Doomscroll detox: Hobbies to pick up instead of scrolling in 2026

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By Brooke Brinker, Social Media Manager

It is 2026, and many people have made it a goal to stop mindlessly scrolling on their phones. To make it easier, you can replace your phone with a hobby!

If you love to be creative and are looking for a fun craft to do by yourself or with your friends, you can try scrapbooking. Usually in college, you take so many pictures with new friends you meet and all the places you go. Scrapbooking is fun and a perfect way to collect memories to savor forever.

Scrapbooking can take a long time, and it is a great way to put your phone away and spend time on an activity!

A hobby that is related to scrapbooking is junk journaling. It is where you put concert tickets, photos, receipts, and stickers, all in a journal. You can give each page a different theme, for example, months of the year, a restaurant, nostalgia, and so many more!

“I love to read, make jewelry, journal, scrapbook, color, play cozy video games, and write poetry, short stories, and occasionally fanfiction,” said Heaven Nazario, a senior majoring in English.

If you are outgoing and love to travel, a great hobby to try is decorating disposable cameras. You can decorate them with fun stickers, beads, or anything you want. You can take your decorated, cute camera on a trip and capture adorable vintage photos.

There are many hobbies and activities to learn and try, rather than scrolling and watching the same videos repeatedly.

You can try cooking or baking something new! Pick out a delicious recipe online and try to recreate it. If you are good at cooking or baking, you can make a recipe book with all your favorite recipes and ingredients.

You can replace your phone with a new sport you have not played! (Photo was taken by Brooke Brinker)

Learning how to cook is not only essential for life, but it is also fun to try new recipes. (Photo was taken by Brooke Brinker)

Moving forward, another sweet activity is making handmade cards for your family, friends, or nursing homes and hospitals. Not only is this fun, but it will also take time away from your phone and make somebody’s day.

“To students who are struggling with scrolling, try something new! Pick up a cheap hobby you don’t know and see how it goes. It might be something you end up loving,” said Nazario.

If you are looking for a hobby that is simple and quiet. You can try reading, crossword puzzles, coloring, crocheting, needlepointing (which is very popular right now), or even writing a book for fun.

Trying out a new hobby to learn can be fun! It will take time and practice, but it will be worth it! (Photo was taken by Brooke Brinker)

Be creative and make a fun little craft. You can find inspiration on Pinterest. (Photo was taken by Brooke Brinker)

It is so fun to be crafty and make a craft that is your style. (Photo was taken by Brooke Brinker)

“Some of my hobbies include crochet, sewing, reading, and baking,” said Hannah Lynn, the Mail Center supervisor.

Put your time and creativity to good use each day. Phones can be addicting, and it is easy to get trapped in the never-ending cycle of scrolling. Try to limit your screen time and take up a hobby you haven’t done in a while, or learn a new one from the list.

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