Once upon a time, in the "pre-algorithmic" era, these and similar questions, which, I guess, should find the causes of the decline of our otherwise perfect world, we could often hear from the mouths of worried parents, teachers or some TV monitors on duty, mostly in the context of the story that today's children are up to no good.
But today, when it has moved into our devices in a big way algorithm, and with it a new format of increasingly shorter and faster content on the networks, the "screen time" of even the most hardened critics of new technologies today is not excessively better than among the youth.
What are shorts and reels?
These short forms that rule today's social networks (and our brains) are called differently - tiktoks are on TikTok, "reels" on Instagram, "shorts" on YouTube - but they work on the same principle.
Each network user has his own personalized algorithm, which, based on his affinity, will serve him a ton of short videos of a maximum length of a few tens of seconds. Parodies, mimes, politicians' statements, clips from movies, animal footage, fishing, culinary recipes... There is something for everyone.
The more one scrolls, the higher the algorithm rises, until it is drowned in that circle for several hours a day, after which the feeling of disorientation, fatigue and remorse for wasted time sets in.
Photo: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti, FIleIllustration
How it all started
Short video content on the networks has been around for a long time, since the late Vine and Snapchat, which is still popular today.
TikTok, when it appeared, was practically Vine "on steroids", where the role of steroids was performed by an aggressive algorithm that was capable of feeding hundreds of interesting clips into the user's brain within an hour.
Seeing the potential to keep users glued to their screens (while also introducing advertisements), this format was taken over by other social networks. Meta implemented reels in its networks in 2020, and YouTube did the same a year later.
Why are they so addictive?
The "drive" that pulls users through hours of scrolling can be explained by chemical processes that take place in the brain. Medical psychology specialist Snežana Mrvić explains to "Međuvreme" that this kind of content affects the basic mechanisms of reward in our brain.
"Every next video that appears carries a dose of uncertainty in the sense of whether it will be funny, shocking, emotional or 'just for me'. It is this unpredictability that activates the dopamine system, the same one that participates in the development of all forms of addiction. The brain very quickly learns that with one click it can get instant gratification, without effort or waiting," she says.
Psychiatry specialist Doris Elena Herrera adds that when scrolling through short video content, there are frequent and sudden dopamine peaks, because each new video brings a small burst of pleasure and the expectation that the next one will be even better.
"The problem arises when these peaks are too frequent and too high. The brain then enters a state of constant stimulation, with no time to return to equilibrium. Over time, the dopamine system becomes depleted, not in the sense of 'running out of dopamine', but in the sense of reduced receptor sensitivity."
Photo: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, FileIllustration
How does it affect life?
Like any "traditional" addiction, the consequences of scrolling in the digital world can spill over into the real world. Doris Elena Herrera says that it usually boils down to a shorter attention span, a person's difficulty focusing, loss of interest, feelings of restlessness and the need to always have the phone close at hand.
"Many also complain of mental fatigue, even though they haven't objectively done anything strenuous. This is a consequence of constant stimulation without real rest. In the long term, this pattern can affect productivity, mood and the ability to enjoy simple things," she says.
Although these symptoms are known to resemble certain mental health problems, such as ADHD, our interlocutors say that, contrary to popular opinion, science has not yet observed a link between scrolling and clinical attention deficit disorder. Mrvić emphasizes that diagnosing ADHD is complex and requires multidisciplinary assessments.
"However, what we see in practice is that the excessive use of fast, short content can lead to symptoms that resemble ADHD, or increase existing difficulties with attention and self-regulation. This can manifest as scatteredness, restlessness, impulsive checking of the phone, difficulties in organizing and postponing obligations. In some young people, it is transient and related to lifestyle and habits, while in others it is part of a wider clinical picture," explains Mrvić.
Reels or books
Difficulties with attention are also reflected in the consumption of "larger" content. Those who regularly hang out on the nets have less and less concentration to read books, and watching a series or a movie sometimes seems like a productive time spent.
"Problems with attention when consuming more extensive content, such as books, movies or series, is a consequence of the way attention is trained today. The brain is a plastic organ, it adapts to what we do most often. If we are exposed to short, fast and highly stimulating content every day, our attention system gets used to constant changes, quick rewards and intense stimuli," explains Mrvić.
He adds that unlike TikTok or riles, books and movies require patience, gradual entry into the plot, tolerance for boredom and the ability to stay with one story, emotion or thought for a long time.
"When the brain is used to constant dopamine spikes, slower content can seem tiring, boring or even frustrating. The problem is not in the quality of the content, but in the gap between the pace we are used to and the pace needed for a deeper experience," says Mrvić.
Photo: AP Photo/Anjum Naveed, FileTiktok is one of the most popular social networks
How to "unwrap" from scrolling
Man, by nature, is susceptible to addictions, but he is also capable of "getting rid" of them. And for that, in addition to self-control, it is necessary to follow the guidelines of experts. Our interlocutors state that it is necessary to start from awareness of the problem.
"If we notice that the phone has become the main regulator of emotions, sleep and concentration, it is a signal that we need to introduce boundaries, restore the rhythm and seek support - without guilt, but with responsibility. From my experience, lasting changes begin with small, realistic steps. The most important thing is for a young person to first notice when and why they reach for the phone - whether it is boredom, stress, loneliness, avoiding obligations or the need to "switch off", Mrvić explains.
The next step is to clinch the problem. Doris Elena Herrera says that in clinical practice, it has been shown that absolute bans are often not useful, because they can increase the feeling of deprivation and lead to counter-effects, more precisely, an even stronger need to scroll.
"The brain does not 'wean' suddenly, but gradually, through a change in the behavior pattern. From the neurobiological side, it is necessary to reduce the frequency and intensity of stimulation, in order to bring the dopamine system back into balance. In practice, this means: clearly limit the scrolling time, but without rigidity, eliminate automatic scrolling before bedtime, because then the brain remains in a state of wakefulness, introduce short periods without the phone during the day, as an exercise in tolerance to a slower pace," she says.
Finally, it is important to offer the brain an alternative. Boredom in itself, as Herrera says, is important for mental health, but it is also important to bring the brain back into a state of balance with content that causes deeper pleasure such as physical activity, being in nature, talking, reading or mindful rest.
"In the beginning, there is often discomfort, nervousness or boredom, but this is not a sign that something is wrong, but that the brain is adapting. In the long term, most people notice better concentration, less inner restlessness and a greater sense of presence in everyday life," says Herrera.
The essence is not in prohibition, she concludes, but in balance and conscious use. Technology should be a tool, not a source of control over our behavior.
