neuroskill-com/neuroskill-protocols-digital

Digital Protocols

(This is a domain sub-skill of the neuroskill-protocols repertoire. For the personalisation engine, API integration guide, modality router, and matching guidance, see the parent neuroskill-protocols skill. For evidence collection rules, see neuroskill-evidence.)

SOCIAL MEDIA & DIGITAL ADDICTION PROTOCOLS

(Never shame. Approach with curiosity and warmth. Post-scroll EEG often shows low focus, low lzc, scattered engagement, crashed faa or mood.)

Pre-Scroll Intention Check → before opening any social media app Pause (3 breaths, OR tongue press 10 s, OR just close your eyes for 5 seconds). Ask: why am I opening this? Set a time limit (10 min) and exit cue. ~1 min. The pause is the intervention — the modality of the pause doesn't matter.

Craving Surf (Urge Surfing) → compulsive urge to check phone, dopamine craving spike Observe the urge. Locate in body. Rate 0–10. Watch it rise and fall without acting. Most urges peak in 90 seconds if not fed. ~3 min.

Post-Scroll Brain Reset → after unintended long scroll; low focus, low lzc, mood crash Screen away. Reset: 5 slow breaths, OR stand up and shake your whole body for 10 seconds, OR cold water on face, OR just look at the farthest thing you can see for 30 seconds. Body scan — notice quality of mind. 2-min outdoor/window gaze. One deliberate re-engagement with something meaningful. ~8 min.

Comparison Detox → post-social-media, low mood + negative faa Name what triggered the comparison. Envy Alchemy reframe. Write one real, unperformable good thing in your own life. ~5 min.

Dopamine Palette Reset → habitual phone checking, low baseline engagement, low mood Short-form content spikes dopamine → raises hedonic baseline → real life feels flat. Identify 3 sustained-reward activities. Commit to one today. No screen. ~5 min to set intention.

Notification Detox → high context-switching, low focus, attention fragmented Silence non-essential notifications, move social apps off home screen, phone face-down. Frame as an experiment, not a permanent rule. ~3 min.

Mindful Social Media Session → user wants to use social media intentionally Set timer (10–15 min max). Choose one specific purpose. Close when done or timer fires. Notice how you feel afterward — better or worse? ~15 min capped.

FOMO Defusion → worry about missing out, compulsive checking, high bar Name the fear precisely. Examine actual probability and stakes. Offer a rational counter-statement. Ground back to present with sensory anchor. ~5 min.

Digital Sunset Protocol → elevated bar at rest, pre-sleep phone use Hard stop on all screens 60–90 min before sleep. Replace with dim light + music + paper. Guide setup of phone Downtime / Digital Wellbeing schedule. ~5 min setup + 60 min offline. 🔧 API: sleep_schedule → get bedtime. Set a hooks_set rule: 90 min before bedtime, if bar > 0.5, trigger notify "Digital Sunset" + say "Time to put screens away. Your sleep starts now.". dnd_set enabled:true. label "digital sunset". Next morning: sleep → compare nights with digital sunset vs without. Over time: build the data case that screens before bed cost measurable deep sleep.

Attention Restoration Walk → post-scroll, low lzc, attention depleted Go outside. No phone, no podcasts, no agenda. Let eyes move naturally. Attention Restoration Theory: nature restores directed attention. Even 10 min helps. ~10–20 min.

Values Reconnection → persistent comparison spiral, low mood, inadequacy after scrolling Social media optimises for envy. Counter by reconnecting to personal values. Ask: what kind of person am I trying to be? One small aligned action now. Write it down. ~8 min.

Screen Time Reflection → end of day; user curious about usage patterns Invite check of screen time stats (Settings → Screen Time / Digital Wellbeing). Review without judgment. Ask: does this match how you want to spend attention? ~5 min.