If you’re guilty of mindlessly scrolling on your phone, a psychologist has an important warning or two for you.
You’ve probably heard about people coming down with ‘popcorn lung’ as a result of puffing too hard on the old vapes, but apparently, your brain can also end up popped like kernels in a microwave if you make a habit of pointlessly scrolling too frequently.
Do you ever pick up your phone and click onto a social media app, only to suddenly realize you’re seeing all the same content and so must’ve literally done the same action potentially less than five minutes earlier, the mindless scrolling such a habit you don’t even realize you’re doing it anymore?
Well, one psychologist reveals you could end up suffering from something called ‘popcorn brain’ as a result, which certainly makes it sound a lot more ominous than it really is, but if you’re getting ahead with your New Year’s resolutions and thinking about reducing your screen time, this could be the added push you need.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Daniel Glazer tells Metro your scrolling habits could mean you’re suffering from ‘popcorn brain’, which ‘refers to the tendency for our attention and focus to jump quickly from one thing to another, like popping corn kernels’.
Granted, Dr Glazer notes some popular apps are designed to encourage such behaviour with ‘variable reward schedules, micro-dosing of dopamine, and purposefully addictive designs optimised to maximise engagement over well-being,’ but if you’ve found yourself getting bored half-way through TikTok videos, then you should probably take a hard look at yourself as well – it takes two to tango after all.
The question is, what can you do about it?
Are you guilty of mindlessly scrolling? (Getty Stock Images)
Well, in order to combat your brain getting ‘accustomed to and expect[ing] frequent distractions and immediate gratification’ and re-train it to be better at ‘sustained concentration’ activities such as ‘reading, work projects, or in-person conversations,’ there are some rules you can put in place.
First, make sure you order yourself to a period of time per day where you’re not allowed on any technology. Yes, like a child, you need to have some no-screen time if you want to rewire your brain and attention span.
Dr Glazer also recommends ‘consciously pausing to focus on a single task’.
Delete certain apps if you really need (Getty Stock Images)
Basically, this means if you need to go on your phone to answer an email, that’s fine, but make sure that’s all you’re doing and you’re not getting sidetracked.
And ultimately, if that’s not working, nor cut-off timers either, Dr Glazer adds you can always ‘periodically deleting apps’ if you really need to ‘regain some control’.
Or do what I wish I could, and just throw your phone away, abandon your normal life, and go live on a desert island where you have to fish for food and hike to find water. The choice is yours.