Press Release: No Scroll September 2026 Ends with 97% Retention
No Scroll September 2026 Ends with 97% Retention: Participants Report Playing Games, Reading Books, and Reclaiming Their Lives
102 people signed up for GetBullish founder's month-long digital detox challenge; 99 stuck with it
BROOKLYN, NY (October 2026) – GetBullish's second annual No Scroll September challenge concluded with 102 participants and a 97% retention rate, with participants reporting significant shifts in how they spend their time and attention.
The month-long challenge, led by founder Jennifer Dziura, sent daily emails with practical suggestions for breaking mindless scrolling habits and replacing screen time with activities like reading, playing games, and real-world conversation.
Participants reported genuine behavioral change. One wrote: "I was trying to stop losing hours to the screen. I wanted to be living life, not observing it. I've played games with friends and read more books. It's been good."
Another described the pattern of relapse and recovery: "So this month I've gone up to a week at a time without looking at X, fortified by your daily inspirations. I feel great and then slip up and make contact again. Every time I click I'm pulled further back into the stupid discourse du jour. It sucks and I know it! Back to No Contact! The time, energy, and optimism that gets freed up is incredible."
A third focused on replacement activities: "Thank you for the missives encouraging me not to scroll! Between my 'Try a Book' screensaver and purchasing a Brick, I have cut out Instagram and decreased time on Facebook. I have replaced this with actually reading the Substack newsletters I subscribe to."
The challenge's design emphasizes practical behavior change over guilt. Daily emails offer specific alternatives to scrolling—reading an entire album without multitasking, hosting a dinner party, taking phone-free time with family—rather than simply telling participants to "stop."
"The retention rate shows people actually want this," Dziura said. "They want permission and structure to break habits that waste their time."
No Scroll September returns in 2027. Anyone interested in participating next year can add their email to the signup form now.
The challenge aligns with Dziura's broader editorial work on algorithmic manipulation and digital wellness, previously published in The Analog Human and ongoing GetBullish essays.
Jennifer Dziura began writing Bullish in 2010 as a column about careers and business from a feminist point of view. Hundreds of articles later, GetBullish now includes an online gift shop
as well as content that ties into Dziura's background in philosophy and education.
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