If you actually measure the amount of time you spend scrolling through algorithm-led social media feeds each day, it will probably add up to more hours and minutes than you’d guess. Time can quickly slip away while you're checking up on friends, celebrities, the news, and the viral memes of the day.
The term doomscrolling has sprung up to describe this behavior, which, let's face it, isn't usually the most edifying or the best for our mood. It's no surprise that the word began to gain traction at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, a period of lockdowns and social isolation that we're still feeling the effects of.
There are ways to fight back against doomscrolling though, some of which are built into your phone and can be enabled with a couple of taps. See how much time and mental well-being they can help you reclaim.
(The Android instructions below apply to Pixel phones running Android 15 or later. If you're using something different, you should be able to find similar features and settings, though they might not be in exactly the same place).
Turn Off Notifications
News and social media alerts can drag you into apps when you weren't even thinking about checking them. Disabling notifications can keep you from getting sucked in. You can shut off notifications altogether or just quieten them.
On Android, head to Settings, then tap Notifications > App notifications. On iOS, from Settings choose Notifications to see an app list.
Delete Apps
For a more extreme approach, you can delete these apps from your mobile devices entirely, which stops you from checking them at all. On Android, you can drag an app from the app drawer up to the Uninstall button at the top of the screen. On iOS, tap and hold on an app in the app library, then choose Delete App from the pop-up menu.