Naver Home Feed: How to Protect Yourself in an Era of Stimulating Short-Form Content

Management Methods to Protect Myself

These days, when I open the Naver app to search,
the first thing I see before the search bar is the ‘Home Feed’.
I used to scroll past it without much thought,
but recently, it’s started to feel a bit different.

The home screen, primarily composed of videos,
now features a lot of short, stimulating content.
In particular, scenes that are overly revealing or uncomfortable
sometimes appear right before my eyes without any clicks.

I felt more sensitive because I’m on a media detox.

Lately, I’ve been practicing ‘abstinence from stimulating content’ and ‘media detox’.
Because of this, I react much more sensitively to even small stimuli.
Especially today, I skipped my workout due to a cold,
and on such days, my brain seems to be even more sensitive.

I just wanted to check the feed briefly, but a video more revealing than a bikini popped up,
and I instantly felt unpleasant.
I realized this wasn’t just ‘beauty’,
but clearly a stimulus structure hacking dopamine.

Set ‘Do not show this video’ using the three-dot button

In such cases, you can click the three-dot button (⋮) at the top right of the video
and select ‘Hide this content’.
Setting this will reduce the exposure to similar types of videos later,
which helps to some extent.

However, if you are using an ad-blocking program,
this feature might not appear correctly.
In that case, using Google Search or the Chrome browser instead of the Naver app
can provide a calmer environment for searching.

🔽 How to Install Mobile Ad Blocker Apps

Stimulation Lingers Longer Than You Think

Even though I only watched that one video,
my head felt heavy and I couldn’t concentrate.
Even meditation didn’t completely clear it.

But surprisingly, exercise helps me recover quickly.
While moving my body and sweating,
I feel my mind clear up again and my thoughts become sharp.
So for me, exercise is not just about physical fitness,
but also a process of mental purification.

And today, I’m going to take a nap.
When caught in stimulation, it’s good to cleanse the subconscious.
Drinking plenty of water is also more effective.

Small Practices Make a Difference in Your Day

In this era where dopamine stimulation is so easily accessible,
if you don’t manage yourself well,
the flow of your day can quickly get disrupted.

So today, too,
I will quietly meditate,
close unnecessary feeds,
and neatly organize my mind.

If you, like me, have ever felt uncomfortable due to stimulating videos,
try clicking the three-dot button to ‘Hide this video’.
It’s just a small click,
but it could be the choice that protects your day.