As sleep-deprived students face mountains of lecture slides and notes, the itch for the next hit of scroll-induced dopamine intensifies, and withdrawal symptoms are quick to ensue if you resist.
It’s common to get caught up in the empirical metrics of success: volunteer hours accumulated, grades on chemistry finals, items ticked off the endless pre-med checklist. When so much of your brainpower is spent on that banal stuff, it’s easy to find solace in mindless activities. But instead of relying on social media, try these unconventional ways to feed your scrolling needs. These creative replacements for brain-rotting Instagram reels can be a tool for building your ideal life and your scrolling can become less doom and more dream.
Tour your dream home on Zillow
There’s no better study motivation than dreamscrolling through houses you cannot afford, especially when you can rationalize that locking in for your next midterm brings you one step closer to affording that home. I’ve spent countless hours mindlessly searching all major cities for mansion after mansion. Each one’s interior design choices prove money can’t buy taste, so they might as well hand it over to me! Not only is the vindication from judging the rich satisfying, but even if you don’t have an interest in interior design, this scroll keeps you invested in your success.
Make a playlist
Whether your poison is Spotify, Apple Music, or — god forbid — YouTube Music, curate your best flow-state playlist. If you’re insane like me and consolidate all your music under “Liked Songs,” it’s time to start creating playlists for every possible mood. Need inspiration? Consider a soundtrack for your treks to lecture! Alternatively, assemble the perfect queue for mysteriously staring out the campus shuttle. Some advice for those creating a study playlist: Include house music. It’s the perfect, upbeat instrumental music for a good vibe, yet it provides minimal distraction. If study playlists are your niche, make one for every subject; just be careful not to Pavlov yourself and ruin your favorite songs by associating them with Making of the Modern World homework.
Create Pinterest vision boards
Who says positive affirmations don’t work? Pinterest is a gold mine for daydreamers and overachievers alike. Spend time meticulously crafting your aesthetic, creating a vision board for your future career, getting inspiration to start developing your final form, or curating your dream closet. Even if you have no real way to achieve these goals, you get an A for effort because at least you have concepts of a plan! Just make sure it’s not 3 a.m. when you decide to DIY curtain bangs and dye them green. For our graduating seniors, make a board about your post-grad life to help you push through your last quarter.
Read the paper — digitally
Shameless plug, but truly — read! Anything and everything works: random Substack posts, the rapidly disappearing art of online blogs, or even fanfiction. Just avoid going down Reddit rabbit holes and spiraling into its darkest depths of “Am I the Asshole” toxicity. If you need a place to start, UCSD students get free access to a New York Times subscription. All you need to do is use your student email when you create an account to activate your subscription. Get that finger moving as you peruse endless incredibly entertaining articles about “tenderly tracking” your partner to Met Gala outfit reviews. By finding stress-free reads, you can mindlessly entertain yourself without the dopamine overload of 30-second social media clips.
Pass time on Cool Math Games
Cool Math Games was a staple of my elementary school memories, and I’ve recently rediscovered the website, reigniting my love for the Papas’ games.
If being productive really isn’t your vibe, the website could be disguised as a fun, no-stakes activity. The Papas’ games are great tools for practicing multitasking and customer service. People may prefer other sources of beneficial stress, such as Sudoku or crosswords, but I find this site keeps my mind active in a more passive way.
Peeling your eyes away from that damn phone takes more than just sheer willpower. Still, it’s like they always say — small steps! Use these creative substitutes to take a break from your regularly scheduled social media surfing. Happy dreamscrolling!
