Scroll. Double tap. Scroll. It’s that easy. And it’s addictive. You know what I am talking about. Short-form videos are everywhere now. Before long, I came to realize that I was spending hours scrolling TikTok mindlessly each day. Masquerading itself as a source of entertainment, this highly addictive form of content has somehow altered my subconscious mind in such a way that I am no longer able to sit for a 10-minute YouTube video, let alone a full-length movie. It has caused the death of my attention span.

I wouldn’t claim that it is all bad that came out of it. While it does provide some sort of entertainment as a pastime, it is imperative that we regulate our screen time as well. As I reflected, I felt the urge to shift towards engaging my mind with more intentionality.

Engaging the mind

Not just as a tool for self-expression, writing serves as a means to actively stimulate the mind. As much as I wanted to write, I feel that I spend much more time reading and consuming content and only allocate little time to active creation. I have also noted that most of my writings are unpublished drafts. Crude and unpolished, I believe they would take some effort to finalise.

Writing is by no means similar to reading. Reading is a form of passive learning, while writing is a laborious task (at least for me). A prerequisite to writing is to possess a certain level of understanding of a particular topic. This requires the mind to make connections between ideas and articulate them with clarity.

Slowing down with words

As a victim of the TikTok brain, I found myself wrestling against constant restlessness and agitation. At times, I could almost hear the pounding of my heart. I was not asleep but I was not “awake” either - a succinct description of insomnia. The way these platforms have corrupted our minds had me contemplating about my own actions, and I started to find ways to escape this hellhole. Journalling has become a habit that I practise to disconnect myself from this type of stimulation. It isn’t solely about recording events; it’s about 1) slowing down and taking a breather, 2) practising mindfulness. It also serves as a medium to retrospectively reflect on my actions and their consequences.

I wouldn’t say I follow any specific formats for journalling, though I often reflect on things that I find meaningful such as personal aspirations, emotions and human interactions. FYI, I use Day One - it costs about $50/year.