A new survey suggests the average person in Britain will spend 41,000 hours—equivalent to nearly five years—doomscrolling on their phones. The term, which emerged in 2018 and gained traction in 2020, describes the habit of compulsively consuming negative news online.
Conducted by Virgin Media O2, the survey of over 6,000 UK residents found that 36% of phone use is unintentional, involving automatic flicking between apps and habitual checking. This amounts to one hour and 26 minutes per day, or 41,000 hours over a lifetime (assuming smartphone use from age 10 to the average life expectancy of 88).
The wasted time—four years and eight months—could be used for more productive activities, such as completing a PhD, attending veterinary school, or writing numerous novels. The article suggests that technology, such as AI-powered reminders, could help curb the habit, referencing journalist Karen Ho's 2020 Twitter 'doomscrolling reminder bot'.
