Mindless Scrolling on Social Media

The Idea of the Week

In an 8-minute video, Matt D’Avella shares how a 30-day social media detox changed the way he interacted with social media. Besides no longer feeling compelled to constantly check social media and stay caught up on the latest news story, he also discusses some of the boundaries he put in place so that he can have a healthy relationship with social media even when he feels a compulsion to check.

1. The detox challenge pushed him out of his comfort zone and emboldened him to take on more challenges, such as 30 days of meditation.
2. He realized how little he needed social media and how little he missed it.
3. He does not keep social media apps on his phone consistently. He will reinstall when he wants to use them for maybe an hour a couple day, but then deletes apps when they are no longer serving him.
4. He noticed that he compares himself to others much less often, and the voice in his mind that compares him to others is quieter when he is not on social media constantly.
5. Sometimes, the distraction that social media offers is helpful, such as when we have bad days. It is when the problem of scrolling on social media becomes so big that it negatively impacts our lives.

The Practice of the Week

If trying a 30-day social media detox sounds overwhelming, you can try to shorten the time span. Try it for a couple weeks, a week, or even a couple of days, then try working your way up.

You also do not have to suddenly cut from social media entirely from your life for a certain amount of time in order to have a healthy relationship with social media. The sudden detox can be helpful for overcoming the hurdle and resetting your approach, but the important thing is to develop a system, or practice, that creates a healthy relationship with social media in the long-term.

If you go without social media straight for a month but fall back into mindlessly scrolling when you open social media again, then try implementing boundaries and practices that works toward maintaining the long-term relationship. Lavendaire shares 6 Tips to Stop Doom Scrolling in a 16-minute video.

1. Swap out your habit. Notice when you pick up your phone to scroll and swap it out with another habit.
2. Out of sight, out of mind: Increase the physical distance between you and your phone. When you are working, place your phone in another room or in a drawer. When you’re out with your friends, family, or loved ones, keep your phone off the table, so you do not default to picking it up and scrolling when you are bored.
3. Set app limits. Go into your settings and set time limits for each social media. Even if you break the limit, setting the limit will make you more conscious about how much time you are spending on that app.
4. Delete apps that are not serving you. If it does not feel good to be on it, delete it, and see what it feels like to live life without it for a few days, a week, a month, etc.
5. Go deeper and pinpoint the real issue: Why do you keep scrolling? Why do you reach for your phone for a distraction? What are you distracting yourself from? Try journaling or doing shadow work.
6. Cultivate more mindfulness and practice being present.

“[Mindfulness] is not willpower.
It is the practice of being
the observer of your life.”
—Lavendaire

Remember that social media is a tool, and you have the power to shape what that means for you and how it serves you.

What will you swap out your scrolling habit with? Share with us on our Facebook or Instagram page!

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The Thought of the Week

Wishing you a peaceful week!