People On Twitter Discuss The Harmful Effects Of “Infinite Scroll”
Ironically, Twitter uses it a lot...
Infinite scroll was supposed to make browsing easier, but plenty of people now think it has made the internet harder to escape. A recent Twitter discussion put that frustration front and center, with users debating how endless feeds can wear people down over time.
The conversation focused on the way social platforms keep loading more content, keeping users hooked long after they meant to stop. That design choice has become a bigger issue as more people notice how often they lose track of time, attention, and even mood while scrolling.
Now the debate is whether this feature is a convenience or a trap, and the replies did not hold back.
One Twitter user shared:
@proetrieThe endless scroll is actually psychologically destructive for people.
@proetrieDoomscrolling is one of the worst things you can do to your body and mind.
@proetrie
That set off a familiar kind of internet debate.
People have responded:
@proetrie
There is a reason for vertically oriented infinite scroll.
@proetrie
Buttoned pagination now feels cumbersome.
@proetrie
Ah, that push-to-refresh rush.
@proetrie
Just a preview.
@proetrie
Now you see me, now you don't...
@proetrie
A JavaScript plugin called Infinite Scroll saves visitors from having to wait for the entire page to load by immediately adding the next page. It is being used all over the internet.
Paul Irish initially released the first iteration of Infinite Scroll in 2008. It was a groundbreaking piece of front-end programming, giving web designers access to cutting-edge knowledge through a user-friendly yet powerful plugin.
It’s the same addiction pattern as a psychologist warning about troubling signs of vape addiction.
That convenience is exactly what makes it so sticky.
Something like that...
@proetrie
Dopamine is released into the brain every time we swiftly switch between pieces of information as we scroll through our feeds, giving us a kind of neurological 'high.' We keep scrolling through the content because of that rush.
It is akin to any addiction, whether it involves alcohol, drugs, or gambling.
Some people believe infinite scroll doesn't improve user experience.
@proetrie
Okay?
@proetrie
Footer content is important.
@proetrie
They are all doing it now...
@proetrie
Digital marketers hate it:
@proetrie
Social networks are ensuring we don't think about it...
@proetrie
It never ends...
@proetrie
Just keep going...
@proetrie
Well, as you can see, we don’t use the infinite scroll. You are welcome.
Even though the infinite scroll has some advantages (at least some people believe so), it brings many dangers. You can become a Zombie Scroller.
Zombie Scrolling Syndrome is a term coined by the McAfee security company in 2016 to describe the effects of cell phone addiction. It's defined as 'mindless scrolling out of habit, with no real destination or benefit.'
Doesn’t sound nice, does it?
That is the part people keep arguing about.
Want the opposite of doomscrolling? See what happened after a woman quit doomscrolling for 50 days.
