Turning Doomscrolling into Microlearning

A mindful approach to a digital compulsion

It happens to the best of us.

You pick up your phone to check a quick text, and an hour later, you're still on the couch. Your thumb has done a lot of work (it's tired, you should give it a break) but your brain feels strangely empty. It's the digital equivalent of eating a whole bag of junk food. You're full, but not in a good way.

This is the state of doomscrolling. While the term was popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's a habit that's been around for a long time. In the late 90's, we might have referred to this as "checking our email." It's the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading an endless stream of negative news, political hot takes, and manufactured outrage (most of it user-generated content) on the web and social media. It's an addiction loop, and it's something many of us are trying to break. I've tried to put the phone in a different room, set timers, and even use those apps that turn your phone into a brick for a while.

But here's the thing. I'm a product of the Internet. I love the Internet. I love the chaos and the creativity and the sheer, unadulterated information firehose. And so, rather than running away from the technology, I've been trying to change my relationship with it.

I've been working on turning my doomscrolling habit into something different: intentional, thoughtful microlearning.

My wife has always been much better at this than I have, and I constantly learn from her. She doesn't have the same compulsion to mindlessly consume content. When she picks up her phone, it's for a reason. She's looking for a recipe, checking a fact, or catching up on a specific topic she's interested in. This intentionality is a muscle I'm trying to build (it's a lot like learning to code, it takes practice).

Instead of mindlessly consuming content, I'm trying to direct that energy toward learning. It's not a radical idea, but it's a shift in mindset. It’s about being deliberate with your time and attention. I still pick up my phone when I have a spare moment (waiting for the coffee to brew, standing in line at the grocery store, etc.) but now I'm looking for a different kind of hit.

Here are a few ways I've been doing this.

Curate Your Feeds

This is the most important part. You have to be ruthless.

Unfollow the accounts that make you feel anxious or angry. Mute the people who thrive on controversy. Block the hashtags that lead you down a rabbit hole of despair. It's your feed, and you get to decide what's in it. I've been populating my feeds with things that teach me something.

I follow accounts that share historical facts, explain scientific concepts in simple terms, or show me how to use a new software tool. I'm a big fan of old tech, so I've been following a lot of accounts that share stories about vintage computers (like the Commodore 64) or early Internet culture (like the Bulletin Board Systems). It's a much more pleasant experience than staring at an argument between two strangers about something that happened on Twitter.

---

Use Bookmarking and "Read Later" Tools

I've always been a fan of services like Instapaper and Flipboard. The problem was I would save a hundred articles and never read them. Now, I'm more intentional about what I save.

When I find an article that looks interesting, I'll save it. But then, when I have those small pockets of time, I'll go into my queue and pick one to read. It's not about reading the whole thing. It's about consuming a single idea or a few paragraphs. Maybe it's a new perspective on leadership or a deeper dive into a programming language. The goal is to learn a single thing and then put the phone away.

I've also started saving threads on social media that are instructional (like a breakdown of the history of a company or an explanation of a new API). The kind of threads that break down a complex topic into a series of digestible posts. Then I can go back later and read them when I have a few minutes.

---

Subscribe to Smart Newsletters

Most of the doomscrolling I do starts with a news app. The headlines are designed to hook you and keep you there. So I've shifted my news consumption to newsletters.

I'm a big fan of newsletters that curate content and provide thoughtful analysis (I've even considered starting my own). The kind of emails you actually want to open and read. There are newsletters for just about every topic you can imagine. Pick a few that cover topics you're interested in, and then use your "doomscrolling time" to read those instead. You can even set up a separate email folder just for these newsletters, so they don't get lost in the shuffle.

---

This is an evolving practice, and I'm not perfect at it. Some days, I still fall into the old habit. But I'm starting to notice a difference. I feel more informed, less anxious, and more productive. My brain feels full in a good way, like after a good meal.

It's a small change, but it's a meaningful one. It's about taking back control of your attention and directing it toward something that nourishes you instead of something that drains you.

What are some ways you've turned your doomscrolling into something more productive? I'd love to hear your thoughts.