You may think scrolling through Instagram or TikTok before bed is harmless, but what if you knew that the average person scrolls through about 300 feet of content every single day — almost the height of the Statue of Liberty? It's a staggering figure that reveals just how much of our lives we’re losing to mindless screen time, a habit experts now label as zombie scrolling.
Zombie Mode: More Than Just a Metaphor
The term may sound dramatic, but it aptly describes the passive, trance-like state we slip into as we hop from one feed to another. Unlike doom scrolling, which involves actively seeking out distressing news, zombie scrolling is more subtle — you’re not looking for anything in particular, yet you can’t seem to stop. According to the Newport Institute, this kind of scrolling leads to vacant stares and disconnection from the world around us.
What It’s Doing to Your Brain
According to a report from UNILAD, Dr. Don Grant, a PhD and the Newport Institute’s National Advisor for Healthy Device Management, warns that this behaviour isn’t without consequences. One troubling result is what the Institute calls brain rot — a non-medical but very real phenomenon marked by cognitive fog and mental sluggishness resulting from prolonged screen exposure.
Though it might not yet be officially classified, the symptoms are clear: lack of focus, reduced memory, and an overall sense of mental dullness. It’s especially concerning when these symptoms begin showing up in teens and young adults who are still developing emotionally and neurologically.
Social Media, Comparison, and the Emotional Toll
The mental effects of zombie scrolling go deeper than brain fog. Dr. Grant points out that for many, especially young users, the experience isn’t passive at all. Each scroll, each image, each video can trigger emotions — and not always good ones.
“There’s an emotional charge attached to what people see online,” says Dr. Grant. “It becomes personal.”
He coined the phrase “compare and despair” to describe the vicious cycle many find themselves in. After spending hours seeing curated, picture-perfect lives on platforms like Instagram, users are left feeling inadequate, anxious, and disconnected from their own realities.
It’s Affecting Sleep, Sight, and Your Sense of Self
Perhaps most disturbingly, zombie scrolling tends to occur during the hours meant for rest. Studies show that even just an hour of screen time before bed can disrupt sleep patterns, reducing overall sleep quality and leading to fatigue, irritability, and — you guessed it — even more scrolling to numb the discomfort.
Aside from psychological effects, the physical toll is real too: eye strain, headaches, and attention difficulties are becoming alarmingly common.
Is It Time to Wake Up?
The dangers of zombie scrolling may not always be visible, but their impact is increasingly hard to ignore. In a world constantly pulling us into screens, Dr. Grant’s message is clear: our brains are being overstimulated, and it’s time we take a break to reconnect with the real world.
Maybe it’s time to put down the phone — before the scroll takes its toll.
Zombie Mode: More Than Just a Metaphor
The term may sound dramatic, but it aptly describes the passive, trance-like state we slip into as we hop from one feed to another. Unlike doom scrolling, which involves actively seeking out distressing news, zombie scrolling is more subtle — you’re not looking for anything in particular, yet you can’t seem to stop. According to the Newport Institute, this kind of scrolling leads to vacant stares and disconnection from the world around us.
What It’s Doing to Your Brain
According to a report from UNILAD, Dr. Don Grant, a PhD and the Newport Institute’s National Advisor for Healthy Device Management, warns that this behaviour isn’t without consequences. One troubling result is what the Institute calls brain rot — a non-medical but very real phenomenon marked by cognitive fog and mental sluggishness resulting from prolonged screen exposure.
Though it might not yet be officially classified, the symptoms are clear: lack of focus, reduced memory, and an overall sense of mental dullness. It’s especially concerning when these symptoms begin showing up in teens and young adults who are still developing emotionally and neurologically.
Social Media, Comparison, and the Emotional Toll
The mental effects of zombie scrolling go deeper than brain fog. Dr. Grant points out that for many, especially young users, the experience isn’t passive at all. Each scroll, each image, each video can trigger emotions — and not always good ones.
“There’s an emotional charge attached to what people see online,” says Dr. Grant. “It becomes personal.”
He coined the phrase “compare and despair” to describe the vicious cycle many find themselves in. After spending hours seeing curated, picture-perfect lives on platforms like Instagram, users are left feeling inadequate, anxious, and disconnected from their own realities.
It’s Affecting Sleep, Sight, and Your Sense of Self
Perhaps most disturbingly, zombie scrolling tends to occur during the hours meant for rest. Studies show that even just an hour of screen time before bed can disrupt sleep patterns, reducing overall sleep quality and leading to fatigue, irritability, and — you guessed it — even more scrolling to numb the discomfort.
Aside from psychological effects, the physical toll is real too: eye strain, headaches, and attention difficulties are becoming alarmingly common.
Is It Time to Wake Up?
The dangers of zombie scrolling may not always be visible, but their impact is increasingly hard to ignore. In a world constantly pulling us into screens, Dr. Grant’s message is clear: our brains are being overstimulated, and it’s time we take a break to reconnect with the real world.
Maybe it’s time to put down the phone — before the scroll takes its toll.
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