Start or end your story with a character scrolling (or doomscrolling) through social media.

Posted in Adults on Oct 25, 2022

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✍️ 14 stories

“Neuropathic Pain” by Emma Sinclair

Submitted to Contest #115

A kitten in a basket. News there was a murder in the next town over. An advert for weight loss. Some influencer looking happy eating salad. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll. Where. Was. The dopamine? “Why are you always on your phone? You’re going to hurt your eyes.” Mother said, teasingly, swishing past me in her soft pink blouse. I felt her words stab me in the back of the head. I put my phone into my jeans pocket, shrugging. She turned her from me, her dyed hair falling purposefully from a styled bun, and asked me if the laundry was out yet. I...

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“Dark Web. Darker Sleepover (Trigger Warning)” by John Hamour

Submitted to Contest #115

Finally, me and Maggie were done with our homework and now was time to chill for a bit. I opened Instagram while playing Drake's new album. My LED lights were dim red, the setting was so relaxing. While scrolling on Instagram, I come across a video of a guy getting his head cut off. I honestly didn't feel grossed, can't say the same for Maggie though. I'd show her gore on purpose and she'll push me away and cringe. It was funny. I decided to look for gore websites to get more gore to annoy her with. My search took me to the Dark Web....

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“History Doomed to Repeat” by Emily Snyder

Submitted to Contest #115

“I don’t get why you’re always on that thing.” Dawn waved her hand in front of Kelsey’s face. “What?” Kelsey kept scrolling. “I’m just reading the news.” Dawn raised her eyebrows. “News? Really?” Kelsey shrugged. “You never know. Maybe they decided to cancel school again.” “Doubt it.” Dawn snatched the phone and scanned the first few headlines. “This stuff is always the same. Look at today: ‘Five Year Old Boy Dies of Covid’; ‘Accident in Quarry Leaves 13 Dead’; ‘Mayor Announces Plans to Restore Downtown’: it’s all depressing garbage!” K...

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“The Courtyard” by Amanda Lieser

Submitted to Contest #115

The Courtyard is bustling this morning as Sean stares at his phone, scrolling past fake smiles of fake people he used to know. He resists the urge to stare at the little black iron gate. He resists the urge to listen for the creak as more guests shuffle in. His green eyes peek over the bright blue screen of his phone as the waitress with blonde curls tamed into a ponytail that could rival a show horse’s offers a refill on the water glass he hasn’t touched. “Would you like to order, sir?” He waves her away and straightens h...

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“Another cup, this time sweeter” by M E

Submitted to Contest #115

Another cup, this time sweeter On his 365th day of unemployment, her husband took his coffee, pack of cigarettes and phone to the garden, sat on a chair and did not move for three hours. She knew she would hear all about what he was reading later, in bed, when her day’s work for her employer would be done, the children would be in bed and the house cleaned from the worse of the day. In every spare moment she wished him dead. It’s a healthy reaction to wish somebody dead if you think that your life would be better afterwards, her psycholo...

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“I never wanted to speak in public” by X. ENDO

Submitted to Contest #115

(CW - mentions of racism and privilege, as the character comes to terms with an uncomfortable truth about their life) I know when I’m tired by the feeling in my bones, and my eyes. It feels like my whole body is chafed, irritated and aching all at the same time. I know I need to sleep. It's 3.18 am and I know I will be exhausted tomorrow. But I also know that I need to know everything that everyone is saying about me. Why, you ask? Because it is important to know how people see me after what happened last weekend. I need to know ho...

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“Truth In Jokes” by Bria Pate

Submitted to Contest #115

After finishing a long day of work and taking a shower, I sat in my bed eating a homemade pita. I decided to then get on Instagram and see if anyone posted anything interesting. I scrolled past photos of my relatives, friends, and some of my co-workers. I liked a few posts and commented on one, but none of them really stood out to me. After being on Instagram for about 15 minutes, I was about to exit out of the app when I saw a post from someone I was extremely close to at the time...or so I thought. My supposed...

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“Doomscrolling Doomtrolling” by L.J Sunwing

Submitted to Contest #115

“Thomas!” A crack of skin and bones broke the silent chatter of the picnic. Alison felt her heart beat out of her chest as she saw her husband stand over her cousin who had been standing several seconds before her vision hit the pair. It was not the situation she wanted in a family gathering. Her cousin, Cass, was lying on the ground with a robust grunt coming out as he rose after Thomas like a striking snake looking at his prey. Alison felt the urge to grab her husband until another family member inserted himself between the two, effectivel...

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“Hope on the Horizon” by Hannah B

Submitted to Contest #115

TW: Alcoholism; references to sexual assault Anastasia’s eyes glazed over, her head throbbed, and her stomach was in knots. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had managed to get roughly ten hours of sleep in the past forty-eight hours, or perhaps it was the fact that, in those last forty-eight hours, all she had consumed was about a handful of pistachios and roughly a gallon of whisky. Despite those factors, Anastasia blamed her current state on the litany of social media posts that she had stayed up all night reading. Peopl...

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“Looking For Directions” by Catherine Kwalton

Submitted to Contest #115

“If we’re together, I would like for you to actually be here with me.” “I know, I’m sorry, I’m just scrolling.” “Exactly, you’re just scrolling. It would be more fun to hangout. I mean, that’s why we’re here, right? After asking it I was swept with a cold sweat of shame. From my eyebrows to my lower belly. We were lying on the bed in a tiny hotel. Why were we here? He was just scrolling. I should do the same. I should be on my phone too. But I didn’t want to. We had met online several months prior. I had just moved to Italy for a relationsh...

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“A door ajar” by David Hubber

Submitted to Contest #115

Trigger warning: Addiction, suicide “Julie, get your things ready now, the bus won’t be long here!” “In a minute, dad” - Julie said quietly while rolling her eyes, slumped in the armchair, left hand hanging loose with the right hand holding her smartphone. Mark raised his head as he was packing his suitcase and could glimpse through the small gap in the door; she was at it again, skimming through more pictures on social media on her phone, some of her friends, but many of herself. No doubt checking if anybody had commented on what she wa...

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“Pay Attention” by Mallory Senn-Flinn

Submitted to Contest #115

Content warning: references to suicide and death ----------- She scrolled past image after square image of happy mothers, fathers, children with their toothy smiles, all appearing candidly full of joy and wonder. This specific photography account she began following a few days ago was becoming one of her favorites. The photographer had a distinct talent at capturing families at their most perfect, their most beautiful. Of course, she knew that photos like these weren’t always real life, but as she looked at a young mother cradling her ne...

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“Hope In Madness” by Faith. M Troyer

Submitted to Contest #115

(This piece contains sensitive material that may be triggering to some readers. Readers discrestion is advised) My social media feed has been clogged with horrible images of hurricanes and wildfires for the past week. More devastating, senseless shootings are taking place in public venues and even elementary schools. My stomach churns with the thought of my nine-year-old daughter, Brenna, having to grow up in a world full of such madness. As a kid in the early nineties, I never worried much about the school bully once I got home to safe...

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“The Voice” by Vincent Cruz

Submitted to Contest #115

CW: Drug use.There is nothing worth looking at. It’s just a lot of pictures of birthday parties and cans of beer, nature scenes, and people whom I don’t really know. My finger is flicking the endless images up into the folds of my phone, where I imagine them going on forever like the opening to Star Wars. My mind is in a state of excited dullness. Consumed by the hole of the endless scroll. It’s after noon and I still haven’t heard from James. I’m sweeping up crumbs on the kitchen floor into a corner, there's all this dog hair too. All ...

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Start or end your story with a character scrolling (or doomscrolling) through social media.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 14 stories

“Neuropathic Pain” by Emma Sinclair

“Dark Web. Darker Sleepover (Trigger Warning)” by John Hamour

“History Doomed to Repeat” by Emily Snyder

“The Courtyard” by Amanda Lieser

“Another cup, this time sweeter” by M E

“I never wanted to speak in public” by X. ENDO

“Truth In Jokes” by Bria Pate

“Doomscrolling Doomtrolling” by L.J Sunwing

“Hope on the Horizon” by Hannah B

“Looking For Directions” by Catherine Kwalton

“A door ajar” by David Hubber

“Pay Attention” by Mallory Senn-Flinn

“Hope In Madness” by Faith. M Troyer

“The Voice” by Vincent Cruz

🌟 Similar prompts

One moment your character is talking on the phone with a friend, and the next, the connection is lost. Write a story about what follows.

Set your story in a town disconnected from the rest of the world.

Write about a character who feels like they're cut off from something.

Write a story where a device goes haywire.

Contest #115

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

175

Contest entries

118

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: