A study of 2,000 adults found the UK collectively spends 67.4 million hours a day scrolling and it’s having a negative impact on our wellbeing.
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 research highlights the detrimental impact on productivity and creativity, with one in ten participants admitting that their online habits have led them to decline sexual activity due to feelings of exhaustion, anxiety, and being overwhelmed.
Commissioned by OnePlus, the study aims to draw attention to the excessive digital consumption issue.
In addition, the brand has unveiled Brain Rot Blaster: a retro-style, one-time-play first-person shooter game designed to break the cycle of endless scrolling.
Smartphone brand representative Celina Shi remarked: “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.”
Further findings from the poll revealed that nearly half of those surveyed frequently lose track of time while scrolling, with 22 per cent completely unaware of the extent of their scrolling habits.
But for the 52 percent who wish they had more hours in the day, cutting back on scrolling could help them make time for the things they say matter most.
This ranges from seeing family and spending time in nature, as well as being more creative or learning a new language.
Four in 10 scrollers admit to doing so on the toilet, and and a whopping half are caught scrolling in the presence of friends and family.
Some have also indulged in online doom scrolling while at important events such as a wedding or funeral.
Celina added: “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.”