Stop scrolling... or scroll smarter?

Scrolling is addictive. You open an article, scroll a thread, jump to a YouTube recommendation… and suddenly 30 minutes have passed.

Even during casual scroll sessions - before bed, on a coffee break - your brain is noticing patterns, spotting interesting ideas, tiny hints you think you’ll remember later. Most of the time, you don’t.

And when you look back? 👀

Did you learn anything? Maybe a little.

Did you capture something useful? Probably not.

The problem? Scrolling gives you information, not insight.

You’re consuming, not capturing. You’re moving, but not really going anywhere.

I used to scroll like that all the time, until I started doing a few small things that turned it around. 👇🏼

#1 Be intentional

Before you scroll, ask: “What am I looking for? What problem am I trying to solve?”

Scrolling aimlessly is digital wandering. Scrolling with purpose is research.

#2 Highlight as you go

See something interesting? Highlight it immediately.

One sentence, one quote, one chart - it doesn’t have to be long.

Later, when you revisit, you won’t have to hunt through endless tabs. You’ll have a map of the insights that matter.

👉🏼 Here’s how to get the Collabwriting mobile extension 

#3 Add a tiny note

Why does this matter? How does it connect to something else you know?

A tiny note transforms a random highlight into a piece of your knowledge puzzle.

#4 Collect, don’t hoard

Open tabs are not progress. Collect useful snippets into one place - a tool, a doc, a workspace.

Organize by topic, question, or project.

#5 Connect the dots

Once you have multiple highlights, look for patterns.

Different perspectives talking about the same trend? That’s where insight lives.

#6 Reflect and act

Scrolling doesn’t have to feel productive. But if you highlight, annotate, and connect - even just a little - you turn casual scrolling into actionable understanding.

Don’t let great ideas slip away

💡 Mindless scrolling is fine occasionally. But even in those relaxed moments, your brain notices things. The difference is whether you catch them or let them disappear.

Capture, connect, reflect, and the time you spend scrolling suddenly becomes useful.

Want to get more out of Collabwriting?

On our YouTube, I share simple tips and tricks to make your research easier and more effective. ☺️

👉🏼 Subscribe and make your research way easier!

And if you’re just getting started don’t forget to check our help center.

Share your finds - we’ll feature the best ones💡

If you come across an article, picture, meme, or anything else you think is worth sharing, feel free to send it my way. I might include it in the next newsletter! 💗 

📩 Reach out at: [email protected] 

Until next time

Gordana
Community Manager @ Collabwriting