These days, it can feel like smartphones are practically attached to our hands — particularly for younger people.
“Doomscrolling” is a term that barely existed a few years ago, yet it’s now part of everyday language and, for many, a normal daily habit.
Spending hours swiping through social media feeds and staying reachable around the clock through messaging can seem pretty harmless. But one doctor says it could be having a “scary” effect on the brain.
In a study, Dr. Sahar Yousef persuaded a group of UC Berkeley students to take part in a digital detox lasting nine weeks — and what she observed raised concerns.
According to Dr. Yousef, students who followed the detox reported improvements including reduced anxiety and depression, along with increased mindfulness.
“We’re actually seeing brain atrophy. We’re seeing degradation of certain brain areas related to self-awareness [and] cognitive control, which is very very scary,” she told NBC.
Student Bobby Harden, who participated in the detox, explained what changed for him: “After I removed this negative presence, I realized all the positive aspects of my life.”
Alongside the longer experiment, the university also hosted a short “digital detox” session, replacing endless scrolling with outdoor games and face-to-face interaction.
Described as partly a process and partly a throwback, the event was put together by student Dawson Kelly. He told NBC he wanted to “demonstrate what their birth rights should have been”.
“It sucks that on a regular basis I’m having to fight with my phone and I feel like I’m losing control over my life,” he said.
Students who joined Kelly’s event said they “weren’t anti-tech”, but they do want the idea to spread — and encourage more people to reconnect in real life.
This isn’t the first time people have tried stepping back from their devices. Various YouTubers have shared their own digital detox attempts, including locking their phones away for set periods.
One example is Andrew Feinstein, who challenged himself to go 30 days — an entire month — without a phone.
He arranged a scientific brain scan before starting and another after finishing, and he said the results showed a significant change afterward.
Feinstein also shared that he started feeling better overall just a few days into being without his phone.
Maybe it’s time to start looking for that off switch.