makingit-makesense

[makingit-makesense]

10/07/25 - the first seven seconds

They say the first 7 seconds are vital for making a good first impression, but I've been reading The Courage to be Disliked so I guess I don't care how I come across to strangers on the internet! (That's a total lie).

Hello! I go by Moon (because I can at least gatekeep my name, right?). I'm 26 and like most people my age, I spend my days scrolling, comparing myself to others and trying to better myself to the point of total burnout. This is an endless cycle I've been doing since... probably the age of 16! That's 10 whole years of doom scrolling and worrying about how I'm perceived.

I was sat with a friend yesterday evening, reflecting on being 7 months TikTok free only to realise that I have been using Instagram and Facebook (yes. Facebook!) for the same purpose; to endlessly scroll, save 'lifechanging' videos I'll never go back to and look at people and think 'damn, I wish my life was like that'.

The solution is simple though, right? Delete the apps. Get a hobby. Read more. Do a puzzle. Believe me, I've tried it ALL. So I've decided on a different approach - asking what, and why: - What do I get from doom scrolling? - Why do I struggle to hold hobbies?

Scrolling hits me right in the dopamine. The brief rush of reward at learning something new, or feeling 'inspired' to change my life in some way.

I've been working on my health and fitness, and focusing on progressing my career. As I've recently started to feel more stable in life, I've had the urge to make a 'fitness' or 'career' Instagram. So I asked myself, why? I think I want the validation, I want other people to see I'm doing well, like that somehow makes my progress more valid, and that it's not enough that myself and my loved ones know what I have going on.

So! Why are you reading this?

No matter how much I ask why, I cannot rid myself of this urge to blog and reflect on my life. I know that if I use Instagram, it'll be picture heavy and I'll choose all of the best bits. So instead, we're jumping back to 2014 and starting a Tumblr blog. This way, it's word and reflection heavy, no one really knows me, and the app doesn't have much of a doom scroll feature in the same way.

Does this mean I'll delete Instagram? Let's see!

I started this pretending not to care about first impressions, but maybe what matters more is the impression I leave by the end.

-Moon xo