Step 1: Read this article. Like you, I’m tired of hearing that phones are bad, scrolling is damaging, and social media is harmful. The truth is–we know. Countless facts have come out about prolonged phone use, demeaning teens and young adults for their habits and long hours of screen time. We are the first generation to feel the repercussions, and the first generation responsible for making a change.

Now, if you’re reading this, you’re probably interested in a way out–so am I. At the start of the new year I was compelled to use my time differently. The challenge proved to be greater than I anticipated, but not less meaningful. It is never too hard, or too late to try, so I set a time limit on Instagram (about a year after I deleted TikTok).

Step 2: Recognize the problem. Think about when it originated. Most people will trace it to the COVID-19 pandemic, when we were spurred to relentlessly track our lives and seek connection through online forums, joining apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. For me, it started when I downloaded Musically on my iPad in 3rd grade. As a senior in high school, it feels about time for me to reduce my screen time to what it was when I was eight years old. 

To learn more, I interviewed Ms. Sixsmith, Darien High School’s Connections Counselor and addiction specialist. She framed the dependence as something that comes from an initial healthy desire–in terms of phones, for “convenience, practicality, and connection.” Soon, the brain becomes dependent on the rewarding and affirming aspects of scrolling.

The issue is not one of self-control but of conditioning–a stream of dopamine-inducing images and sounds is biologically bound to interest us. In fact, our itch for new information is an evolutionary trait, bred to enhance survival. As Dr. Aaron Hartman says in “The Neuroscience of Social Media,” we have a “novelty addiction.” 

Imagine yourself on a primeval savanna, hunting. From beyond the tall grass you slither through, something rustles. Your ears perk. Your eyes glint. As the sound gets closer, and closer, you feel adrenaline rushing in you, caused by the unknown potential before you. Our ancestors were able to survive because of their trait of anticipation. Now, we are domesticated, but still hunters. In “Addictive potential of social media, explained” Bruce Goldman from Stanford Medicine explains how our dopamine pathways were initially created to increase our odds of “survival and procreation.” The creators of social media algorithms know that, and gave us something new to hunt–pleasure. By hijacking dopamine receptors, social media affects the same brain region as cocaine use does.

Step 3: Remember yourself. What did you do as a child? Before you had an iPad in your hands? And if you can’t remember, think of your fondest childhood memories. How were they spent? I remember myself reading: books, upon books, upon books. As a non-native English speaker, I desired to rapidly improve my knowledge and vocabulary. In turn, I began losing my first language to a degree. So, on January 1st, 2026, I picked up a classic, The Master and Margarita, that I had wanted to read in Russian for a long time. Its twists and turns occupied my mind, far from the endless void of my phone. Now, although I think everyone should read, it might not be your solution. Whether you love to spend time outside, talk with friends, paint, play a sport, or read like me, use it to distract yourself from the phone. Before long, it will not be a distraction, but an activity that brings zest into your life.

Step 4: Realize you will fail. Unless you turn out to be a master of concentration or a god of self-restraint, you will relapse. Before sitting down to write this, I scrolled for an hour, possibly longer than I had all of last week. I thought I had made progress–and I did. Any time spent away from an old habit is time well spent.

“Relapse is part of recovery,” said Ms. Sixsmith. In her experience as a substance abuse counselor, Ms. Sixsmith remembers to “never look down on relapse.” Though it feels like failure, it isn’t: the hardest task is to keep going. And it is important to recognize that you are not alone. Last year, in the midst of my TikTok conundrum, me and my friend decided to quit together. On our home screen, we replaced the oily-black TikTok square with the Crumbl Cookie app. Each month, we would meet up to snack, enjoy each other’s company, and talk about our progress. Of course, after the Instagram algorithm figured me out, I was hooked once again. However, our scheduled sessions supported me tremendously. 

Luckily for us, there are plenty of resources aimed to help phone addiction by now. Popular apps include Opal, Freedom, Forest, and Brainrot. A simple screen time limit could work. At the end of the day, the most valuable resources are the people around you: friends, family, teachers, and mentors. Finding a community that supports your journey can keep you feeling fulfilled as you ditch the reward of short-term dopamine.

Step 5: Reward yourself with a pat on the back. If you read this whole article without scrolling through anything but the Neirad website, you’re one step closer. You can do this, and you can start right now.