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In today’s digital age, it’s become all too easy to fall into the habit of mindless scrolling. With the rise of social media platforms and smartphones, many of us find ourselves endlessly swiping, scrolling, and consuming online content without even realising it. But what causes this behaviour? And is mindless scrolling really a problem?
This article delves into the world of mindless scrolling, exploring its causes, the potential consequences, and practical strategies to overcome this addictive habit.
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What Causes Mindless Scrolling?
The rapid rise of digital technology, especially social media and the advent of smartphones, have made it easier than ever to fall into the trap of mindless scrolling. Flicking through the endless content on platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter has become an automatic response for many, a behaviour that is often tied to procrastination and the need for constant stimulation. This phenomenon is not accidental. Social channels are consciously designed to capture and retain our attention.
Psychologists point out that this behaviour is due to the variable reward systems that social media platforms use. Much like a slot machine, social media feeds deliver a mix of mundane and exciting content, thus triggering a dopamine-fueled desire to keep scrolling in anticipation of the next piece of rewarding content. This mechanism exploits our natural desire for novelty and the pleasure we derive from unpredictable rewards.
Moreover, a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that mindless scrolling could be a way for people to escape negative feelings. The instant gratification and the temporary distraction that scrolling offers can be an easy escape route when faced with stress, boredom, or discomfort. It’s a form of digital escapism where the virtual world temporarily relieves real-world problems. But it’s a habit that can quickly spiral into compulsive behaviour if not checked.
Is Mindless Scrolling a Problem?
Yes, aimless scrolling may be harmful. According to research, there is a correlation between social media use and decreasing well-being. According to a study led by psychologist Melissa G. Hunt, individuals who curtailed their social media usage had significant reductions in melancholy and loneliness, particularly those who were more depressed at the start. Reducing social media usage was observed to reduce feelings of loneliness, possibly due to decreased social comparison on sites such as Instagram. The research, however, called for minimising screen usage rather than complete withdrawal.
Excessive screen usage has also been associated with disrupted sleep habits. It interferes with sleep by reducing melatonin release, a hormone that governs sleep-wake cycles. This interruption can affect brain growth as well as information processing and storage. Excessive screen time affects the brain’s reward system in a way akin to a variable reward system, perhaps leading to compulsive behaviour. While digital gadgets can provide chances for learning and community building, they can also interfere with other vital areas of life, such as sleep and creativity, emphasising the importance of a balanced approach to screen use.
Mindless scrolling might reduce productivity. The frequent interruptions and diversions from digital platforms may split attention, making serious work difficult. According to research, it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully restore attention following a distraction. As a result, constant phone checking can significantly influence productivity.
Finally, thoughtless scrolling can harm personal connections. The continual presence of screens can disrupt face-to-face conversations, causing feelings of detachment and lowering the quality of relationships. According to one study, those using their phones frequently had greater levels of relationship conflict and lower satisfaction.
Signs You Might Have an Internet Addiction
Internet addiction, also known as problematic Internet use, social media addiction or compulsive Internet use can manifest in various ways, and the signs can be different from person to person. Here are some common signs that could indicate an internet addiction:
- Preoccupation: A significant amount of time is spent thinking about the internet and planning to use it. This preoccupation often overshadows other thoughts and plans.
- Increased usage: The person finds that they are spending more time online or on their digital devices. This isn’t just a slight increase but a substantial one that can be easily noticed.
- Unable to control use: Despite attempts to reduce internet use, the person finds that they cannot do so.
- Restlessness or irritability when trying to cut down use: When trying to reduce internet use, the person might feel restless or irritable.
- Stays online longer than intended: The person might log on for a certain amount of time but then find that they stay online for much longer than planned.
- Risk of loss: The person might risk losing significant relationships, job opportunities, or educational or career opportunities due to their internet use.
- Lies about use: The person might lie to family members or other loved ones about the amount of time they spend online.
- Uses the Internet as an escape: The person might use the Internet as a way to escape from problems or to relieve feelings such as helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression.
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12 Ways to Beat Your Scrolling Habit
1. Admit You Have a Problem
The journey of overcoming any problematic behaviour begins with an admission – the acceptance that there is a problem to be addressed. This step is fundamental. It sets the stage for making positive changes. Owning a problem shifts the individual from a place of denial and ignorance to a state of awareness.
In the context of compulsive digital scrolling, recognising the problem involves understanding the substantial amount of time you may be wasting on your digital devices. It’s about seeing that these hours could have been better spent on more productive or fulfilling activities.
2. Turn Off Your Notifications
One of the most effective ways to combat the urge to scroll constantly is to turn off non-essential notifications. Notifications, particularly those from social media and other entertainment-focused apps, are designed to capture your attention and draw you back into the app, thereby encouraging continuous scrolling.
Not all notifications are distractions, of course. Some alerts, such as those from work-related apps or reminders to complete important tasks, may be necessary and beneficial. The key is to evaluate each app and decide whether its notifications truly add value to your life or contribute to your scrolling habit.
3. Understand Your Smartphone Habits
Awareness of your smartphone usage is essential to curbing your scrolling habit. This means understanding when, how often, and for what purposes you use your smartphone.
There are numerous apps and features built into your device that can help track your screen time. These tools can provide a detailed breakdown of the time spent on different apps, categories of apps, and even specific activities like social media scrolling or video watching.
Reviewing this data can be an eye-opening experience. It can help you identify patterns in your usage, such as certain times of day when you’re more prone to scrolling or specific apps that take up most of your screen time.
Remember, the goal is not to eliminate smartphone usage but to use it in a mindful and controlled way.
4. Set Concrete Goals for Yourself
Setting measurable, attainable objectives is an effective method for changing any behaviour, including scrolling habits. These objectives give a clear direction for your efforts and allow you to track your progress, which may be a powerful motivator.
Try adopting SMART objectives: targets that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. For example, “I will limit my social media scrolling time to 30 minutes per day for the next month,”.
Additionally, setting positive goals for activities that can substitute for scrolling might be helpful. For example, “I will read a book for 30 minutes each day before bedtime instead of scrolling on my phone” or “I will go for a 15-minute walk during my lunch break instead of checking social media.” These kinds of goals not only help to reduce screen time, but they also encourage the formation of better behaviours.
5. Designate Certain Activities as Screen-free
Establishing “screen-free” moments or activities in your day can be a highly efficient method to curb your scrolling habit. This approach involves intentionally opting not to use digital gadgets during certain times or activities. You might choose meal times, the first hour after waking up, and the hour before going to bed as screen-free periods.
Creating these screen-free zones not only helps to stop the never-ending cycle of scrolling but also allows you to be completely present in your surroundings and engage more deeply in other activities.
Consider setting out extended periods, say on weekends or your days off, where you commit to not using a device. You might take a walk, read a book, or spend time with family or friends instead. By designating specific activities as screen-free, you are minimising your screen time and making space in your life for other meaningful experiences. These screen-free intervals may become something you look forward to over time, further driving you to limit your scrolling habit.
6. Take the Apps off Your Phone
One of the most direct ways to curb your scrolling habit is to eliminate the source of the problem. Consider evaluating the apps on your phone, particularly those that contribute most to your scrolling. Ask yourself: does this app add significant value to my life? Does it help me achieve my goals or serve as a source of mindless entertainment?
If you find that certain apps consume a disproportionate amount of your time without providing substantial benefits, it might be time to remove them. Deleting these non-essential apps from your phone eliminates the temptation to engage in aimless scrolling. Of course, you don’t have to live without these apps forever. You might decide to reinstall them later but with a more mindful approach to usage.
7. Set Limits
Many smartphones have built-in features that allow you to set daily limits for specific apps or categories of apps. Setting the maximum amount of time you can spend on these apps creates a boundary that helps control your scrolling habit.
Always set achievable limits and gradually decrease your screen time as you become more comfortable with spending less time scrolling. Remember, these limits are not meant to be punishing but rather help you regain control over your digital habits.
8. Silence your Notifications
While turning off notifications can be beneficial, it may not be a practical solution for everyone. In such cases, silencing your notifications can be a sensible compromise. By putting your phone on silent mode, you minimise the disturbances caused by constant alerts.
Keep in mind, though, that this strategy requires discipline. The lack of sound does not eliminate the visual distraction of notifications on your screen. You must resist the urge to check your phone immediately whenever a notification pops up. Over time, you’ll become more adept at managing your response to these silent alerts.
9. Avoid Downloading Apps Across Multiple Devices
Having the same apps on multiple devices can amplify your scrolling habit. You might scroll on your phone and then pick up where you left off on your tablet or computer. Limit social media and other scroll-intensive apps to a single device to prevent this.
10. Don’t Charge Your Phone in Your Bedroom
Charging your phone in your bedroom, particularly near your bed, can encourage late-night and early-morning scrolling. Instead, try charging your phone in a different room.
11. Automate Daily Limits
Automating daily limits is a great way to manage your scrolling habit without needing to monitor your usage actively. Many devices and apps offer features that allow you to set automatic limits for specific times of day, days of the week, or after a certain amount of usage.
For instance, you could set your device to disable certain apps after 9 PM or after you’ve used them for an hour in total during the day.
12. Use Grayscale Mode
Switching your phone’s display to grayscale mode can make the screen less appealing, reducing the temptation to scroll. Many apps use bright, attractive colours to draw you in and keep you engaged. By removing this colour, you can make these apps less enticing. The goal is not to make your phone unpleasant to use but to make mindless scrolling less attractive.
Is There Help Available for Online Addiction?
Determining whether you’re struggling with social media addiction can be hard, especially as everyone seems to spend so much time using it. But if your relationship with social media is affecting your quality of life and impacting your relationships or responsibilities, it may be time to seek help.
At Smarmore, we understand how behavioural addictions, such as internet addiction, work. Our evidence-based treatment programme is based on the latest neuroscience research and delivered by a professional and experienced team.
We offer every patient a custom, structured plan of treatment to help them overcome their social media addiction in a supportive and caring environment.
Treatment includes cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to target specific causes of your addiction and prevent future relapse, and group therapy, where you can discuss and process your recovery with people going through the same experience as you.
Your treatment journey at Smarmore will provide you with tried and tested therapeutic skills and tools to help you live a life free of social media addiction. You will develop skills such as:
- Impulse control
- Problem-solving skills
- Relapse prevention techniques
- Holistic therapy aids for mind, body, and spirit
- New, healthy dietary and fitness habits.
You will also have the support of the 12-Step fellowship and have access to strong support networks that last a lifetime.
If you think you or someone you know may be addicted to social media, call our friendly 24-hour help desk team today. They will be happy to explain treatment options for social media addiction and answer your questions.
References
- Verduyn, P., Lee, D. S., Park, J., Shablack, H., Orvell, A., Bayer, J., Ybarra, O., Jonides, J., & Kross, E. (2015). Passive Facebook usage undermines affective well-being: Experimental and longitudinal evidence. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144(2), 480–488. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000057
- The Psychology of Your Scrolling Addiction. (2022, January 31). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/01/the-psychology-of-your-scrolling-addiction
- Screen Time and the Brain. (2019, June 19). Screen Time and the Brain | Harvard Medical School. https://hms.harvard.edu/news/screen-time-brain
- Social media use increases depression and loneliness | Penn Today. (2018, November 9). Penn Today. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/social-media-use-increases-depression-and-loneliness
- Hunt, M. G., Marx, R., Lipson, C., & Young, J. (2018). No more FOMO: Limiting social media decreases loneliness and depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 37(10), 751-768. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2018.37.10.751
- Andreassen, C. S., Pallesen, S., & Griffiths, M. D. (2017). The relationship between addictive use of social media, narcissism, and self-esteem: Findings from a large national survey. Addictive Behaviors, 64, 287-293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.03.006
- Exelmans, L., & Van den Bulck, J. (2017). Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults. Journal of Sleep Research, 26(6), 766-773. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12543
- Irvine, C., Aryee, S., & Joseph, N. (2019). Smartphone dependency, daily interruptions and self-reported productivity. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 24(6), 690-702. 10.1016/j.abrep.2017.07.002
- Roberts, J. A., & David, M. E. (2016). My life has become a major distraction from my cell phone: Partner phubbing and relationship satisfaction among romantic partners. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 134-141. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0747563215300704?via%3Dihub
