Digital wellbeing
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
When a post makes you angry, pause and close the app instead of responding; mute or block the source.
Your mood and timeline improve.
one person who lived it
Block people once you see a pattern of stupid arguments or trolling.
Social media is infinite, but your time is not.
one person who lived it
Put your phone down right away when you notice you are wasting time.
4 people, independently
Use digital wellbeing functions, bedtime mode (grayscale), or apps like ScreenZen to reduce social media usage and screen time.
Making the screen less interesting cuts down usage; one user reported it helped their headspace and attention span.
3 people, independently
Accept that arguing online will not change anyone's mind.
Arguing online only ruins your own mind; changing minds requires connecting with people and listening.
one person who lived it
Practice self-control by simply not clicking on links from platforms you find toxic.
Self-improvement involves developing self-control.
- For many people, escaping negativity is getting harder.
one person who lived it
Stop engaging with people who post offensive content, as they rely on your reactions to boost their visibility.
Every click, retweet, or rebuttal increases their reach and fills their pockets.
one person who lived it
Focus on reading topics that currently excite you rather than forcing yourself to read uninteresting material.
You can't force yourself to read something if it is not of interest to you.
one person who lived it
Check a poster's history before engaging to determine if they are worth bothering with.
Looking into their history quickly reveals if they are the type of person you won't bother to engage.
one person who lived it
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Recognize that social media algorithms categorize content into extremes to generate rage, which drives engagement.
Rage sells and keeps people engaged.
one person who lived it
Limit your online subscriptions.
One person found it helped reduce engagement and bouncing between tabs.
one person who lived it
Treat browsing as a mindful meditation practice by appreciating the hard work behind each piece of content.
one person who lived it
Mute or block people who spread misinformation, hate, or venomous behavior rather than those with differing political opinions.
Hatred and venomous behavior are distinct from politics and add nothing meaningful.
one person who lived it
Acknowledge that smartphones are engineered to waste time through doomscrolling and impose cognitive load, making it difficult to simply switch to reading or focusing.
The design creates a complexity where discarding the phone does not automatically restore the ability to read or focus easily.
one person who lived it