A poll of 2,000 adults explored the impact of consuming ‘endless’ negative stories on the web – finding the UK collectively spends 67.4 million hours a day doom scrolling. That’s 96 minutes every day in total – the equivalent of two days during the course of an average month.
The study points out the serious effects on productivity and creative thinking, with a concerning one in ten admitting that their excessive time online has led them to forgo sexual activity, citing fatigue, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed as key reasons for turning it down.
Commissioned by OnePlus, the study aims to draw attention to the excessive digital consumption issue.
Additionally, the company has launched the Brain Rot Blaster: a nostalgic, play-once first-person shooter game intended to disrupt the habit of perpetual scrolling.
Spokesperson for the smartphone brand Celina Shi commented: “It’s easy to fall into mindless scrolling – at home, at work, even around loved ones. We’re encouraging people to take back control of their screen time and use their phones with more purpose.”
Other insights from the study indicate that nearly half of the participants often lose track of time when scrolling, with 22 percent being oblivious to the true scale of their scrolling activities.
However, for the 52 percent who claim they need more hours in the day, reducing scrolling might just be the key to unlocking time for what they believe is truly important.
From visiting relatives and embracing the great outdoors to nurturing creativity or mastering a new tongue, there’s a myriad of activities people yearn for.
Alarmingly, four in 10 individuals confess to scrolling through their phones even while on the loo, and an astonishing half are glued to their screens even when surrounded by friends and family.
Some even succumb to the lure of doom scrolling during significant life moments, such as weddings or funerals.
Celina chimed in: “Why lose hours to the scroll, when you could be creating something that inspires you instead?
“Brain Rot Blaster takes on the creativity-crushing, productivity-sapping scroll, challenging users to rethink their habits and up their game.”
