My doomscrolling and overconsumption of digital media

Wed, 17 Dec 2025

Recently have cought myself doomscrolling on Instagram for HOURS a couple times. I have had an issue with doomscrolling Insta and clicking through YouTube videos for a while now, but I feel like it has gotten to a point where I would call it an addiction and where it actually damages me.
I barely watch any YouTube videos to the end anymore unless they somehow really get my attention. I scroll and refresh the homepage until I find a video that I have not seen yet and that looks remotely interesting. Sometimes for 30min or more until I even click a video. Sometimes I open like 10 videos in new tabs, start one, cose it, go to the next, repeat until I either find a longer one that keeps my attention or until I need to find new ones again.
It's not like I am consuming brainrot content either, very little of it. I don't watch braindead videos or short, be it on YouTube, Instagram or elsewhere. Yet somehow, the short form content, the absolute barrage of information that doesn't even stick and the absolute chaos of noise and visuals ruined pats of my brain it seems.
I know for a fact that I am by far not the only one with this problem. It annoys me. I have a hard time reading books anyways, I have talked about this briefly in the past in another blog entry I think, and it had gotten better. But since a couple weeks I have not been able to even finish a single page.
Even games have a similar issue. I open them, play them for a little bit, close them.

Between work, housekeeping, our dog and my partner I now spend my time either in the gym, going on long walks or just doomscrolling. When it's not the gym or long walks I just feel like I am wasting time, like I am destroying something inside me that I might not easily get back ever. This sucks.
I have tried all the "lifehacks" I could find, but it all seems so tedious in the moment. I just doomscroll again. Then I wake up and get angry at myself.

This week my girlfriend is not home, so I am alone here and honestly I feel so empty in the evenings. Yesterday I scrolled Instagram for 5h straight until I realised I even did it. Felt like waking up from a fever dream.

Today I have limited app access to Instagram to 1h and to YouTube to 3h on my phone. It's not very easy to change, so I am hoping this helps and I want to reduce the time further and further.
Obviously this does not help on my PC, but I think most of the time wasted is on my phone.

I have 2 books I want to read. I have a garden that needs some work before it gets really cold and wet in January and February. I have a writing project that I have procrastinated for 6 months now. I have smaller projects I want to work on.
But instead I waste 5h doomscrolling.
I need to talk to my partner about this, she will help me, she always does (she's the best) and I will look for further ways to push myself or my brain into being more functional. If nothing else helps I am sure there are addiction support groups here.

It's not bad enough to be extremely worried, I think. I am able to put my phone aside, I am able to turn off my PC etc. But I am unable to commit my brain to anything longterm right now and I think THAT'S the problem.

The internet is amazing. I love it. It kept me alive in my worst times. The best friends I have I met online.
But mane... it's also so, so scary and controlling if you are not careful.

On a more positive note:
I have lost more weight than I thought I would since I started working out again. I have met and surpassed some gym goals and every day I look forward to going to the gym again.
I have also gotten so much better at running. From 1min run, 1min walk intervals for 5km 2months ago to 3min run, 1min walk I can now run about 7km with only 3-4 1min walk breaks and recently even done a run with only a single walk pause!
My goal is to be able to run 10km at around 7min/km pace without walking intervals within the next couple weeks and I think that goal is realistic.
I also feel much healthier and fitter, eating less is easier, I crave protein and it feels good to eat just what I actually need.
I can run up all the way to the top floor in our home building to the flat without being out of breath, which I couldn't 3 months ago.
This feels nice. It's about time I become gymrat and do my cardio again..

Anyways, that's all, thanks <3