I Swiped Through 78 Reels and Forgot Why I Picked Up My Phone: A Modern Horror Story

So, there I was — brave, ambitious, and full of purpose. I picked up my phone to check the weather. That’s it. One simple task. But somehow, somewhere between a girl turning her heartbreak into a croissant empire and a cat aggressively typing an email, I was 78 reels deep, wearing a sheet mask that dried out 40 minutes ago, with no idea if I still needed to order groceries.

Welcome to the doom scroll vortex. Population: All of us.

Now, don’t get me wrong, doom scrolling feels good. It’s got drama, aesthetics, hot takes, and oddly satisfying videos of people slicing soap or power-washing sidewalks. It gives you joy, but the kind of joy that burns fast and leaves you oddly hollow. Like eating six donuts and ice cream for dinner.

And then, there’s the other kind of joy. The one you get when you're out on a walk and suddenly smell someone cooking dal, bhaat, and rice and think, “Damn, life is wholesome.” Or when you read something that punches you in the soul. Or write something that feels like therapy. Or laugh out loud while trying to cook a new recipe and totally butchering it. That joy? That’s the long-lasting, slow-release serotonin we actually need.

But hear me out: extremes are a trap.

Cutting off social media completely? Cool in theory… until you feel like you’ve been living under a rock when someone says “rizz” and you think it’s a new type of rice. But doing 14 self-care activities a day, upskilling like your life depends on it, and romanticizing your 5 AM tea routine? Exhausting. Feels like you're auditioning for a productivity cult.

Balance is hot now. It’s sexy. It’s underrated. Especially in a world where our attention span is shorter than a TikTok comment thread.

Because the truth is, doom scrolling quietly chips away at your energy. You consume things that don’t serve you. You soak in content that wasn’t made for your nervous system. And yes, science backs it up — all that neck-craning, screen-glowing, dopamine-chasing literally ages you.

So once you’re done with your work, socializing, routine tasks, and awkward small talk with your neighbor, do 2–3 things every day just for you. Read. Write. Dance. Knit. Walk. Cook. Take a nap. Watch sunset or sunrise. Look at clouds in motion. Watch classic cinema. Start working on a new business idea like Gaurav Sharma. Listen to old songs that feel like warm macaroni soup. Stare at the ceiling if you want to. Just no screens. Give your brain a break.

Take a day off and worship yourself. Like literally. How you wish someone would pamper you in your dreams. Watch Liberation Notes on Netflix for inspo if needed. wink.

Expand. Evolve. Unplug. And remind yourself you are so much more than a scrolling thumb and tired eyes.

Touch grass, not just your screen. Real life has better pixels. 🌱📵