Block Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts
Watching productive content on YouTube, responding to stories on Instagram, and catching up with friends is great.
But scrolling endlessly through Reels or the suggested feed is really addictive, unproductive, and time-consuming.
Instead of quitting social media and YouTube altogether, I created an App to stay connected while blocking out the addictive and unproductive feed.
The App is free, (If you can afford it, support the development by getting the premium version :) ), ScrollGuard allows you to:
- Completely block all Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts
- Detect when you’re doom-scrolling and prompt you to take a 1-minute break before scrolling again
Download it from GooglePlay here. If you have any questions or encounter any bugs, feel free to ask me.
Extra tips to help you stop mindless scrolling
The following tips will make you build a solid strategy and a mental framework to quit scrolling.
Make a strategic commitment:
When you’re hooked on scrolling, it’s very difficult to think rationally. Your brain is constantly bombarded with dopamine from the short, low-quality content.
Now that you’re sober, take a moment to consider why you want to stop mindless scrolling. How is it affecting your goals? How much time are you wasting? Which type of content is having a more detrimental effect?
Make a clear decision about what type of content you want to see on social media, when, and for how long.
Once you have a commitment, you will not need to reevaluate each time weather you should be scrolling in that moment or not.
If you don’t decide clearly now, your brain will keep finding excuses to keep scrolling addictively.
Make stopping doomscrolling an automatic reflex
As soon as you see the banner in ScrollGuard and realize you were doomscrolling, you need to already have Step-by-Step plan to take you out of the the addictive loop.
The plan has clear and easy steps to follow. Each step helps you move away from endless scrolling. Don’t stress about stopping doomscrolling altogether, just focus on what to do next.
Each step could be as basic as turning off your phone, placing it in another room, and so on.
If you hesitate, remind yourself that you’ve already committed to your action plan, and you just need to execute it. Don’t overthink it, just execute one step after the other.
Internalize a mental schema like this:
When doomscrolling →
1. I execute the next actions automatically, I don’t hesitate.
2. Don’t swipe anymore.
3. Close the app.
4. Lock my phone.
5. Put it in my pocket.
6. Take two deep breaths.
After taking two deep breaths, you’ll feel that you have some perspective, and you can make a better-informed decision about what to do next. Maybe you’ll decide to open a book or go for a walk.
Set an imperfect plan, don’t overthink it, just take action.
