How to Practice Mindful Media Consumption
Have you ever gotten in bed at the end of the day, ready to go to sleep, but thought, “I’ll just scroll social media for a few minutes”? Then, a few minutes turn into more, and the next thing you know, two hours have passed, and you haven’t gotten any sleep.
Or maybe you’re at work, talking with a friend, or just sitting on the couch, and without realizing it, you grab your phone and navigate to your favorite app. Once you realize what you’ve done, you think, “How did I get here? I don’t even remember picking up my phone.”
If you can relate to this mindless media consumption, you’re not alone. Mindless media consumption is something many people experience, and it’s only increasing as our access to media platforms grows.
If you’ve fallen victim to mindless media consumption, keep in mind that this is what social media is designed to do. Social media platforms make money through sustained engagement, regardless of user well-being, so their main goal is to keep you on the platform as long as possible. This is why social media platforms are designed to keep you hooked through:
The dopamine loop: Variable rewards such as likes and notifications that reinforce desired behavior.
The infinite scroll: There are no natural stopping cues, signaling to your mind that it may be time to take a break.
The algorithm: Algorithmic amplification of emotionally charged content that promotes outrage, fear, or envy, making it hard to look away.
These hooks can become harmful by creating anxiety in users. Psychological mechanisms linking social media to anxiety include:
Social comparison theory: The innate tendency towards comparison. You constantly compare your own life to others’ “highlight reels” on social media.
Fear of missing out (FOMO): The constant sense that others’ lives are fuller and something’s missing from yours.
Rejection sensitivity: The anxiety of waiting for likes, comments, or responses to feel validated by others.
News and doomscrolling: The chronic, low-grade threat exposure from social media has a negative impact on the nervous system.
Disrupted sleep: Blue light and stimulating content before bed can amplify anxiety.
Do you feel restless, irritable, or depleted after scrolling? Do you compare your body, career, relationships, or home to what you see online? Do you reach for your phone when bored, lonely, or anxious, and does it make things worse? Do you find it hard to be present in real life because part of you is composing a post? If you can relate to any of these, there’s a chance your social media consumption could be playing a part in your anxiety.
All of these actions can contribute to increased anxiety. However, there is hope. If mindless media consumption is what causes social media-based anxiety, then mindful media consumption can help remedy some of those symptoms.
Mindful media consumption is using media intentionally and with awareness, not out of habit or avoidance. Mindful media consumption can be practiced through the following:
The pause-and-notice practice.
Mentally “check in” before and after opening an app. Take a moment to pause and notice the choice you made to open the app. Ask yourself these three questions: Why am I opening this? How do I feel right now? How do I want to feel?
Values-based curation.
Follow accounts that align with who you want to be, not who you fear you’re not. Some apps will even let you choose to see content only from accounts you “follow,” decreasing your chances of unwanted content consumption.
Time-boxing.
Use apps on a schedule rather than reactively. Set specific times during the day for when you will open social media, and consider using phone features or apps to limit your screen time for those apps.
In addition to practicing these mindful media consumption habits, here are five practical strategies to reduce social media-driven anxiety:
Create friction.
Move apps off the home screen, and turn off non-essential notifications. Make it more difficult to access the apps that are unnecessarily wasting your time.
Designate phone-free zones and times.
Consider barring phone use from certain rooms in the house, or keep social media use confined to the first and last 30 minutes of the day. Keep meals and conversations phone-free to promote relational well-being.
Practice a “scroll audit.”
At the end of the week, notice which accounts consistently leave you feeling worse. Mute or block those accounts so you see less of that kind of content.
Replace reactive scrolling with an offline activity.
During the time that you’d typically be scrolling through social media, engage in one intentional offline activity. This could be walking, journaling, reading a book, calling a friend, or something else you enjoy.
Use grounding techniques when doomscrolling triggers your nervous system.
If you still catch yourself doomscrolling, try these grounding methods:
5-4-3-2-1: Identify 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Box breathing: Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts. Practice diaphragmatic breath, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
You are allowed to change your relationship with your phone, and awareness is the first step. Shame and judgment do not help make this change, but utilizing the practices listed above can be beneficial.
Remember: The goal is progress over perfection. One small change is more sustainable than a dramatic quit. The next time you have the urge to doomscroll, try one of the practices above and see how it improves your relationship with media.
If social media-related anxiety feels unmanageable, therapy offers a space to explore the underlying patterns. You can learn more about my therapy services here.
My blog posts are not a replacement for therapy, and the information provided does not constitute the formation of a therapist-patient relationship. The information in my blog posts is general information for educational purposes only and is not intended to be therapy or psychological advice. If you are a current or former client, please remember that your interactions with my blog may jeopardize your confidentiality. Please consult your physician or mental health provider regarding advice or support for your health and well-being.
If you are in crisis, please call your local 24-hour crisis hotline or 911. I am not able to respond to comments or answer questions about your specific situation online. If you are interested in working together, please inquire about appointment availability here.