Today, I realized I had been staring at my phone for an hour without doing anything else. When I looked up, I noticed my mom had been standing in the doorway, shaking her head at me for a solid five minutes. I hadn’t noticed her. I wish I could use this laser focus to study for my college exams instead of wasting my time doomscrolling Instagram. FML
Collection
Fall
Dead leaves, the first cold of the season and an umbrella flipped inside out: fall, the season of grace.
Today, I cleaned my room, which I’d been putting off for ages. Halfway through, I sat down “just for a second” to check my phone. Two hours later, I was still scrolling, surrounded by half-sorted piles of stuff. When my roommate walked in and asked if I was reorganizing or giving up, I didn’t know. FML
Today, my mother dragged me to the mall to get me out of the house and to get me to stop using my phone. She then spent the whole trip talking on her phone instead of actually interacting with me. FML
Today, I woke up early and took my medication to help me focus while catching up on lectures. I ended up spending the whole day focused on fixing my drawer for no apparent reason. FML
Today, I had to fake fall down the stairs so my mom would stop texting and actually pay attention to what I was saying. FML
Today, it's only when my mom knocked on the door and asked, "Are you alright in there?" that I realised that I had been scrolling through the same Instagram feed whilst sat on the toilet for an hour. My legs had gone numb and I'm pretty sure the toilet seat is forever engraved in my arse cheeks. FML
Today, my girlfriend berated me for my "lack of communication skills", all while deeply engrossed with something on her phone. FML
Today, I received a notification that my phone screen time was down by 40% this week. I was incredibly proud of myself until I remembered I'd spent most of the week watching TV instead. FML
Today, my boss yelled at me for having Facebook open at work. That's fine, I closed it and continued on with my work. In a meeting later on I could see the reflection of my boss's laptop screen in a mirror behind her desk. For two hours, I watched her scroll through her Facebook feed. FML
Today, my wife whined that she couldn't sleep, while she had her eyes glued to her phone, her Switch in her lap, the TV on, and her bedside light shining in her face. I've long since learned not to comment on this. FML
Today, I spent a few seconds looking for my phone before realizing I'd been holding it the entire time. I laughed, put it down, and went back to what I was doing. Ten minutes later, I started looking for it again. FML
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Top comments
Nazmazh 18
As someone who found out that I have ADHD later in life, this is relatable. Though it can be a combination of hyperfocus and executive dysfunction I use "task inertia" to describe what it can be like. If my brain doesn't want to start on a task, it takes no less than the panic of imminent crisis to get it to start on that task. Other times, I can get lost in something and "just one more thing..." myself until I realize the level of daylight has suddenly changed outside and I'm hungry, thirsty and in immediate need of the bathroom. Yes, the classic is doomscrolling or video games - But those are often a result of not being able to start something else that I should, and especially in the case of doomscrolling, feeling guilty about doing anything substantial that isn't the task at-hand. I've been known to get just as entirely-absorbed in data entry as in the classic video games example, once the ball got rolling.
Thaylok 17
Instagram, and other social media, is designed to be addictive. study/homework is not. Don't be hard on yourself d for falling for the app-trap. This is where discipline can take hold. of course, getting that self discipline is a monster of a boring task. Maybe start by setting some alarms to schedule the study time. during that time, put the phone/tablet away and limit computer work to the study only. It is difficult. You can do it.
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Comments (3)
Nazmazh 18
As someone who found out that I have ADHD later in life, this is relatable. Though it can be a combination of hyperfocus and executive dysfunction I use "task inertia" to describe what it can be like. If my brain doesn't want to start on a task, it takes no less than the panic of imminent crisis to get it to start on that task. Other times, I can get lost in something and "just one more thing..." myself until I realize the level of daylight has suddenly changed outside and I'm hungry, thirsty and in immediate need of the bathroom. Yes, the classic is doomscrolling or video games - But those are often a result of not being able to start something else that I should, and especially in the case of doomscrolling, feeling guilty about doing anything substantial that isn't the task at-hand. I've been known to get just as entirely-absorbed in data entry as in the classic video games example, once the ball got rolling.
Thaylok 17
Instagram, and other social media, is designed to be addictive. study/homework is not. Don't be hard on yourself d for falling for the app-trap. This is where discipline can take hold. of course, getting that self discipline is a monster of a boring task. Maybe start by setting some alarms to schedule the study time. during that time, put the phone/tablet away and limit computer work to the study only. It is difficult. You can do it.
GoogieWithers 25
It happens to everyone. Don't be too hard on yourself. Make a schedule. 20 mins of study, then 5 mins of scrolling. Get up, have water,maybe a snack, then 30 mins of study, then 5 mins of doomscrolling and water. Good Luck.