Buddy, as a believer of free will, I would suggest that you and others like you would put down the idea of trying to control others. How would you feel if someone saw everything that you did and say "you know, I don't like what it is that you're doing, so I'm going to try and control what you do"? You wouldn't like that for very long.

People are going to decide as to how they spend their time, even at their own detriment. There's little you can do, all you can do is just suggest or advise. But you're looking for just straightforward convincing and control.

You have to be in your own lane.

It's like any other addiction. You can't do anything to stop them until they want to do it themselves. Maybe the best course is to show them by example.

I'm gonna be probably a little too real here... This...uh...might not be the best place to ask. It's kinda like running into a bar and asking everyone how they stay sober. It's a nicer bar than the divey place down the road but...it's a bar.

this is singlehandedly the hardest thing abour wanting to quit scrolling. when i’m scrolling suddenly everyone is an internet free health nut that doesn’t even know what tiktok is and i’m the stupid chud. then when i’m offline everyone NEEDS to scroll for 5 hours a day and be up to date on the most niche youtube drama while i am left out. it’s likt not smoking in the 1940s

My advice: don't try to control other people's behavior. Maybe discuss your personal choices and encourage folks to do the same once or twice, but if you try more than that you're gonna strain your relationships.

Challenge them to bloom-scroll, and actually learn something.

wikitok.io

Its their life. I would try offering better alternatives to things they are already using.

But mobilek is my best friend. You shouldn't put your best friend down.

The only soul you will ever be able to save is your own.

Set an example, invite them outside to play, or suggest a board game night, basically offer them options that get them away from it, but expect most of them to just keep scrolling for your own mental health.

I spend a lot of time away from my devices. I've even got written up at work because coworkers tried contacting me like 5 different ways but I wasn't checking my phone for most of the day. I was doing archery and rock climbing at the time. I also be doing hiking and airsoft. I be doing a lot of things.

I used to be a social media addict and so I can give tips on getting off of it and being less dependent though:

1. Disable notifications
2. Transition DMs off of social media platforms to more messenger specific apps
3. Delete the apps and now only visit via website
4. Delete your account all together

Along the way, you should obviously find stuff to do that isn't doom scrolling. There are endless of hobbies out there, book reading, yoyoing, rubiks cubes, balisong spinning, begleri, chess, lockpicking, geocaching, etc.

Would try to convince them to use an eink device.

Like this one

https://mudita.com/products/phones/mudita-kompakt/

Eesh. Taking a phone into the shower sounds like "talk to a medical professional" level of addiction...

you start from buying a board game and have a family board game night

Center your activities either around things that need both hands (sports, creative hobbies) or in remote location with no cell service.

Maybe board game night specifically without cellphones.

If you want to stop their use in day to day life, it sucks but it's an addiction that is completely socially acceptable. Be prepared to get some flak for frustrating their dopamine rush. The options are limited and you won't come off as helping to say the least.

I think phone use is tied to boredom personally, so if you notice someone falling into an hour long loop, invite them to do something I guess.

I invite friends and family members on walks but tell them no phones are allowed. If they need to bring it in casenof emergency, they have to turn it on silent

Give them something better to do when you're with them, like have them play a game or something.

It's digital heroin. We who are still awake must legislate a law against it or humanity is doomed.

I would focus on what you can control. I think you could politely mention that you think they are on the phone too much and you feel it is an unhealthy habit. I would say that's about the most I would intervene. It gets them thinking about the amount of time they are on the phone/internet and leaves it in their hands to make a change.

Anything more than that will be seen as pushy and overstepping, which will just give them a reason to dismiss you. The main thing I'll say here is that it's not your responsibility to "save" the people you care about in your life. The biggest impact you can have is focusing on yourself and setting a positive example for those around you.

I've struggled with this myself but I've gotten a lot better. I kept deleting the Instagram app so the temptation wasn't there to scroll reels, but then I'd redownload to post a story and fall right back into the same trap. Well I have a tablet that I only use for reading manga, watching movies/tv/anime via plex, and sometimes stream games from Steam via my desktop as a host client.

I'm renovating my kitchen which is down to the studs currently so the temptation to post is real, but I just do it from my tablet now instead. For whatever reason I view it as a tool to do only those three things so I don't get sucked into the same loop now. And I really need to work on getting our house to not be a construction zone so I have better things to do than scroll videos that I will forget what I even watched within minutes.

That was the biggest revelation how much of a time waste it really is. If I can't even remember what I watched it was that insignificant then there's no point. Sure maybe I'd show my husband something funny, but that's about as far as it goes. Truly feels like brain rot in real time

Do they have a reason not to?

Take care of yourself and love unconditionally. If one wants change, he or she may seek it.

Steal their phone, open the apps they use the most, and completely fuck up their algorithm watching and liking things they normally wouldn't. Just completely fucking poison their well.

Make anti-social media and doomscrolling propaganda posters /hj.