Replace “doomscrolling” with reading

Our rampant social media usage is causing us to read, retain and focus less. I know, I’m preaching to the choir here. This is a well-studied phenomenon and one that is causing a serious mental health crisis around the world. But how could we combat this? How can we get people to read more books than comments on social media?

 

THE CLEANSE

At the beginning of this week, I vowed to avoid Instagram for five days. This was a big deal for me since I used Instagram, on average, almost two hours a day! Two hours of my already limited time was being wasted on reels and stories which could have been spent on reading instead. I decided that throughout the week if I had an urge to open Instagram, I would read one page of a book. Here’s how it went:

 

MONDAY

I posted a story on my Instagram announcing my absence for five days. Then I deleted the app. Not having immediate access to the app made it a lot easier to avoid it all together. I didn’t have the urge to check Instagram for the rest of the day.

 

TUESDAY

I commute almost five hours on Tuesdays, which is usually a prime time for scrolling reels. I noticed that without Instagram my new urge was to open YouTube. But I remembered the pact I made myself and instead I ended up reading three chapters in the book Stolen Focus by Johann Hari. It was by far the most work I had ever gotten done on a train.

 

WEDNESDAY

This day was hard. A devastating and historic moment in US history was unfolding and I didn’t have access to Instagram to see what my friends were saying about it. Since Instagram is the only social media I use (besides YouTube) I felt disconnected from my friends and family.

 

THURSDAY

I read another chapter in Stolen Focus because I felt multiple urges to check Instagram and see what people were saying about recent events. My YouTube usage was up an average of 30 minutes a day at this point.

 

FRIDAY

Weirdly, this day felt the easiest. I felt a sense of calm throughout the day. It was like I didn’t have anywhere to be. Yes, I was still using YouTube more than I originally intended, but the weight of other people’s judgements over my life completely lifted from my shoulders.

 

WHAT I LEARNED

I have a false sense of connection when I use Instagram, and throughout this entire process I began questioning myself. Do I actually enjoy my hobbies, or do I like the way I am perceived by my friends when I post about them? For five days, no one liked my posts because I didn’t post anything. It was freeing. I felt like I didn’t have to pretend to have this perfect life that I needed to show off. I was able to focus more on reading which is something my brain was craving. This experiment made me realize that it’s vital to replace doomscrolling with active reading in a book. And I may avoid Instagram for another week.