You open your phone to check one update. Several clips later, you are still scrolling, but you cannot name what you learned after the first few minutes. Staying informed is useful. Repeatedly watching the same material can be a different activity. It helps to decide which one you are trying to do.
Start with a question
Before opening a feed, write or say what you want to find out. ‘Has the local travel advice changed?’ gives your check a direction. ‘What is happening everywhere?’ leaves you with no clear point at which the task is complete.
The question can be small: whether an event has been confirmed, where an official update is published, or whether you need to change a plan. If your real aim is a break from a difficult task, notice that too. News does not have to fill every empty moment.
Choose where you will check
Go to a relevant, reliable source for the question instead of relying only on whatever appears next in a feed. Look for the date, what has actually been confirmed, and whether a repeated clip adds anything new.
Curating a feed should reduce unhelpful repetition without removing necessary facts or every perspective that feels uncomfortable. You might mute an account that reposts the same distressing footage while keeping a reliable source covering the event.
Choose a stopping point before you start
A stopping point can be the end of one relevant update, finding the answer you needed, or a short check that fits your day. Treat it as a practical experiment, not a rule you must obey perfectly.
When you reach it, ask: ‘Do I have the information I came for?’ If yes, close the feed and choose the next activity. If not, decide what specific source or information is missing. That is a clearer next step than continuing to refresh.
What am I trying to learn, and how will I know when I have learned it?
Keep essential access available
If you use optional notification or keyword controls, check what they might hide. Keep emergency alerts, important contacts, work requirements and other necessary access available. Features differ by device and platform, so use the controls you can see and know how to reverse them.
A temporary mute can be easier to evaluate than a permanent change. Choose a time to review it. Ask whether it reduced repetition and whether you still received the information you needed.
Review one session without judging yourself
You are learning about a particular habit, not scoring your character. Keep the experiment if it helps; change it if it gets in the way. If unwanted scrolling is accompanied by persistent distress or interferes with daily functioning, consider support from a qualified professional.
- Name the question you wanted answered.
- Note which source helped you answer it.
- Notice where useful checking became repetition.
- Choose one small change for the next check.
Adapted from 50 Ways to Stop Doomscrolling, pages 2–7 and 30–32. This is an optional everyday experiment, not a tested treatment programme.