‘Doomscrolling’ now Britain’s top habit – but least enjoyable
Scrolling through social media, or ‘doomscrolling’, is ranked as the least enjoyed pastime by Britons, despite being the thing people do most often, according to a new study.
After surveying more than 2,000 people, researchers from the University of Sussex found that browsing social media was the most frequent leisure activity, but was also rated as the least-liked activity.
While listening to music ranks first among the most enjoyable pastimes, hobbies such as reading and handicrafts have also become popular.
Robin Banerjee, lead researcher on the study, said: “The study provides compelling evidence that an important key to psychological satisfaction and well-being may lie in using our leisure time more consciously.”
Psychologists spoke to 2,182 people from across the UK, surveying them on a list of 21 common leisure pursuits and asking them how often they took part in each activity and how much they enjoyed it.
Listening to music was at the top of the most enjoyable list and received an average pleasure score of 6.16 out of 7. Playing a musical instrument came in second place, followed by reading books, then doing handicrafts and volunteering.
Mr Banerjee said: “These findings highlight the importance of making time for emotionally rewarding and socially enriching hobbies and provide a powerful blueprint for maximizing personal well-being.
“It is also striking to see that our most frequent activity, scrolling through social media, is the activity that gives us the least pleasure, suggesting that we can move towards experiencing more joy in our lives if we are guided by what motivates us intrinsically, as opposed to algorithms.”
Previous research has identified the negative effects of scrolling, with a study published in the Journal of Computing in Human Behavior Reports finding a link between ‘doomscroll’ and feelings of existential anxiety, despair, distrust and suspicion of others.
“At a time when debate is growing about young people’s relationship with social media, our findings highlight the importance of enabling people of all ages to engage in activities that promote joy, mental health and wellbeing,” Mr Banerjee said.
This comes after the government recently announced it was considering an Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s; Technology Minister Liz Kendall said overnight curfews and “doomscrolling” breaks would be considered in government consultation.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Ms Kendall said: “I can tell the House that we will quickly launch a three-month consultation on further measures to keep children safe online.
“The consultation will also cover a range of other options, including whether there will be an overnight curfew, whether there will be breaks to stop overuse or doomscrolling, how we will ensure stricter enforcement of existing laws on age verification, and taking action to address concerns about the use of VPNs to bypass important protections.”
