Let’s talk about unhealthy phone usage, specifically mindless scrolling.
My main reason for this post is that I realized how much it’s affecting our lives, yet barely anyone speaks about it. For clarification: I came across this term coincidentally, but it immediately caught my attention and I decided to take a deeper look into it.
It’s not a secret that the majority of society has a smartphone and uses it for many different reasons. That’s not a bad thing in general, yet it is easy to become addicted, and that on the other hand is very bad.
While doing more research on mindless scrolling, I realized that I personally used to have this habit too – without really knowing it. The more I read about it, the more I was convinced that I’m not the only one, and I’m afraid that a lot of people are dealing with this issue without really being aware of it, or at least don’t notice how it affects their lives. And that can cause huge problems, whether we want to or not.
But what is “mindless scrolling“ and how/why does it happen?
The term itself basically just identifies a habitual behavior of smartphone usage, going within the need to constantly stay connected, yet without any benefit.
We keep scrolling in search of an online experience that will trigger a pleasurable release of dopamine.
According to Don Grant, “our brains are primed to respond to social media because it’s a type of a variable reward system.”
And so we tend to revert to this behavior in uncomfortable, socially awkward, lonely, and boring situations, such as being alone at a social event or waiting in line at the store.
This being said, it is obvious that mindless scrolling tends to affect our lives significantly. The risk of psychological distress and lower self-esteem increases, and we establish withdrawal symptoms when not being able to access the internet. Also, there are warning signs we can look out for, whether it’s about ourselves or the people around us, to recognize this unhealthy habit.
It is not easy to avoid establishing the habit of mindless scrolling, yet it is possible to get rid of it. Important to notice is, that the goal is not to eliminate smartphone usage but to use it in a mindful and controlled way.
Because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to be genuinely able to decide when to pick up their phones?
To eliminate the habit of mindless scrolling, the first step is to increase your self-awareness. It is inevitable to identify the situations with a high tendency to pick up the phone for no actual reason, and to consider why.
Ask yourself: Is your habit tethered to a specific action or situation?
Based on that, you can decide what you want to change and make a plan on how to realize it. After a while, it might be useful to reflect the potential new behaviors and changes, adjusting the plan if necessary, and eventually creating healthier habits regarding your phone usage.
A good way to create such plan is the “S.M.A.R.T. Technique” that contains five key aspects.
For example, your plan could be ‘no social media usage after 10PM’
Specific: social media
Measurable: tracking via app
Attainable: no extras necessary
Realistic: good time to stop
Time-bound: after 10pm
It might be difficult at first to recognize this habit and, most importantly, to break it eventually, but I’m convinced that it is worth trying. In the end it’s inevitable for us to practice self-care, and I truly believe that our phone usage has a huge impact on how we feel, physically as well as mentally.
Have you ever reflected your phone usage?
Why (not)?
Sources:
https://sites.psu.edu/aspsy/2019/03/16/mindless-scrolling/
https://www.newportinstitute.com/resources/mental-health/zombie_scrolling/