Nine apps that offer an alternative to doomscrolling

A survey from last year found that 64% of Americans say they doomscroll. Researchers have warned that prolonged social media scrolling can contribute to brain fatigue, trouble focusing and disrupted sleep; exposure to negative or stressful material can also leave people anxious and emotionally drained.

The apps below replace an open-ended feed with a specific activity. Finch turns daily self-care goals—such as drinking water, walking or practicing mindfulness—into care for a virtual pet. Libby lets people borrow ebooks, audiobooks and magazines from their public library with a library card. Dudel Draw supplies a random shape each day to turn into a drawing, with the option to compare creations with friends.

For a different kind of connection, Radio Garden offers more than 25,000 live radio stations around the world. Users can tap green dots on a map to hear broadcasts from different places. Elevate has more than 40 games aimed at skills including focus, memory, reading and math; its free version includes three games a day, while unlimited access costs $39.99 per year.

Vocabulary introduces a daily word with its definition, example sentences and pronunciation guide, and includes review games. Seterra offers more than 300 geography games covering topics such as flags, rivers, mountain ranges and volcanoes. NYT Games brings together daily word, logic and number games, including Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and the crossword. Drops uses short visual games to teach vocabulary and common phrases in more than 45 languages, with free lessons limited to five minutes a day.

Availability and pricing vary. Finch, Libby, Radio Garden, Elevate, Vocabulary, Seterra, NYT Games and Drops are available on iOS and Android; Dudel Draw is available on iOS. Radio Garden has an ad-free premium plan for $2.99 per month. Vocabulary costs $4.99 monthly or $59.99 yearly after a free trial; NYT Games costs $5.99 per month for unlimited access and archives, though some games are free. Drops premium costs $11.99 monthly or $79.99 yearly. Seterra is free, as are the basic versions of Finch and Libby.