Infinite scrolling
Some approaches for regaining control
Confession: on my contemplative week in the high desert of New Mexico, I noticed a disturbing habit that had become ingrained in me—In a moment of quiet, I would sometimes mindlessly reach for my phone and start scrolling on Instagram. As a communications professor, I know that social media apps were specifically designed to encourage this behavior. The Center for Humane Technology explains that features like infinite scroll, which automatically loads more content as you reach the bottom of the page, are meant to keep us continuously engaged.
Being mindful of our seemingly harmless scrolling habits is essential to contemplative communication.
“We should work with our neuroses; we should relate with them and experience them properly. They are the only potential we have. When we begin to work with them, we see that we can use them as stepping-stones.”
— Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Then, I realized I needed a much more robust strategy for my time on social media — specifically anything with infinite scrolling capabilities like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Interestingly, Bytedance, the company behind TikTok, is not just a social media company but a persuasive AI company. Their algorithms extensively study users, analyzing everything from browsing habits to keystroke rhythms and patterns. This has made ByteDance one of the most valuable startups in the world. As we keep clicking and scrolling, mindlessly consuming content, our engagement feeds the business models of these platforms. We may find fleeting pleasure, but we rarely experience enduring satisfaction.
Being mindful of our seemingly harmless scrolling habits is essential to contemplative communication. Social media’s addictive nature stems not only from the humor of its content creators but also from the sophisticated persuasive algorithms that choose content to keep us engaged, often with minimal oversight from cognitive control regions of our brains. If we are to be contemplative in our communication, we can no longer allow ourselves to be manipulated so willingly.
Let’s take a step back and consider how these apps pull us in and whether they align with our values. [For more on finding our values, see this post]. In the spirit of contemplative scrolling, here are some approaches to help us navigate this landscape more mindfully:
Intentional Time:
Start by watching your screen time on specific apps like Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. Evaluate how much intentional use is necessary or desired each day. Set a time limit, such as 5 minutes, and use a timer to hold yourself accountable.
Get Curious:
If you decide to scroll for a set amount of time, pay close attention to your reactions. Ask yourself why you are scrolling in the first place. Are you stressed, bored, or trying to avoid something? Notice any negative thoughts or emotions that arise and unfollow accounts that evoke these feelings.
Align with your values:
Take some time to curate your feed to include content that aligns with your core values. Instead of mindless scrolling, consider reaching out to someone, meditating, engaging in a breathing exercise, or even spending a few moments learning a new language on Duolingo. What activity would align best with your values?
Conscious Spending:
Making impulsive purchases while scrolling through Instagram or other apps is common. Since we are often more unconscious during these moments, these purchases probably are not the best use of our time and money. If you catch yourself wanting to buy something, make a note of it and revisit the list at the end of the week. This practice will help you determine if these desires were momentary or genuine. Be aware of unethical accounts that use fear to push sales and make you feel a sense of urgency to purchase something. We need to avoid falling into the trap of consumerism while our brains are in a vulnerable and manipulated state.
Contemplative scrolling is about regaining control over our online experiences. It requires self-awareness, curiosity, and a willingness to break free from the grasp of persuasive technologies (even though we often like using them). We can reclaim our satisfaction and resist exploitation by setting intentional time limits, curating our feeds, aligning with our values, and making conscious purchasing decisions.
What is your experience with scrolling? How do you see these apps pulling you in? What are some ways you have found to be more mindful?