The Magic of Replacing

Why Willpower Alone Won’t Help Us Stop Scrolling

©Attentive App Illustrations_2 : Illustration by Attentive ©

In Australia, a social-media ban for under-16s introduced in December 2025 has sparked not only debate but also a new sense of momentum: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reports that Australian children are reading again, spending time with friends and family, and experiencing the holidays more mindfully. Our mental health fundamentally depends on screen time. But instead of banning our phones, we should think more about which moments and activities we actually want to fill our lives with. If you only limit, you fight your biology. If you replace, you use it.

The Willpower Trap: Why Bans Often Fail

When we try to stop scrolling through discipline alone, we make a strategic mistake: we attempt to erase a deeply ingrained behavior pattern through sheer suppression. This creates a vacuum that can make the craving for the screen even stronger. In everyday life, this often results in a “yo-yo effect”: as soon as our willpower fades at the end of a long workday, we fall back into old patterns. The problem is not a lack of discipline, but a system built on deprivation rather than change.

The Law of Substitution

Habits consist of a loop: cue, craving, response, reward. Scrolling on a smartphone is the response to a craving (for example, relaxation or social belonging).

If we only limit scrolling, the craving remains unmet. The real art is to replace the response while keeping the cue and the reward the same. These things can help us with that:

Design your environment: Teenagers in Australia don’t pick up a book because they suddenly have more discipline, but because the smartphone is no longer an option. For us, that means: make scrolling invisible or difficult (for example, by putting your phone in another room). At the same time, you need to make the desired alternative obvious. A book on your pillow is a stronger cue than a good intention in your head.
The power of identity: Instead of saying, “I’m trying to scroll less,” identify as “someone who uses their time intentionally.” Clear explains that real behavior change is an identity change. If you see yourself as an athlete, you’ll naturally replace an afternoon scrolling break with stretching or a short walk.
The “if–then” formula: A key lever from habit research is implementation intentions. Instead of setting vague limits, define a precise replacement: “If I sit down on the couch after work (cue), then I immediately pick up my magazine instead of my phone (new response).” Put the placeholder in place in advance so indecision never gets a chance.

Ready for the Next Step?

We’re not happier because we spend less time on TikTok, but because we fill our time with high-quality alternatives. You can start with small steps. How about meditating for two minutes instead of scrolling through your Instagram feed?

Reading Tip

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reports
James Clear’s bestseller Atomic Habits (James Clear (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York, NY: Avery.)

Swimming and scrolling? When even water no longer disconnects us

Less Scrolling, More Living

The Sofa Trap, And How to Escape It

“A five-minute ritual done daily beats a two-hour reset done never.”

Pick one tiny Timecare ritual — a Morning Reset, a short breathing pause, or a quick screen review — and make it non-negotiable. Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment; let small, repeatable acts slowly reshape your habits.

James Clear

“Every scroll is a choice — every choice is a direction.”

Next time you notice yourself in an infinite feed, pause and ask: “Is this where I want my time to go?” If not, stop scrolling and do one tiny action that matches the direction you want — send a kind message, stretch, read a page, or step outside.

Attentive Club

“The more you slow down, the more life catches up with you.”

Schedule micro-pauses into your day: walk slower to your next meeting, drink a coffee without your phone, or take a few deep breaths between tasks. In those in-between spaces, you often notice what you truly need and want.

Eckhart Tolle

“Attention is the new form of love — it’s what we give to what matters.”

Once a day, pick one person and give them “no-screen attention”: eye contact, listening, curiosity. You don’t need dramatic gestures — the simple act of being fully there is one of the most powerful forms of care.

Brian Solis

“When you care for your time, everything else starts to align.”

Once a week, review how you spent your time and compare it with what actually matters to you: health, relationships, creativity, rest. Then adjust just one thing for the coming week so your calendar serves your values a little more.

Attentive Club

When we learn to use our time with intention, we unlock attention, creativity, empathy, and collective impact. The more consciously we live our time, the better our world becomes.

“Disconnecting is not rejection — it’s reconnection with what’s real.”

Be explicit with yourself and others: “I’m putting my phone away so I can really be here.” Make disconnection a positive act — a choice to reconnect with your senses, your relationships, and your inner life, not a rejection of people.

Attentive Club

What remains are the people whose lives you’ve touched,
and those who have changed yours.

This quote by Maria Ressa reminds us that meaning comes from how we choose to spend our time, and who we give our attention to. In a world of constant digital distraction, Attentive encourages a more intentional, human way of living.

In the end, what matters is the people you love.Meaning comes from choosing how you spend your precious time.

“We don’t need to escape technology — we need to redesign our relationship with it.”

Start by changing settings, not by blaming yourself: mute non-urgent notifications, use app blockers during focus blocks, and set “office hours” for email or social media. The goal is a healthier contract with your devices, not total disconnection.

Cal Newport