Like most of us, I find myself endlessly scrolling through random social media platforms without feeling like time is passing. 4:00 becomes the time to do homework, but I can’t seem to pull myself away from the screen; soon it is 5:00, and I haven’t moved at all.
According to The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction, around 60% of teenagers show symptoms of addiction to their screens, and the average teenager spends 8 hours a day on a screen.
While some of these people can argue that it’s from school and homework, most people find themselves “doom-scrolling” for hours on end. The question is, how do we end up on this endless cycle of scrolling?
Most of it comes from a hormone called dopamine. Our brains are being drugged into feeling “happier” from our devices. In addition, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok have algorithms that are designed to keep you interested. Videos and media that you spend longer on are then fed into your feed, keeping you more occupied than a less adaptive platform.
While these platforms are built to keep us engaged, the constant stimulation and comparison they create can take a serious toll on our mental health.
In a recent study by Jean M. Twenge et al., social media can cause a 66% increase in the likelihood of developing depression. While this is one of the most prevalent issues with social media and phone usage, body dysmorphia, anxiety, and symptoms similar to ADHD are common with extensive phone usage.
We’re not just comparing our lives to others anymore—we’re comparing filtered versions of people’s best moments to our most unfiltered selves. When everyone online seems to have the perfect body, perfect skin, perfect friends, and perfect life, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling short. Over time, this can lead to a warped self-image, low self-esteem, and an unhealthy obsession with how we’re perceived rather than how we actually feel.
There’s also the constant noise. Every scroll, ping, and swipe pulls our brain in a new direction, training us to crave stimulation and making it harder to focus on tasks that require patience, like reading a book, doing homework, or even sitting alone with our thoughts. Our attention spans suffer as if we always need something to distract us.
Even sleep isn’t safe from our screens. Blue light exposure late at night delays the release of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep. The irony is that many of us turn to our phones when we’re tired or overwhelmed, looking for comfort, but it ends up making us feel worse: more drained, more distracted, and more disconnected from ourselves.
So can you help yourself and others? One of the easiest first steps is to set screen time limits. Most phones let you track how long you spend on certain apps, and even being aware of that number can make you more mindful. Some people use app blockers that lock them out after a set time, like 30 minutes on TikTok or Instagram, which can help break the habit of mindless scrolling. That alone can help with sleep and create mental space that isn’t filled with endless content.
Ultimately, our phones aren’t inherently bad—it’s how we use them that matters. Social media can connect us, inspire us, and even educate us, but when it starts to take over our mental space, we owe it to ourselves to step back. It’s not easy, especially in a world that thrives on being online 24/7, but small boundaries can add up to something influential and important. The more time we spend living for ourselves instead of through a screen, the more life starts to feel valuable.
