Stop Scrolling, Read a Comic Book

All my life I’ve been reading comic books. Starting in elementary school, I used to frequent Funny Business which was formerly in Nyack but has since closed, for all my monthly issues. I read them incessantly, even counting them towards my reading logs, much to my teachers’ frustration. Even now, I still love the medium. The fantastic stories and incredible art alone make picking up a comic book worth it, but something else that sweetens the deal is the lack of distraction.

I am, unfortunately, addicted to doom scrolling, as I’m sure a lot of people are. For those who don’t know, “doom scrolling” is when you scroll on social media for minutes, maybe even hours on end, in an endless depressive stream of content designed to hook you. Scrolling is addicting, I often can’t bring myself to stop even when I want to. It’s like a drug in all honesty. Algorithms incentivize you to stay scrolling. Be it on Twitter, Instagram, or Tiktok, the whole point of those apps are to keep you hooked and engaging with them. The sad reality is that we’re all susceptible, and many of us are already hooked.

I’ve been bringing myself back to reality through comic books. I’ll admit, I most often read them on my iPad. Not exactly a screenless activity. I have apps that give me access to the entire Marvel and DC back catalogues for a small fee every month, and it’s worth it. A major problem with comics is the price, especially for a physical copy of a given comic. The apps I use circumvent that, allowing me to read most comics published by DC or Marvel without breaking my bank. I find my brain to be calmer, I’m more focused, and I’m less depressed. Yes it’s all still happening on a screen, but I believe that it’s not the screen that is dangerous, but what’s happening on it. 

We’re in a time where so much of the “art” we engage with has been auto-generated by a machine. Videos and photos, once considered mediums of truth, are now suspect due to the influx of AI generated material. The brain rot that ensues doesn’t just threaten art in high concept, but it threatens our way of engaging with the world and with other people. It’s important to disengage with scrolling, and reengage with human made art. Comics give you that. The stories are written by people, drawn by people, lettered by people, and made for people. The work is both visually stimulating and creatively engaging in a way that has become lost to so many people. 

With the success of film franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe or TV shows like The Boys or Invincible, media that has been adapted from comics are more popular than ever. The original medium those stories were told in give the audience a taste of something that is hard to come by now. Maybe your version of this isn’t comics. Maybe it’s traditional literature, or drawing, or just going on a walk. Whatever it is, make sure you do it. Be a person in the world who engages with human made art, who makes art yourself. No one needs to be a world renowned artist or culture critique. It’s not about that. It’s about getting back in touch with who you are as a person. Where your interests lie when you’re not being force fed “get ready with me” videos, is where your true self is. Bring yourself back to you, read a comic book.