Doom scroller? How to trade your screen time for free docos & cleanse your brain

Our algorithms have become pretty good at deciding what we see online - from the videos we watch to the stories that make it onto our feeds. 

But a new campaign from Doc Edge Festival and Saatchi & Saatchi NZ is asking Kiwis to push back on spending too much time mindlessly doom scrolling.

The Algo-rithm F#&ker is a digital tool designed to turn all the time you've lost to scrolling into documentary time.

The idea is to share your weekly screen time, and the tool will calculate how much of your life has disappeared into the endless scroll. In return, you’ll unlock discounts to the Oscar-qualifying Doc Edge Festival.

Basically, your doom scrolling could now help you discover something a little more meaningful, raw, real and sometimes uncomfortable.

Every hour of screen time equals a minute free! And if you’re anything like me, I think just a weeks worth of screentime will unlock a whole doco within a week!

All you have to do is screenshot your weekly screen time - it'll give you the instructions on how to do it on whatever phone you're running.

The Algo-rithm F#&ker will then analyse your screen time and turn it into free minutes to claim - I've given it a go myself and already have 30 mins racked up.

Your time is then redeemable via a code.

Doc Edge Festival Co-founder and Executive Director Dan Shanan said the campaign builds on the festival’s mission of sharing powerful stories that challenge the way we see the world.

“Doc Edge has spent the last 21 years telling bold, inspiring and impactful stories, and amplifying voices that matter,” he said.

Saatchi & Saatchi NZ Executive Creative Director Lee Sunter said the campaign isn’t just about calling out algorithms, but giving people "a way to fight back".

“The Algo-rithm F#&ker transforms passive consumption into active participation,” he said.

The 2026 Doc Edge Festival runs from June 24 to August 10, featuring 75 films, 40 visiting filmmakers and stories exploring some of the world’s biggest issues.

So if your weekly screen time report has you questioning what your doing with your precious hours… this might be your sign to swap a few scrolls for something that will keep your cogs turning.