In Defense of Mindless Instagram Scrolling

A Love Letter to Wasting Time Productively

There’s a lot of “experts” out there right now telling us to stop scrolling.

To put the phone down.

To touch grass.

To meditate.

To “be present.”

Well…respectfully, no.

Because sometimes, what my nervous system needs isn’t presence — it’s puppies on roller skates, a woman making sourdough for the 47th time, and a man pressure-washing his driveway like he’s trying to erase a crime scene.

Let me be clear: I am not doom-scrolling.

I am emotionally regulating through vertical entertainment.

And I will die on this hill, probably holding my phone at a 45-degree angle with my brightness all the way up.

Scrolling Is My Modern-Day Mental Spa

People pay hundreds of dollars for therapists to say things like:

“Allow your thoughts to pass without judgment.”

Instagram does this for free.

Except instead of thoughts, it gives me:

• A woman reorganizing her pantry for the 9th time.
• A dog wearing a backpack stealing bread.
• A man teaching me how to peel garlic in 14 different unneeded ways.
• A toddler emotionally destroying their parent with logic.

And tell me that doesn’t soothe the soul.

It’s Not Mindless. It’s Selective Absorption.

Let’s address the word “mindless.” I don’t love that label, because my mind is working very hard when I’m scrolling.

I am:

• Analysing why that cake video makes me feel peaceful.
• Investigating how that tiny goat got into that sweater.
• Wondering where all these 23-year-olds got that money.
• Learning new life hacks I will absolutely never use.

That is cognitive engagement, thank you.

It Improves My Mental Health and I Will Not Apologize

When I scroll, I’m not ignoring life.

I’m taking a mini brain vacation where:

• No one is yelling at me.
• No bills are due.
• No politics are happening.
• And no one expects me to “circle back.”

I come out slightly dumber, yes —

but calmer and with at least three new recipes for things I’ll never cook.

And frankly, peace comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s yoga. Sometimes it’s prayer. Sometimes it’s a teenager explaining skincare like she’s a board-certified dermatologist.

If It’s Stupid But It Helps, It’s Not Stupid

Here’s my official stance:

If I live in a world that expects me to:

• Pay taxes
• Understand technology
• Survive the news
• And pretend I care about quinoa

Then I deserve 45 minutes a day watching raccoons steal cat food and women transforming messy closets into calm beige shrines.

Scrolling is my modern soft blanket.

My emotional bubble bath.

My 21st-century version of staring out the window sighing.

Final Thought

So no, I won’t stop scrolling.

I will continue consuming miniature dopamine pellets like a Victorian woman fainting at the sight of a scented letter.

Because if a video of a frog on a skateboard gives me serotonin in a collapsing world, then hand me my charger and mind your business.

Julie Bolejack, MBA

JulieBolejack.com

mindfulactivist.etsy.com