truly feeling ambitious, you can even create a “curriculum” for yourself, complete with learning topics, assignments, and evaluations to hold yourself accountable.
Physical Activity
If nothing else is working to detach your phone from your hand and you are finding it hard to add a new habit to your routine to replace it, focusing on physical activity may be a solution. After all, if you’re jogging, lifting, swimming, or biking, you quite literally cannot be scrolling at the same time. Making time each day for even just 30 minutes of activity means you are blocking out time for yourself that your phone cannot steal away. Even better, exercise sends happy chemicals to your brain that help fight digital addiction! I find this strategy most effective in stopping my morning scroll. When my alarm goes off, instead of checking my phone immediately, I lace up my running shoes and head out the door. It grounds me and fills me with endorphins that negate the need for the dopamine I get from my phone.
Get to Creating!
You’re not a bad person for being addicted to your phone. After all, they’re engineered specifically to keep us hooked to the digital world instead of the real world. And you’re also not a bad person if you can’t or aren’t ready to delete all of your social media apps. Instead of eliminating the negative habits, we can start by adding some positive ones. So go forth and create!