Psychologists have discovered why you are bored scrolling through TikTok and Instagram

We are all guilty of grabbing our phones and scrolling through social media when times get boring. Many of us think that this helps us stay happy. A new study published in Journal of Experimental Psychology: General he found the opposite. Those silly memes, cat videos, and BookToks actually make the problem worse—especially if you go back and forth between them.

How the lesson worked

Katy Tam, the study’s lead author and associate professor of psychology, and her team at the University of Toronto at Scarborough studied nearly 1,200 people in seven different experiments. Although the exact parameters of each cycle were different, the basic process was the same. Participants were given a single video to watch without the ability to fast forward, rewind, or skip. They were then given another video or series of videos and the ability to jump.

Participants were amazed by the experience. They are more satisfied and engaged when forced to watch an entire video without fast forwarding and rewinding. This was not what they had predicted.

What the researchers found

“Our research shows that even though people speed up or skip videos to avoid boredom, this behavior increases loneliness,” Tam explained to CNN.

Fear of missing out or looking for the next best thing keeps us in unhealthy cycles. “Boredom is closely related to our attention span,” he continued. “We feel tired if there is a gap between the way we are engaged and the way we want to get married. When people keep switching videos, they’re not fully engaged with any one video, and instead they’re looking for something interesting.”

To sum it up, complete immersion in the experience and your full attention is essential. It’s all about focus.

How digital distractions affect young people

It is important to understand how digital screen use affects people’s brains given that children today are growing up with screens, apps, and social media. They don’t know the world without Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. Even though Common Sense Media only recommends one hour of quality screen time per day for children ages 2 to 5, most children get more. This gets worse as they get older.

A 2019 study published in Journal of Adolescent Health found out that boredom is increasing among young people. This study focused on 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students from 2008 to 2017. The study was conducted by having students fill out a self-report survey. With the average child getting a smartphone in eighth grade and a tablet even before that, mindless scrolling can be an impact.

Boredom doesn’t have to be bad

Clinical psychologist Stephanie Lee, who was not involved in Tam’s research, offers silver linings. He believes that it is not the end of the world if a child or young person is lonely.

Rather, it is a teachable moment. “Boredom may not be very stressful, but it’s not fun,” she explains to the Child Mind Institute, a mental health nonprofit. “Life requires us to manage our frustrations and manage our emotions when things don’t go our way, and boredom is a great way to teach that skill.

Adults can help children by modeling healthy behaviors and talking to them. The next time you want to scroll through your phone, think about who might be watching your example and do so with intention. It is better to go to more movies, live theater, or read a book. Science shows that you will enjoy activities you participate in fully even if it is a “silly” cat video. Just make sure you watch everything.