Doomscroll Detox: Reclaiming Your Brain in the Age of Clickbait by Alvin Mercer - Non Fiction - Paperback

Condition: BRAND NEW. Format: Paperback. ISBN: 9789370030879. Publisher: Rupa Publications. Overview. Doomscroll Detox: Reclaiming Your Brain in the Age of Clickbait by Alvin Mercer is a sharp, urgent look at why we can't stop scrolling and how to take our attention back. Written for anyone who has felt the pull of endless feeds and outrage headlines, this brand new paperback blends accessible psychology with practical, no-nonsense strategies. It's a timely read for the phone-addicted, the newsfeed-weary, and anyone ready to trade mindless scrolling for a clearer, calmer mind.. About the Book. Every notification, every headline, every "you won't believe what happens next" is engineered to hook your attention. Alvin Mercer argues this isn't an accident — it's the business model. Doomscroll Detox pulls back the curtain on the algorithms and psychological levers platforms use to keep users glued to their screens, explaining why willpower alone rarely beats a system built by behavioural scientists. Rather than preaching total digital abstinence, the book argues that stepping back from the feed is not withdrawal but reclamation: taking back control of your attention, mood, and time. Chapters move through the mechanics of clickbait and outrage-driven media, the neuroscience of the scroll-refresh loop, and the real toll doomscrolling takes on sleep, anxiety, and focus. From there, Mercer offers concrete, achievable habits for breaking the cycle — reframing notifications, rebuilding boundaries with news and social apps, and rediscovering offline moments the feed so easily swallows. The tone throughout is empathetic rather than judgmental, acknowledging how hard it is to resist a feed designed to be irresistible, while still offering a clear, hopeful path forward. It's a book for readers who suspect their phone habits aren't serving them, but who need more than "just put it down" advice to actually change course.. Explains the design tricks and algorithms behind compulsive s