HOW TO TOUCH GRASS AND ESCAPE THE SCROLL

Escaping the doomscroll, one step outside

- Words ABHISHEK TRIVEDI

You've probably heard it as a joke: “Go touch grass.” The internet's way of saying log off, get real, stop being a screen-locked goblin. But here's the wild part: It's not just a meme -it's actually neuroscience, psychology, and survival advice disguised as a roast.

Your reward system has been hijacked. Dopamine, the “molecule of more,” as psychiatrist Daniel Lieberman calls it, is the chemical of anticipation and desire — the endless drive for more. It’s the spark that pushed humanity to build ships, cities, and rockets. But in a world of infinite feeds and bottomless scrolls, dopamine becomes a trap. Always hungry, never full.

Dopamine doesn’t care if you're happy now. It doesn’t live in the present. It’s the voice that tells you the next reel, the next cigarette, the next hit of attention will finally settle you. That's why the buzz of a notification feels better than the message itself. Why you binge, refresh, swipe — and still ache. The system is rigged: Dopamine makes promises it can't keep.

And when “more” is endless? You end up restless, unfulfilled, and low-key cooked.