Why You Can't Stop Scrolling and How to Fix It

Summary

This video discusses the issue of 'doom scrolling' and its impact on our attention span and real-world engagement. The speaker shares personal strategies to break free from this habit, emphasizing the importance of creating content over consuming it, finding a 'bigger why', and focusing on personal growth and meaningful activities.

Takeaways

• 😀 Half of the viewers might not finish watching the video, reflecting a common issue with short attention spans and the habit of endlessly scrolling through content.
• 🔄 The speaker admits to being a 'doom scroller' and suggests that this behavior is widespread, indicating a need for change in how we consume digital content.
• 🌐 Realizing that it's impossible to keep up with all the content from everyone you follow is a crucial first step in breaking the cycle of endless scrolling.
• 💡 Having a 'bigger why' or a strong personal motivation can help in making changes to reduce screen time and focus on more meaningful activities.
• 📚 Creating more than consuming is a strategy that can help shift focus from passive consumption to active creation, potentially leading to personal growth and fulfillment.
• 🤑 Sharing knowledge and expertise in areas you are passionate about can not only bring joy but also build a community and potentially lead to financial opportunities.
• 💼 Selling your skills by creating valuable content or products can be a way to monetize your passions and knowledge, turning hobbies into income sources.
• 📈 Learning and applying new skills, such as web development or content creation, can be a productive use of time instead of mindlessly scrolling, potentially leading to new career paths or business ventures.
• 🏡 Finding work that aligns with your passions can be a fulfilling way to spend time, making it easier to resist the lure of endless scrolling and focus on meaningful activities.
• 🛠️ Sometimes, taking drastic measures like putting your phone away or using 'do not disturb' mode is necessary to break the habit of constant digital distraction and focus on real-world experiences.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video script?

The main issue discussed is the habit of 'doom scrolling' on phones and social media, and how it affects people's attention span and real-life experiences.

Why does the speaker believe that many people won't finish watching the video?

The speaker believes that due to the trained habit of losing attention span, many viewers might get distracted and click away to something else before the video ends.

What mindset shifts are suggested to help stop the 'doom scrolling' habit?

The mindset shifts suggested include realizing the impossibility of keeping up with all content, finding a 'bigger why' to motivate change, and focusing on creating more than consuming.

What does the speaker mean by 'having a bigger why'?

'Having a bigger why' refers to identifying a strong personal reason or goal that is more compelling than the habit of doom scrolling, which can help in breaking the addiction.

How does the speaker propose to replace the habit of doom scrolling?

The speaker suggests replacing doom scrolling with the habit of creating content, sharing knowledge, selling skills, or learning new skills related to one's interests.

What is an example of creating content as suggested by the speaker?

An example of creating content is sharing knowledge about a topic one is passionate about, such as starting a blog, an Instagram account, or a YouTube channel.

What is the significance of selling one's skills according to the script?

Selling one's skills is significant as it allows individuals to share what they love and are knowledgeable about, potentially making money from it, and replacing the habit of consuming with creating value.

Can you provide an example of how someone can sell their skills from the script?

An example given is writing an ebook on a subject one is knowledgeable about and repackaging that knowledge into a valuable product that others are willing to pay for.

What is the importance of learning new skills as mentioned in the video script?

Learning new skills is important as it can lead to personal growth, new career opportunities, and can replace unproductive habits like doom scrolling with productive activities.

How does the speaker address the issue of feeling overwhelmed by the amount of content available?

The speaker acknowledges that it's impossible to consume all content and suggests focusing on creating one's own content and finding a personal 'why' to stay motivated.

What steps can someone take if they find their doom scrolling habit getting out of control according to the script?

The speaker suggests putting the phone in another room, using 'Do Not Disturb' mode, and engaging in activities that make one feel alive, such as exercise, spending time with loved ones, or pursuing hobbies.

Outlines

00:00

😣 Overcoming Doom Scrolling

The speaker begins by addressing the common issue of 'doom scrolling' - the habit of endlessly scrolling through social media, which often leads to a loss of focus and time. They acknowledge that many viewers may not watch the entire video despite their initial interest, as they are already preoccupied with the desire to reduce phone usage. The speaker shares their own experience with this habit and sets the stage for discussing strategies to shift away from this behavior, including realizing the impossibility of keeping up with the constant influx of content and finding a 'bigger why' to motivate change.

05:01

🤔 Mindset Shifts and Creating Value

This paragraph delves into the mindset shifts necessary to stop the addiction to doom scrolling. The speaker emphasizes the futility of trying to keep up with the endless stream of content from various social media platforms and the importance of identifying a compelling reason to change this habit. They introduce the concept of creating more than consuming, suggesting that by sharing knowledge or skills, individuals can find fulfillment and potentially monetize their passions. The speaker provides examples of how they have personally benefited from this approach and encourages viewers to consider what they are passionate about and how they can share that with others.

10:02

💼 Monetizing Passion and Learning New Skills

The speaker explores the idea of turning one's interests into a source of income by selling skills or knowledge. They argue that most people have more expertise in a particular area than they realize and can leverage this to create value for others, which can lead to financial gain. Examples such as creating an eBook, starting a blog, or developing an online course are given to illustrate how one can package and sell their knowledge. The speaker also touches on the potential of e-commerce and the importance of marketing in conjunction with creation. They conclude by suggesting that learning a new skill can be a fulfilling alternative to aimless scrolling, offering various online resources and tools for skill development.

📚 Encouraging Engagement and Community Support

In the final paragraph, the speaker offers additional resources for those interested in pursuing content creation or expanding their online presence. They mention a 7-Day free course for starting on YouTube and an upcoming community aimed at supporting creators. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of engagement on the platform, encouraging viewers to like and subscribe to support the channel's growth. This paragraph serves as a call to action, providing practical next steps for viewers who are motivated to make changes in their digital habits.

Keywords

💡Doom scrolling

Doom scrolling refers to the habit of endlessly scrolling through social media feeds, often leading to negative emotions or anxiety due to the content consumed. In the video, it is depicted as an addiction that the speaker wants to overcome, and it is a central theme illustrating the problem of excessive phone usage and its impact on life quality.

💡Attention span

The attention span is the length of time a person can concentrate on a task without becoming distracted. The video suggests that the habit of doom scrolling has eroded people's attention spans, making it difficult for them to focus on more meaningful activities.

💡Mindset shifts

Mindset shifts refer to changes in one's perspective or way of thinking. The video emphasizes that overcoming the habit of doom scrolling requires a change in mindset, particularly realizing the futility of trying to keep up with endless content and finding a 'bigger why' to motivate change.

💡Content consumption

Content consumption is the act of engaging with digital media such as videos, posts, and podcasts. The script discusses the overwhelming amount of content available and the pressure people feel to keep up with it, which can lead to excessive screen time and reduced productivity.

💡Bigger why

The 'bigger why' is a compelling reason or purpose that drives one to take action or make changes in their life. In the context of the video, finding a 'bigger why' is suggested as a strategy to quit doom scrolling and start focusing on more meaningful activities.

💡Creating value

Creating value involves producing something that is useful or beneficial to others. The video encourages viewers to shift from being passive consumers to active creators, suggesting that by sharing knowledge or skills, one can improve their life and potentially generate income.

💡Knowledge sharing

Knowledge sharing is the act of disseminating information or expertise with others. The script uses the example of sharing financial independence strategies to illustrate how one can turn their passion into a platform for engaging with a like-minded community.

💡Skill monetization

Skill monetization is the process of turning one's skills or expertise into a source of income. The video suggests that by identifying and packaging one's unique skills, individuals can create products or services that others are willing to pay for, thus replacing the habit of doom scrolling with a profitable endeavor.

💡E-commerce

E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, and the script mentions it as a potential avenue for turning a passion or skill into a business, such as creating an online store to sell handkerchiefs.

💡High-value skills

High-value skills are abilities that are in demand and can significantly contribute to one's career or business success. The video implies that by learning and applying such skills, like copywriting or web development, individuals can find more fulfilling ways to spend their time than doom scrolling.

💡Digital detox

Digital detox is the practice of taking a break from digital devices and technology to reduce stress and improve mental health. The script mentions putting the phone in another room or using 'Do Not Disturb' mode as examples of digital detox practices to regain control over one's life and focus on more meaningful activities.

Highlights

Statistically, about half of the viewers may not finish watching the video despite their initial interest.

The speaker admits to being a 'doom scroller' and discusses the impact of social media on attention span and real-life engagement.

The importance of realizing the impossibility of keeping up with the constant influx of content across various platforms is emphasized.

A shift in mindset is necessary to stop the 'doom scrolling' addiction, which includes understanding the futility of trying to consume all available content.

The concept of having a 'bigger why' is introduced as a motivational factor to change habits and reduce screen time.

The speaker shares personal strategies for shifting away from doom scrolling, including creating more than consuming.

Sharing knowledge on a topic one is passionate about can lead to finding a community and personal excitement.

The idea of selling one's skill or knowledge is presented as a way to monetize passions and interests.

An example is given of an ebook called 'Refactoring UI' which made over $1 million by repackaging existing knowledge.

The potential for smaller creators with a targeted audience to achieve six-figure salaries is highlighted.

The speaker encourages finding and building a community around a shared obsession and offering valuable products or services to them.

Various examples of online businesses are provided to inspire viewers to consider different avenues for creating value.

The importance of learning how to create and sell oneself and ideas is underlined as a lead funnel for any venture.

The option of finding a new skill or passion to pursue as a form of work is discussed as a way to replace screen time.

Resources such as YouTube channels and websites are mentioned as free learning tools for developing high-value skills.

The speaker suggests taking drastic measures like putting the phone in another room to combat excessive screen time.

Engaging in activities that make one feel alive, such as cold plunges, walking, or playing with family, is recommended over doom scrolling.

A 7-Day free course and a community for small creators are mentioned as resources to help grow and expand one's reach in content creation.

The video concludes with a reminder to like and subscribe for support on the YouTube platform.

Transcripts

statistically speaking about half of you

will not finish this video even though

you clicked on it because you want to

spend less time on your phone you're

probably already thinking about is this

video worth watching to the end you're

thinking about scrolling clicking away

to something else opening up your phone

if you're watching it on your laptop and

that's because we have slowly been

trained to lose our attention span not

only that to live a large portion of Our

Lives based off other people and I've

fallen into this trap way too often of

not actually living in the real world

but letting especially my phone and

other things just completely control my

life spending hours every day either

trying to feel productive or just like

escaping reality in this video I kind of

wanted to share how I have shifted away

from Doom scrolling and keeping up with

the news and following other people into

actually improving my life so if you're

actually interested in stopping Doom

scrolling and improving your life then

maybe watch through the entire video and

don't be part of the 50% Doom scrolling

Doom scrolling Doom scrolling Doom

scrolling I have been a doom scroller

since Doom scrolling came into existence

are we all doomed to keep scrolling this

is Che so before I get into what I

actually did to kind of stop this Doom

scrolling addiction there's a few

mindset shifts that needed to happen

first the first off was realizing that I

just can't keep up with stuff because

everybody that you follow whether it's

long form short form Instagram Tik Tok

podcast YouTube they're always going to

have more stuff than you should watch

you should watch every one of my videos

you shouldn't see every post that

somebody makes and a lot of times we get

in this kind of productive mindset of

like I need to keep up with this cuz

then I'm behind and then if I'm behind

I'll have to binge watch a lot of stuff

to catch up and if you do that with

multiple people that can be hours of

your day or week that you're spending

just keeping up with whatever somebody

else is posting and for the most part

well content is great and you can get a

lot of good ideas that can hopefully

improve your life unless you're taking

action on those ideas it will be

completely worthless like even if you

follow through to the end of this video

and you didn't change you didn't stop

Doom scrolling then you just wasted 10

minutes of your life so the first thing

I had to realize was one I couldn't keep

up with everybody and then two having a

bigger why or something that I'm chasing

to stop that addiction because even

though most of us want to stop we want

to spend less time we want to spend more

time in the real world we'd like to have

more money enjoy our vacations more

spend more time with our loved ones

there is a a thing that's keeping you

from doing that and even though you want

to stop you can't but for me the only

way I can you know kind of trick myself

to change my behavior is to have a

bigger why than the thing that I'm

replacing that thing with so just taking

a minute to find out what your why is

for making any change in your life is

going to help some of those habits stick

is it that you're unhappy right now and

you need to make a change is it that you

would like to start that business that

you've never actually started is it I'd

like to spend more time with your family

what is that why for you not too curious

let me know so I don't really like

giving giv advice so I'm just sharing

what has worked for me and that is to

create more than I consume for a lot of

you you're probably not creators right

now and that's okay and that's okay I'm

not telling you to like become a

YouTuber or anything but I want to give

like four examples of things that you

can create that will actually improve

your life whether you want to be a

influencer content creator or not and

how they have helped my life and kind of

replaced this bad habit with one that

like generally made my life better share

your knowledge everybody has something

that they obsess about for me when I

started you know posting stuff on the

internet and consuming a lot less in

turn I was just sharing something that I

was super super super excited about

which was you know Financial

Independence and the fire movement and

saving money all that type of stuff but

everybody has an unfair Advantage

everybody has something that they obsess

about maybe it's like murder mysteries

or friends you are really good at that

or painting pictures or dogs are You The

Boss Dog

on my vein like minimalism saving money

if you pick a topic that you are

extremely passionate about that you

can't shut up about to your friends and

you start sharing it with other people

who are just as excited about it as you

it'll become a place that you can not

only you know find some some passion and

excitement because you're talking about

what you love but you can find a

community even if it's a small one of

other people who are just as excited

about that thing as you whether that's

writing a Blog starting you know an

Instagram or a YouTube YouTube channel

it's not as hard as people think to

actually just start posting in fact if

you're thinking about starting YouTube I

did make a 7-Day free course on like how

to get started on YouTube everybody kind

of thinks it's super complex but really

no matter what you pick don't think

about the channel name don't think about

the art don't think about anything just

post consistently and get P that way

instead of overanalyzing for 6 months

and then never actually taking action

because you think about it and then you

didn't really do it but you couldn't get

the right name and it's all this stuff I

see it over and over and over again

people who are excited and and

passionate about what they're sharing

what they're creating are some of the

happiest people that I know because they

get to talk about what they love every

single day even if nobody's listening

they get to focus on their passion and

putting stuff into the world of value to

themsel and to other people let's talk

about number two sell your skill so I

just talked about sharing things that

you're excited about but how much better

would it be if you could share those

things that you absolutely love and make

money about it now this is an extremely

hard hurdle to get over for a of people

because most people don't think that

they have anything worth sharing but in

reality you know more about something I

would guess than like you know 90% of

other people in fact if you read a

couple books on one subject you're

probably better equipped to talk about

that subject than probably 90% of people

that are posting so you can actually

within you know a couple of months

really hone in on what your value is

that you're adding to people and get

paid to do it whether that's writing an

ebook whether it's posting on social

media making YouTube blog if you can

create something of value money will

find you for instance there's this ebook

called refactoring UI it's a simple book

that shares like design tips and tricks

aimed for designers the author pretty

much just repackaged knowledge that they

already had and back in 2020 the sales

had surpassed $1 million just from this

ebook in fact according to Twitter it

was

$2.3 Million Just One author making one

thing and then Market it now I don't

think most of us are going to make you

know that type of money but even if we

you know got to maybe 1% of that over

the next couple years that's not too bad

in fact I know a lot of smaller creators

who even though they don't have a large

audience maybe they've been going for a

couple years and they have you know

5,000 to 10,000 subscribers they're

making six figure salaries just because

they have a product in a targeted

audience that they are talking to about

that product so if you can find that

community of people who are obsessed

about the same thing you are obsessed

about and then offer them something

super valuable most people would pay for

that because they want valuable stuff

they want to learn things as quickly as

possible and if you can help them with

that it's valuable so now instead of

scrolling on your phone every night you

can read books about things that you're

interested and write things down but you

know what even if YouTube is not your

thing there are so many other businesses

that you can start online I'm going to

try to do a whole video on just

different online businesses that I've

either started or I know other people

who have started but I want to give you

a few examples just as like inspiration

there's this channel called my wife quit

her job where this guy shared how his

wife was able to quit her job by

creating an e-commerce store selling

handkerchiefs online then there's this

other guy called owler online I don't

know where this guy used to post Tech

products on Instagram and people were

always asking him where he bought this

stuff and so after you know he he

created a little bit of a following he

actually started an e-commerce store

called uxl although creating like a

store whether you're using you know

Shopify or whatever else is not the hard

part the hard part is marketing whatever

you have and that's why I come back to

creating as such a lead funnel for

anything that you're thinking about

doing if you can learn how to create and

sell yourself and your ideas once you

provide enough value by talking about

the stuff that you love to an audience

it'll be much easier for you to actually

make sales on those things let's talk

about the last option which is to find

something that you love to do for work

and really obsess and learn a new skill

now I think most people feel like

they're capped on how much they can earn

they don't have time or like energy to

to do other stuff so if you can find a

way to make money doing something that

you love or something that you you know

kind of like that could be a great use

of that time that you normally spend

just scrolling in bed if you can work on

your copyrighting skills if that's

something you want to do there's tons of

YouTube channels and websites that talk

about that stuff for free that you can

learn or maybe you want to learn website

development there are some like no code

tools such as webflow and framer and you

can just like watch tutorials on how to

use those or maybe you've always wanted

to create a mobile app there's tools

that you can use to do that without

knowing how to code like flutter flow

and a Bola thunkable and others again

with any of these high value skills you

can find tutorials on how to do them and

watch those instead of just wasting your

life endlessly scrolling for more and

more stuff you could also just stop this

is something that I have to do from time

to time when my scrolling gets out of

control and even when I'm trying to

create more then you know I consume

sometimes it still happens and in times

like that I literally just have to put

my phone in another room for most of the

day put on Gray skill mode I'll lock it

in a cookie jar I'll get creative with

just stopping living in this digital

world and really trying to go back to

doing something that is actually living

for me I feel most alive when I'm doing

a cold plunge when I'm in the sauna when

I'm going for a walk when I'm playing

with my daughter working out or um you

know for me the thing that excites me

the most is making content actually

shooting something actually creating and

forming this idea that's in my head and

putting it out into the world that's

when I actually feel alive so hopefully

this helps if you are thinking about

starting YouTube again I do have a 7-Day

free course down below you can check

that out I'm also launching a community

that I'm involved with helping small

creators kind of like grow and expand

their reach and just get better at

making videos you can you can check out

that as well and of course don't forget

to like And subscribe because you know

YouTube stuff