We casually throw in the word ‘brain rot’ here and there to talk about the numbing situation after a prolonged stretch of mindless scrolling. In fact, we acknowledge the fact that we’ve wasted our time and hate ourselves for doing it.
And yet again we go back to the same cycle of constant scrolling and passive media habits.
The pull of the digital media is strong as the short-form content provides quick entertainment and constant updates. But, unless we are careful and intentional about how we engage with it, our time online becomes less of what we truly want and more of what we’ve been conditioned to reach for.
In this article I want to share my thoughts on intentional media use and how to spend time in the digital platform feeling satisfied rather than drained and guilty.
I want to talk about how we can build a more mindful relationship with our phones, and how we might reclaim our tech-life balance through small, sustainable screen time habits. Not by going offline completely, but by learning to scroll with intention.
Let’s Reframe the Problem….
It is said that humans are wired for novelty and entertainment. Light, easily digestible content activates the brain’s reward systems, particularly by giving small, frequent dopamine boosts
Technology has made our lives easier in multiple ways and I don’t want to demonize tech or the digital media. It lets us video-call loved ones far away, discover music that heals us, and access knowledge that once lived only in libraries.
What’s concerning is when our use turns automatic. When we set out to check one thing, and end up lost in an hour of mindless scrolling.
When passive media habits quietly take over our day. We let ourselves be carried away only to feel guilty afterwards.
But I want to remind you that you’re not alone. It’s not possible to quit tech and media, but it is possible to be intentional about what we choose to consume.
You can develop digital mindfulness. It is possible to notice when we’re slipping and slowly bring ourselves back to what we actually intend to do.
We can start by asking ourselves:
-Is this action my choice, or am I defaulting into it?
-Is this filling me or numbing me?
-What is this moment calling for?
Sometimes, the answer might be intentionally browsing shopping apps, or intentionally choosing to laugh at prank videos, or choosing to pick a book, or go for a walk.
The point is to be aware and build a healthy relationship with technology for intentional media use.
What’s the real problem?
The real problem is that when we are doomscrolling, we lose sense of our time. The present moment starts to feel like something that always needs to be filled.
We lose the value for slowness and boredom and instead participate in the race to not miss out. In this race to keep up, we trade our attention span for fleeting stimulation.
We fail to give ourselves quiets spaces for reflection.
When we spend too much time in social media, we tend to shape ourselves into what is approved, liked and shared. This erodes our authentic self-expression and replace it with performative choices that chase validation.
Excessive screen time also robs us of our precious time spent with our loved ones. We see it all the time—families gathered in the same room, yet each person is silently scrolling on their own device. We’re physically present but digitally distant.
How to be Intentional with Media Use?
1. Turn it into a challenge
We often approach our digital habits with a certain all-or-nothing mindset: we vow to reduce screen time, delete apps, or take a “detox.”
But, what if, we viewed it as a personal challenge to tiny steps everyday to transform our experience.
You might challenge yourself to:
–watch one video fully and with attention, rather than grazing through ten in a fog.
-Messaging a friend with sincerity, rather than replying with a default emoji.
-Reading an article in its entirety instead of scanning a headline and sharing it.
-Leaving the phone behind during a walk as a gift to your senses.
Lately, I have, been challenging myself to engage with long-form contents rather than just doomscrolling for hours just out of habit.
This practise has helped me be more mindful of my media consumption patterns.
2. Nurture Activities that aren’t Rooted in Consumption
So much of our time online is spent taking in information, opinions, entertainment, images, noise. This cycle of consumption is often passive and unending.
Even our moments of rest can start to feel like input overload.
But human beings aren’t built only to consume. We are also meant to create, move, connect, and simply be.
Intentional media-use isn’t about limiting consumption, but about restoring the balance.
Spending intentional time online also means carving out time for screen-free activities like walking, exercising, dancing, singing, baking, gardening, slow conversations.
These are all vital acts of doing, creating, and being rather than just consuming. These activities bring us back to our bodies, environments, and relationships.
By cultivating these practices, we’re not running away from technology.
We’re learning to notice: When do I turn to screens out of habit or escape? What would it feel like to do something different with that moment?
When we choose intentionality, we approach media with more clarity rather than compulsion.
3. Learn New Things
Digital media has lots of beautiful possibilities that help us grow if we approach it with intentionality.
At our fingertips, we have a vast digital library of free courses, tutorials, podcasts, essays, documentaries.
Learning can be intentional and deeply empowering if we choose it. When we’re mindful we can use our screen time as a space of discovery and growth rather than distraction.
Intentional learning online might look like:
- Following creators who teach rather than just entertain or sell.
- Subscribing to newsletters that nourish your curiosity rather than fuel outrage.
- Setting aside 30 minutes a week to watch a Ted talk, read a longform essay, or explore an unfamiliar subject.
- Keeping a digital “learning list” instead of just a watchlist.
This kind of conscious media use can guide you toward a more meaningful digital experience. Intentional media use can help you redefine your life.
4. Simplify Your Digital Habits
It’s easy to lose ourselves in the steady stream of content with new episodes, new trending movie, the catchy headline that attracts us.
One of the simplest ways to practice intentional media use is to start with a specific goal.
Are you looking to unwind with a film you’ve been meaning to watch? Learn something from a documentary? Laugh at a short video? Connect with a friend?
Sometimes, we consume something only because it’s trending. Other times, out of habit or social pressure.
So, you can keep a “media journal” for a month and keep a log of everything you watch, read, or listen to. Then you can rate the experience.
Doing this can feel quirky and unnecessary but this small act of digital mindfulness can reveal patterns about what truly feeds you.
And when you know what kinds of movies, creators, and books you like, it becomes easier for you to simplify your digital habits and make space for what matters.
Which brings me to my next digital mindfulness tip.
Related: How to Simplify Your Life
5. Make sure you conduct a digital declutter
We can treat our digital environments similarly as we treat our home environments.
Like any environment, the digital spaces can also be cluttered and feel chaotic.
Intentional media use can be a sort of digital housekeeping where you filter the clutter and keep only those items that adds value.
It might mean unfollowing accounts that stir comparison or anxiety.
Muting relentless news updates that spike your nervous system.
Letting go of that podcast you used to love but now only half-listen to out of habit.
It might also mean seeking out new voices, sounds, or communities that align with where you are now—not where you were five years ago.
It could be as small as:
- Replacing hype playlists with calm ones that help you focus
- Deleting apps that interrupt more than inspire
- Organizing your saved articles or bookmarks like a cozy bookshelf, not a chaotic attic
- Turning off notifications so your attention belongs to you again
These small acts of digital minimalism will help you reclaim your agency in the digital world.
Also read: 30-days Decluttering Challenge
6. Set Gentle Rules for Intentional Media Use
Lastly, but most importantly, setting gentle and flexible digital boundaries is essential to support the life you want to live.
Here are some examples of intentional media use rules:
-Set time-based rules where you don’t use screen before breakfast or after dinner.
-You can always make a rule of using only one screen at a time. No scrolling while watching a movie.
-Introduce friction by leaving your phone out of the bedroom or your work zone.
-I apply focus mode from 8 am to 9 pm where all the distracting apps are locked and can only be accessed for 5 minutes at a time.
-Don’t get triggered by reading headlines, instead if you’re interested, you can read the entire article of look up for the information yourself.
-Choose digital kindness. Comment with empathy rather than reaction.
-Set an internal rule to avoid comparison to others when looking at aesthetic, curated content online.
These rules aren’t meant to be strict or static. You’re allowed to adapt, break, or redesign them as your needs evolve.
In the end, intentional media use is about building a relationship with our devices that feels aligned with who we want to be.
Justin from Stay Grounded talks about the AIR Method.
AIR stands for:
- Accumulative: small shifts add up over time. You don’t need to change everything overnight.
- Incremental: take tiny steps. Move your most distracting apps off your home screen. Turn off one set of notifications. Start there.
- Rewiring: gradually retrain your brain to see your phone as a tool and not as a source of endless novelty or comfort.
By implementing small, deliberate changes, you can gradually shift your habits and reduce screen time without the need for drastic measures.
Being more ruthless in what you allow into your limited attention span is not selfish—it’s respectful. Of your time, your energy, and your life.
Related reads:
- How to Spend Time Intentionally
- 50 Small Acts of Mindfulness for your Busy Life
- Bored? 85+ Things to do to Replace Mindless Scrolling
- Questions to Help You Know Yourself Better
