Doom Scrolling
Bored? You might be tempted to pull out your phone. You open your favorite app. You start scrolling …and scrolling and scrolling. It might seem like scrolling is an easy way to relieve your boredom. But new research suggests that might not be the case.
A 2024 study was published. It was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. It found that watching quick clips of videos without finishing them may make people more bored. The habit of stopping videos partway through to start another and then another is called “digital switching,” according to NPR. Katy Tam is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto. Tam and her colleagues set up seven psychological experiments. They did this to study the connection between boredom and digital switching. Tam said she realized she wasn’t truly enjoying or engaging with the content. She wondered how this behavior affects feelings of boredom.
In one of the experiments, some participants were allowed to switch between seven different videos. Others watched a 10-minute video all the way through. They rated their experiences. Those who were able to skip to different videos said their experience was less satisfying than people who watched just one video in full. “Our research shows that while people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, this behavior can actually make them feel more bored,” Tam said.
In 2014, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Virginia conducted a different kind of study. It was also on boredom. They asked people to sit alone with their thoughts. They had to do this for 15 minutes. The only activity they could do was push a button. The button gave them an electric shock. Almost half of the participants pressed the button. According to The Guardian, the study’s authors decided “people prefer doing to thinking.” They do this even if it’s painful.
Most people don’t go around shocking themselves to relieve boredom. But many people do pull out their phones during moments of quiet. Phones and the apps available on them offer seemingly instant relief to boredom. Being bored can feel uncomfortable. But most psychologists who study the sensation agree that it can be useful, according to The Guardian. Leo Tolstoy once described boredom as “the desire for desires.” Erin Westgate is a professor at the University of Florida. According to Westgate, there are two different kinds of boredom. One happens when people can’t engage with an activity because it is too easy or too hard. The other happens when people feel the activity is meaningless. Boredom is a negative state. But it can alert people to wanting to do something more engaging. Westgate recommends focusing on the meaning behind the activity. This can alleviate some boredom. Doing anything can be an effective remedy. But people have to think of it as worthwhile.
Some young people are ditching the digital landscape. This is in response to smartphone and social media fatigue. According to NBC Washington, one TikTok user declared 2025 would be her “flip phone summer.” She wanted to “take back” her attention. She wanted to be more critical of her technology use. She told NBC she had been listening to nature a lot. People who don’t want to get rid of their smartphones might try an app blocker. This can help them create healthier responses to boredom. Rhys Kentish created an app. It literally forces users to “touch grass” before they resume their doomscrolling.
What do you think? How should you respond to boredom?