J's Musings

Last week I went on about the media I was consuming and its effects. Having gone on about how this sort of consumption can lead to a generation that are necessarily puppets. I haven’t really offered you any tips to control this.

Of-course I am no professional in this matter and any tips I share are based purely on personal experience and preference. If they don’t work when you try them, it’s probably because we are not alike in any manner.

I like tackling issues at the root. So, the first thing I do to control the media I view, is try to tune the algorithm. From the accounts I follow to the videos I like and even stay till the end of. I understand that while scrolling we end up following accounts based on one or two reels. So, every 10-15 days, I go on an un follow spree. I try to unfollow ay accounts whose content I do not enjoy or need. I avoid liking videos I don’t want to see more of. Has that proven to be easier said than done as a hoarder? Yes. Is it also a necessary step to preserving my sanity? Again, yes.

This isn’t limited to Instagram. I try to do the same with my YouTube and Spotify. 

I make sure to un-save playlists and unfollow artists I don’t listen to. Unsubscribe from irrelevant channels. And just the lot you know. 

This tackles the sort of recommendations we get at the root of the algorithm.

Just because the quality of the scroll is changing, doesn’t mean doom scrolls are any better for our brains. Disassociating is an important part of our life to be able to feel at peace, merely replacing how we do that is always a good idea.

Now, trying to get into reading as someone previously addicted to a screen who has not done a lot of reading is not fair. I personally have always been a big reader, so the switch is relatively easier for me. But even I needed a stepping stool to come back to reality.

I highly recommend cozy gaming. Not intense addictive games like free fire or car racing. But cozy games. Like Tap blaze’s good pizza, great pizza and good coffee, great coffee. These games are engaging and fulfilling. Also, every time you pick up your phone, you can open these games and play them rather than scroll. Its not as hypnotic as scrolling, but still interesting enough to satisfy the rush.

Slowly, as your need for constant flashy media decreases, you can start focusing on reading and scrolling selectively. Without the need for a doom scroll, choosing can feel easier.

Last but not least. I have a method I call, grounding media. Every time I feel exhausted by everything I have consumed. I take a break. From Instagram and YouTube shorts and the like.

I watch calm movies, like Ghibli films or old movies. I listen to music I know for sure I like. Podcasts I truly find joy in. And only occasional Pinterest scrolls. I focus on reading peaceful books, particularly calm Japanese fiction. [I’m using calm a lot today, lol]. I’ll try journalling but avoid actual writing, except for the blog, because I have priorities.

This helps me create a distance from media that may cloud my brain and send me into an exhausted state. The reason I don’t eliminate all media is; that’s not practical.

For someone so used to media, cutting it out completely just lures me back stronger.

At the end of the day, I hope these tips help you get control of yourself back. If you have any tips of your own, feel free share them in the comments.

Love,

Janhavi