Is doomscrolling the new cigarette break?
Illustration by Zoe Arntsen, Illustrator
None of your friends are responding? No current plans? What do we do: doomscroll.
With the rampant overconsumption of technology and algorithm-based social media platforms, most people have grown uncomfortable with boredom. Maybe fear isn’t the right word to describe how we feel about boredom, because most of us don’t take a second to think about it.
Can’t fall asleep after closing your eyes for thirty seconds? Doomscroll. Get bored of a movie for five seconds? What’s happening on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc. Social media and technology have grown to be an escape and crutch that we lean on, and most of us are not taking time to think about how this is affecting us.
Okay, thanks mom! Yeah, I get it, I do it too. But recently, I am getting bored of not being bored. I feel I have defeated myself for not taking time to just exist, getting lost in a train of thought because what else is there to do?
Doomscrolling is like a cigarette break, a habitual pause for “just a second.” A quick escape, a pause on work, school or stress. Smoking a cigarette offers a quick rush and feeling of control in life, and I would argue the same goes for doomscrolling.
Often, stress in life can build and build, so of course we need an outlet, to lean on someone or something. Light a cigarette, feel the thick smoke engulf our lungs and fill the space where tension has been filling our brains. A moment to surrender ourselves to something outside us. Unlock your phone, let the glow of your screen fulfill the attention your brain is craving, step aside from the questions you’re dealing with and let the void be filled by something outside us.
Why would I want to be bored? Why do I need to be bored? Boredom can make you feel restless or maybe even trapped in your mind, but this can help us with introspection and boost creativity.
“But Riley, feeling bored can be stressful,” you might say. “And I don’t have time to be bored!”
In a capitalist world, like the one we live in, there are many pressures to be productive, always. Taking time to do self care, cook a meal or enjoy a book or show can feel wrong. The pressure is constantly on to work as hard as you can, for as long as you can, as much as you can — a mantra many of us feel attached to. But remember: we do not exist to be productive.
Einstein, Da Vinci and others didn’t ask ChatGPT how to invent or create. They thought up ideas, kept revisiting them and collaborated with other creative minds. Technology is a tool, yes, but your own ideas can be just as powerful.
Ways to practice boredom:
Watch the sunset. Reflect on your day, your week or your feelings.
Draw or paint. It won’t be the work of Michelangelo. It’s for you, perfection isn’t the goal.
Journal. Release thoughts onto paper to free up space in your mind.
Go for a walk. Take in your surroundings, the sights, sounds, smells or nothing at all.
Watching a show with ads? Watch the ads! Don’t pick up your phone during the breaks.
Eat a meal without watching TV or a YouTube video. Just eat. This could be good with the aforementioned sunset!
Take any of those ideas with no pressure. Maybe you watch the sunset, take a walk or draw a painting and feel or think of absolutely nothing. Just like writing an essay or breaking a bad habit, everything takes time. It might take nine walks to realize your neighbor’s mailbox reminds you of a toy you played with as a child, or that the sunset you watched three weeks ago mirrored the colors of the poster above your bed. Anything worthwhile in life takes time, but you owe it to yourself to show up for you, and be someone you can rely on.
If you choose to try being bored, remember, you are human, and making mistakes is part of the journey. Maybe today you really need to just sit down and watch something, and that’s okay! It doesn’t erase the progress you’ve made. Boredom isn’t laziness, it’s a thoughtful practice.