Consumed by the Scroll
Notes on ruthlessly curating your social media feeds
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This is not a post about optimizing your content calendar or posting at the exact right minute for maximum engagement. In fact, the endless chatter around algorithms and growth hacks makes me feel vaguely nauseous. What I want to talk about instead is consumption: ruthlessly curating your feeds and ferociously editing your following lists so they actually serve you. Because if we’re going to spend so much of our lives online or glued to our phones, why not make it enjoyable?
Lately, I’ve had chats with friends about how much they hate being on Instagram. That it feels more draining than delightful. Others admit their TikTok feeds have become so anxiety-inducing they can’t fall asleep at night. And I get it. Social media is meant to entertain and inspire, but too often it feels like a second job, a stress spiral, or a distraction that leaves us overstimulated, consumed, and oddly depleted. But here’s the thing: we often forget that we’re the ones in control of what and who we follow. Think of this as a note on reclaiming the scroll.
In recent years, I’ve become unapologetically ruthless about curating my social media. I edit my following lists every so often. I train the apps by engaging or not engaging with certain content. I give each platform a purpose. I set boundaries. For me, social media is a space for inspiration and joy… not where I get my daily news or life updates from friends and family. I use it for escape more so than reality.
Remember when social media actually felt fun? The hazy-filtered days of early Instagram, when we’d snap our morning latte or a top-down outfit shot and slap on Valencia without hesitation. The Tumblr era, where we reblogged moody quotes and dreamy images like we were curating our own personal museum wall. Even MySpace was its own little sanctuary: wallpaper backgrounds, an angst-filled Dashboard Confessional song on autoplay, and the sacred art of choosing your Top 8. Back then, logging in was a joy. I’m speaking to you, fellow millennials.
But somewhere along the way, things shifted. Social platforms stopped being playgrounds and turned into stages. Now there are algorithms whispering in our ears, constant reminders of “growth,” and an unspoken pressure to make everything look polished. Instead of delightfully wasting time, we doomscroll, we compare, we log off feeling more drained than inspired.
But here’s the good news: your social media is still yours to curate. It doesn’t have to be a machine that makes you feel behind or not-enough or depressed. With a few edits and lower stakes, the scroll can be quite enjoyable and inspiring.
If this is all resonating, here are some shifts I’ve made to find joy in the scroll again. And if any of these feel glaringly obvious, think of them as a gentle reminder to check in with your feeds today. I know some people rely on social media for news, updates, or even their livelihoods. This isn’t to dismiss that; just me sharing how I make my own scrolling feel lighter. Take what serves you, leave what doesn’t…
Unfollow, mute, or block (without guilt).
Many of us treat the unfollow button like a moral failing. It’s not. If someone’s posts leave you stressed, insecure, or bored, you don’t owe them a permanent spot in your feed. It’s also ok to cut people who live their lives as one long affiliate link, everything monetized. In the influencer era, it can make a huge difference in how you consume and in how (and how much) you spend. Muting is the polite soft exit, unfollowing is the clean cut, and blocking is a gift to your peace.
Work with the algorithm, not against it.
The algorithms are always watching, so train them. Like, save, or linger on posts that inspire you, and don’t hesitate to hit “not interested” on the rest. TikTok and Pinterest, in particular, reward this kind of behavior quickly. Instagram, on the other hand, I rarely use in its default mode. My workaround: Tap the Instagram logo in the upper lefthand corner and select “Following.” It gives you a chronological feed with no ads and no suggested posts. A blessed relief. I enjoy it so much more this way.
Give each app its own role.
I think of my platforms like different rooms in the house. TikTok is my comedy club and how-to platform, often used for belly laughs, dinner inspo, genuinely amazing singing videos, incredibly handy tips and tricks, aesthetic “vibes,” and the occasional absurd drama deep dive. Instagram is my design channel and social circle: interiors, graphics, fashion, travel, and friends (since I abandoned Facebook). Pinterest is my scrapbook, where I moodboard to my heart’s content. Substack is my journal and reading room, short notes like old Twitter, long-form stories and content. When each space has a purpose, the chaos quiets down.
Find your people.
The best thing about the internet is connection. Whatever your thing is, there’s a corner waiting for you. Some of my closest friendships began in Instagram DMs. Reach out to people who inspire you and love the same things you do, especially if they live nearby. Use the apps to find events in your city and social clubs. And don’t underestimate the educational corners. Professors giving lectures in 90 seconds, interior designers spilling their best-kept sources, chefs walking you through recipes step by step, niche book clubs dissecting the latest releases, people who offer up the most random, hilarious think pieces. The good corners of the internet are still out there, you just have to wander into them.
Keep perspective.
Feeds are highlight reels, not full stories. No one’s life is as glossy as their grid. I fall into the trap of comparison too. Someone else’s home, career, relationship. But the truth is, most people aren’t posting their darkest nights or quiet frustrations. Everyone is carrying something unseen. Hold onto that perspective. Give others grace. And when you do see beautiful content, take it as inspiration to romanticize your own life, not as proof you’re lacking.
Mind your self-talk.
If scrolling tips you into “I’ll never measure up,” catch the thought and reframe it. This isn’t about toxic positivity, it’s about interrupting the spiral with something kinder.
Remember parasocial boundaries.
This one feels important: people online don’t owe you anything. It’s easy to slip into unhealthy parasocial dynamics, expecting creators to perform for you, to never change, to appeal directly to your taste. But at the end of the day, they’re strangers sharing slivers (literally, mere minutes) of their lives. If you ever feel yourself demanding too much of someone on the internet, that’s your cue to put the phone down, and… I say this with so much love, go touch grass.
Practice mindful scrolling.
Scrolling isn’t inherently bad. It’s how we use it. Instead of zoning out and letting the apps drag you down rabbit holes, try to scroll with intention. Ask yourself: Why am I opening this app right now? Inspiration, a laugh, a quick break? Then stick to that. If you’re 20 minutes in and feeling bleh vs. inspired, that’s your cue to log off. Pay a little more attention and edit accordingly.
Set boundaries and take breaks.
Try not to bookend your day with the scroll. I also set app timers on my phone that lock me out after a certain amount of time each day. It snaps me back to reality and nudges me into something better: reading, writing, designing, calling a friend. And sometimes the healthiest curation is stepping away altogether. A Sunday detox, weekdays offline, or even just an afternoon without checking your phone can reset your perspective. I do this often without planning to, I simply stop checking in. And spoiler: the internet carries on just fine without me, and I without it.
Edit your apps.
Do you really need to be on every platform? Probably not. Sometimes the best curation is deleting the app altogether. You don’t need Snapchat because you used it in 2015. You don’t need Facebook out of FOMO. And you definitely don’t need to download every new shiny, copycat app… looking at you, Threads. Fewer apps mean fewer distractions, fewer notifications, and fewer reasons to doomscroll.
You don’t need to quit scrolling. Just redecorate and curate your feed… the way you once meticulously curated your Myspace Top 8 with sheer intention.
And really, when all is said and done, relax. It’s just the internet.
Side note:
recently wrote about how perfection has made the internet boring… all polish, no spark. I think the same goes for our feeds. If yours feels flat, it’s probably because it’s serving you the same shiny sameness on repeat. A simple curation session is how you add back the goodness. A good post to take in for some additional social media refinement.
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xx, Natalie
Thank you for the mention, and as always, for the beautiful and thoughtful content.
Loved reading this! So many good reminders 🤍