A PHONE ISN’T ALWAYS A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND
Dear Di,
I spent all summer doomscrolling. While my classmates were vacationing in Europe or spending time with family, I got up close and personal with my Twitter (or X, whatever you call it) feed.
At first, I was concerned about all the terrible shit going on in the world: wars, climate disasters, transphobia, legislation that I didn’t even know getting rolled back! It’s all too much…but I can’t stop. How do I learn to break up with my phone, while still being informed?
— Chronically Online
Hey CO —
First of all, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed — information overload is real and it’s painful (and this is coming from an all-knowing columnist). But chronic doomscrolling has been associated with anxiety and stress, and could potentially worsen your mental health. But it’s important to stop and course-correct while you realize that you have a problem.
In fact, doomscrolling could reinforce the doubts and worries about the world you might already be holding onto. But do not fret! You can still maintain a healthy relationship with your phone and care for the crises of the world.
For starters, you can delete the apps that give you stress the most. If you’re worried about not receiving 500 Instagram reels a day from your bestie, just tell them you’re taking a social media break and ask them to text you silly ones instead. This way, you can still stay in contact, and still get spammed.
You can also change where you find your news. Do you find new things through TikTok breakdowns or niche Twitter/X threads? You should probably stick to a non-paywalled news outlet that’s a bit more reputable, or follow a couple of documented journalists on your platform of choice. This will allow you to gain information straight from the source.
But make sure you practice recognizing your feelings, especially when you start to feel yourself getting upset or too worked up over something outside of your control. This is a good tip to help you dis-engage with any unhealthy habit. Once you’ve learnt what’s setting you off, you can confront it in a safe manner.
Logging off with love,
Di
