Library
Notes on what the feeds are doing to your attention, and what actually helps. No productivity hustle, no digital-detox retreats.
Attention
Why feeds work the way they do, and what that does to your focus.
Why Autoplay Makes It Harder to Stop Watching
A University of Chicago study found turning off autoplay cut Netflix session length by about 18 minutes, evidence for what autoplay actually removes.
Why an Unread Notification Is Hard to Ignore
A 1927 memory study explains why a red notification badge nags at you more than the message underneath it: a documented bias called the Zeigarnik effect.
Pull-to-Refresh Runs on the Same Psychology as a Slot Machine
Pull-to-refresh and a slot machine run on the same reward pattern, the one B.F. Skinner found produces the hardest behavior to make an animal stop.
Why a Chronological Feed Feels Calmer Than an Algorithmic One
The algorithmic feed isn't just showing you different posts, it's showing you a feed with no end and no shape. Chronological order restores both, and that's most of the calm.
How-to
Specific settings, one platform at a time.
How to Hide Facebook Reels and Stories
Facebook has no setting to remove the Reels tab or the Stories tray. Both stay put regardless of how you use the app. Here's what actually removes them.
How to Hide Suggested Posts and Ads on Instagram
Instagram mixes suggested posts and sponsored ads into your main feed with no setting to turn either off. Here's what actually removes them from the scroll.
How to Get Reddit's Following Feed Sorted by New, Without Ads
Reddit's Home feed defaults to Best, mixes in ads, and doesn't remember a Following-plus-New setup. Here's what makes that combination stick.
Why Screen Time Doesn't Actually Block Facebook or Reddit
Screen Time limits Facebook and Reddit at the app level, and one tap on Ignore Limit removes it instantly. Here's a fix that isn't a willpower test.
How to Hide Promoted Posts on LinkedIn
LinkedIn has no setting to remove sponsored posts from your feed. Third-party filters exist for desktop only. Here's what covers mobile too.
How to Keep X (Twitter) on the Following Tab
X added a setting in 2023 that remembers your tab choice, but the reset back to the For You feed still shows up often. Here's what to do about it.
How to Make TikTok Open to Following Instead of For You
TikTok always opens on For You, and tapping Following doesn't stick. There's no setting that saves it. Here's what actually keeps you there.
How to Hide the Instagram Explore Page
Instagram doesn't offer a setting to disable Explore. Refreshing the grid or hiding suggested content only rearranges it. Here's what removes it.
How to Turn Off Instagram Reels on iPhone (What Actually Works)
Instagram has no setting that removes Reels. Notification tweaks and Not Interested taps only trim the edges. Here's what actually works and why.
How to Turn Off YouTube Shorts on iPhone (What Actually Works)
YouTube gives you a way to hide the Shorts shelf for 30 days, and that's it. Here's what the official options actually do, and what's left when they run out.
Research
Where these patterns came from, and who built them on purpose.
Product
About DoomOff itself.
Best Apps to Stop Doomscrolling in 2026, Compared
Screen Time, One Sec, Opal, Unhook, SocialLite and DoomOff each stop doomscrolling differently. Here is what each does, what it costs and who it suits.
DoomOff vs One Sec: Pausing Before You Scroll vs Removing What Pulls You In
One Sec adds a pause before you open an app. DoomOff removes Shorts, Reels and algorithmic feeds once you are in. A plain comparison, with prices.
DoomOff vs Opal: App Blocking vs Removing the Algorithm
Opal blocks whole apps in focus sessions and costs $99.99 a year in the US. DoomOff removes feed features inside seven sites for $4.99. Here is how they differ.
DoomOff vs Apple Screen Time: What Each One Can Actually Do
Screen Time limits and blocks whole apps and websites. DoomOff removes Shorts, Reels and algorithmic feeds inside seven sites. Here is where each one fits.
DoomOff vs SocialLite: Two Ways to Remove Reels and Shorts
SocialLite and DoomOff both strip Reels, Shorts and algorithmic feeds from social apps. Here is how they differ on devices, features, data and price.
Why DoomOff Redirects You Into a Browser, Not an App Blocker
Native apps run in a sandbox nothing outside them can reach. That's why DoomOff fixes the web version instead, inside its own built-in browser, and redirects the apps there.
Why DoomOff Hides Things Instead of Blocking Them
Most DoomOff toggles remove a single feature and leave the rest of the app working as normal. Blocking a whole site is there too, just not the default.