Four Tips to Avoid Doomscrolling

By: Meadow Orange | Publish Date: March 4th, 2026

We use technology for everything now: Homework, social media, shopping, directions, and every little task in between. Having a phone with us 24/7 makes life feel easier, but it also does its own kind of damage. Sure, we can find answers in seconds, but the tradeoff is that our critical thinking and attention span slowly weaken. Doom scrolling is the act of continually scrolling through one’s phone, which can cause us to be overstimulated and distracted, and constantly pulls us away from real life. 

We often let our emotions lead, and that shapes the way we choose to live our lives. When we scroll, we’re comparing our reality to someone else’s. Seeing influencers partner with brands or live a lifestyle we could only fantasize about makes many people idolize that possibility for themselves. That’s what keeps us glued to their pages, waiting to see how they present a life we wish we had. Over time, this constant comparison shifts how we feel about our own reality, often without us even noticing. 

With that in mind, here are four tips and tricks to help you avoid this vicious cycle and start living your life more fully. 

Look At Your Screen Time 

When you can visually see which apps get the most screen time, you are essentially looking at how you value your time. If your phone shows five or more hours on Netflix every day, two hours on Instagram, and four hours doomscrolling on TikTok, it becomes hard to say you do not have enough time to finish an assignment. The time is there; it is just being spent somewhere else. 

This isn’t about shame, but accountability. We’ve normalized the idea that students “work well under pressure” and that the assignment will somehow get done. And yes, the assignment might get done, but that doesn’t erase the reality of where your priorities are sitting day after day. 

If you want to grow, you have to be willing to look at your habits honestly. Screen time doesn’t lie. It shows you exactly what you’re choosing, consciously or not. And once you see that clearly, you can start learning from it and making different choices.  

Pretend You’re Being Graded 

Being conscious of screentime, putting phones on time limits or on do not disturb are classic solutions many of us use to distance ourselves from our devices. This tactic often doesn’t work, because we let the fear of missing out (also known as FOMO) get the best of us. One way of getting around this is to think of it as if you’re getting graded for how long you’re on your phone. Visualize it: if you had someone constantly checking on your screen time, would the other person be proud of how many hours you are focusing on different apps if it is not helping you for your future endeavors? 

Start A New Hobby 

Every individual has their own passions, and it’s important to figure out what that is — especially when it doesn’t involve being online. Reading a book, coloring, going for a walk, or simply keeping your body moving reminds us that we’re human beings with free will and the ability to put our minds to anything. When we choose hobbies that ground us in our own reality, we start to feel more present instead of drained. It also helps us build a healthier relationship with our time, as we are no longer relying on our phones to entertain us or fill the silence. 

Turn Your Phone to Grayscale 

Grayscale can help you combat doomscrolling because once the color disappears, the attachment disappears with it. Suddenly, the apps that used to feel irresistible, starts to feel flat, almost dull. That tiny shift is enough to break the automatic “tap-scroll-refresh” cycle we fall into without thinking. 

Grayscale doesn’t magically fix our habits, but it does create a moment of pause, a split second where your brain is not being fixated with bright red neon blues, perfectly saturated images. And in that pause, you get to choose what you want to do instead of letting an algorithm choose for you. 

Over time, that pause becomes a pattern. You check your phone less. You scroll less. You feel less overstimulated. And you start to realize how much of your attention was being pulled by color alone. 

To put your phone on Grayscale mode with an iPhone, follow these instructions:  

• Go to the Settings app 

• Go to Accessibility 

• Scroll to display and text size  

• Click on color filters 

• Turn on Grayscale 

To put your phone on Grayscale mode with Android, follow these instructions: 

• Go to the Settings app 

• Go to Accessibility 

• Scroll to Color and motion (or visibility enhancements) 

• Toggle Color correction on 

• Select Grayscale 

At the end of the day, none of these habits change overnight. Gen Z and the generations after us are growing up in a world where technology is not optional—it is built into our homework, our friendships, and our routines. But that does not mean we are powerless. Small choices add up. Paying attention to where our time goes, choosing hobbies that bring us back to ourselves, and creating tiny moments of pause can slowly shift the way we live. The goal is not to abandon technology, but to stop it from running our lives.