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The GENZ Smoking | Day 27

 

šŸ“± Scrolling Is the New Smoking

And I’m the chain smoker

Ever noticed how your thumb just magically ends up on Instagram, YouTube Shorts, or reels… even when you didn’t plan to?
Yeah, me too. Every. Single. Day.

Let’s be real for a second — I don’t smoke. Never even tried it. But if doom scrolling was a cigarette, bro… I’d be lighting up every 5 minutes.
That screen glow? It’s my lighter. That endless feed? My pack of smokes.
Scrolling is the new smoking, and we’re all addicted — whether we admit it or not.

šŸš¬ The Modern-Day Cigarette = Your Phone

Old days: People smoked when bored, stressed, waiting for someone, or just out of habit.
Today? We scroll for all the same reasons.

  • Bored? Open Insta.

  • Stressed? Scroll reels.

  • Waiting for someone? YouTube Shorts.

  • Just chilling? Reels time. -  part 2

It’s the same pattern. It gives temporary relief.
But here's the catch — just like smoking, you don’t even realize how much it's messing with you until it’s too deep.

šŸ§  Dopamine Loops That Got Us Cooked

You open your phone to reply to one message… and 47 minutes later, you’re watching a capybara sliding down a hill while eating a watermelon with Lo-Fi music in the background.
WHY?

Because your brain is chasing cheap dopamine.
A small rush, that quick hit. But it fades. Fast.

Real dopamine? That comes when you actually do something — like complete your homework, crush a mock test, or write a blog (ironically, what I should’ve been doing instead of watching a 13-minute video on “How pencils are made”).

šŸ•“ Time Slip Is Real

The scariest thing? You don’t feel time when you’re scrolling.
It’s like a time-skip jutsu.

I open my phone “just for 5 mins,” and suddenly the sun’s down, I’m hungry, I’m guilty, and I have zero idea how 3 hours passed.

You can scroll through a whole day and still feel empty.
No memories. No progress. Just tired thumbs and fried brain cells.

šŸŖžI Saw My Screen Time… and Cried Inside

Every Sunday, I get that Digital Wellbeing notification.
I open it, confident like “This week I definitely improved.”

Boom.
6h 42m/day avg.

WHO is using my phone? Because I swear it wasn’t me.

I don’t even remember what I saw for that long.
That’s the trap — you scroll for hours, and remember nothing. Meanwhile, your to-do list is crying in the corner.

šŸ”“ Breaking the Loop

I’m not gonna say “just quit scrolling.” We both know that’s not happening overnight.
But here’s what helped me (a bit, still work in progress ngl):

  • App timer: Limit Insta or YouTube to 30 mins a day (and try to not bypass it).

  • Home screen detox: Remove the trigger apps from the front.

  • Replace the habit: Read something. Draw. Even listen to music without visuals.

  • Offline moments: Go out without your phone. Scary but peaceful af.

The point isn’t to stop scrolling completely. It’s to stop letting it control you.

✨ Conclusion: Scroll Smarter, Not Harder

Scrolling feels good… until it doesn’t.

It's the new smoking — gives you a moment of peace, but robs your focus, time, and energy in return.
And trust me, the withdrawal hits hard when you try to quit. But it’s worth it.

Next time you catch yourself deep in that scroll-hole, ask:

“Am I doing this… or is this thing doing me?”

You're not a robot. You’re a beast.
Take the control back. You don’t need to quit your phone — just stop letting it burn your time like a cigarette.

RAK of the Day: Helped mom with her chores šŸ«¶

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