Scrolling while watching TV. Credit: Pexels, Tima Miroshnichenko

I don’t know about you, but nine times out of ten, when I put on a film or series on TV, I will have my phone right next to me and will keep picking it up. Whether I’m checking work emails, adding to my shopping list, or just having a little scroll through Instagram, I’m definitely not fully engaged in what I’m watching on TV.

If this sounds familiar to you, this article is worth a read. The behaviour of scrolling on our phones while watching TV is so widespread that it’s reportedly shaping how entertainment is made and consumed.

Why can’t we just watch TV without being distracted by our smartphones?
First, we had “Netflix and chill”, now we have Netflix and scroll. Experts believe the compulsion to scroll on your phone while watching TV stems from a combination of habits, emotions, and technological design. A study published in Computers in Human Behavior highlights several psychological drivers behind problematic smartphone use, including:
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO): This personality trait reflects a reluctance to miss out on important social or informational updates. People with high FOMO are more likely to overuse their phones, seeking constant connection to their networks.
Anxiety: Anxiety is strongly correlated with problematic phone use, with studies showing it often drives people to seek reassurance or escape through their devices.
Need for touch: Surprisingly, our tactile relationship with phones plays a role. As the study explains, “People high in the need for touch may demonstrate an overuse of a smartphone’s touchscreen to satisfy this need.”
According to an article on LADbible, multitasking with tech impairs our emotional responses and reduces our ability to engage fully with what we’re watching. Worse still, neuroscientists explain that each app refresh triggers a release of dopamine, creating an addictive cycle that’s “rewiring our brains.”

What is “Doomscrolling”?
Not all scrolling is harmless. Doomscrolling is a term that refers to compulsively consuming negative or anxiety-inducing content which can leave you feeling emotionally drained.
As Michael Rich of Boston Children’s Hospital told Harvard Medical School, “Virtually all games and social media work on what’s called a variable reward system, which is exactly what you get when you go to Mohegan Sun and pull a lever on a slot machine. It balances the hope that you’re going to make it big with a little bit of frustration…”

Not sure if your scrolling habit is tipping into doomscrolling? Look out for these signs:

Mood swings: Feeling anxious or upset after scrolling through negative content
Losing track of time
Clenched jaw, tense shoulders, or restlessness
Compulsive refreshing and looking for new updates
Difficulty re-engaging: Struggling to refocus on what you were watching or doing.
Is Netflix designed for distraction?
Allegedly, Netflix isn’t just aware of this scrolling-while-watching behaviour, it actively designs content to suit it. In a piece for n+1 Magazine, Will Tavlin describes how Netflix executives push for “casual viewing,” tailoring shows and movies for audiences who scroll mid-watch. Tavlin writes that Netflix sometimes instructs writers to have characters “announce what they’re doing so that viewers with this programme on in the background can follow along.”

For example, there’s a scene in Irish Wish where Lindsay Lohan tells her lover, “Tomorrow, I’m marrying Paul Kennedy,” to which he replies, “Fine. That will be the last you see of me because after this job is over, I’m off to Bolivia to photograph an endangered tree lizard.” Tavlin notes that these lines seem engineered for distracted audiences, ensuring they can keep up without giving their full attention.

Distracted audiences
This shift towards distraction-friendly content reflects broader changes in our viewing habits and raises concerns about what’s happening in a cognitive sense. A 2019 study titled Do You Enjoy TV, While Tweeting? found that multitasking with social media “impairs emotional responses” and reduces transportation – the feeling of being absorbed in a story. The result? Less meaningful experiences with the very shows we turn to for some escapism. It’s becoming just background noise – a subscription-based background noise. Think about that.

Trauma coach Liz Tenuto suggests that scrolling while watching TV can signal that your nervous system is dysregulated. This signifies a state of imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems – essentially, you’re stuck in fight or flight mode. Here are some other symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system to look out for:

Persistent anxiety
Irritability or frustration over minor issues
Chronic tension in the body, particularly in the shoulders and neck
Sleep disturbances
Emotional outbursts
Challenges with focus, memory, and decision-making
Gastrointestinal issues, including bloating, diarrhoea, or constipation.
How to break the Netflix-and-scroll cycle
If you’re ready to reclaim your attention, here are some tips to get you back on track:

Create phone-free zones: Leave your phone in another room while watching TV or completing tasks.
Set limits for scrolling: Allow yourself designated scrolling breaks instead of multitasking, there are even settings on several smartphones that can lock you out of certain apps for a specific timeframe.
Be present: Focus on being present in the moment, whether it’s what you’re watching or your thoughts and emotions.
Reflect on triggers: Ask yourself why you feel compelled to scroll, is it boredom, stress, or habit?
I plan to start leaving my phone in another room, especially out of my bedroom. I often miss the days of going to Blockbuster to rent a film or having to wait a whole week to watch the next episode of my favourite TV show. Would I go so far as to ditch my smartphone for a dumbphone? I’m not sure… Mark Zuckerberg wants us to replace our smartphones for his “smart glasses” – no thanks.

Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments below.