A few months ago, I got a little stuck in my phone. I did exactly what I worry
my teens will do: I started doomscrolling, focusing on lots of bad news with
the excuse that I had to “stay informed.” Unfortunately, I was not able to
solve any problems by staring at my little screen, but I did manage to give
myself quite a few sleepless nights.
Luckily, I found the antidote to the doomscroll: I started making a more purposeful effort to chat with friends and neighbors. I put down the phone and volunteered at a food bank. I went for a run with friends. I took my family out to dinner at a local restaurant. I organized a food drive. I picked up coffee at a locally owned shop and hung around for a minute to soak
up the atmosphere. I planned a few Girl Scout meetings. I explored some
locally owned boutiques. I steered clear of the clickbait headlines, online bots and social media feeds designed to provoke strong emotions. It didn’t fix the news, but it did help me. It reminded me that I live in a great community with
