We all reach for our phones and scroll through social media when we get bored. Most of us think that this helps us to stay entertained. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General I’ve found the opposite. Those silly memes, cat videos, and BookToks actually make the problem worse – especially when you switch back and forth between them.

How the study worked

Katy Tam, the lead study author and a postdoctoral researcher in psychology, and her team at the University of Toronto at Scarborough studied about 1,200 people in seven different experiments. Although the exact parameters were different in each round, the basic procedure was similar. Participants were given a video to watch, with no ability to fast forward, rewind, or skip. They were then given another video or a series of videos and could jump back and forth between them.

Participants were surprised by the experience. They were more satisfied and engaged when they were forced to watch the entire video without fast-forwarding or rewinding. This was not what they expected.

What the researchers found

“Our research shows that people fast-forward or skip videos to avoid boredom, but this behavior actually increases boredom,” Tam told CNN.

Fear of missing out or looking for the next big thing keeps us trapped in unhealthy cycles. “Boredom is closely tied to our attention,” she continued. “We get bored when there’s a gap between our engagement and the engagement we want. When people are constantly switching between videos, they’re not really engaged with any one video, but instead looking for something more interesting.”

In summary, the key is to fully immerse yourself in an experience and give it your full attention. It’s all about concentration.

Impact of digital distractions on young people

With children now growing up with screens, apps, and social media, it’s important to understand how digital screen use affects people’s brains. They don’t know a world without Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube. Although Common Sense Media recommends just one hour of quality screen time per day for kids ages 2 to 5, for many kids it’s much longer. And it only gets worse as they get older.

A 2019 study published in The Journal of Youth Health found that boredom is on the rise among young people. This study focused on students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grade from 2008 to 2017. The research was conducted by having students complete a self-report. Since the average child gets a smartphone in eighth grade and a tablet even earlier, mindless scrolling could be a contributing factor.

Boredom doesn’t have to be bad

But clinical psychologist Stephanie Lee, who was not involved in Tam’s study, sees some silver linings. She believes that if a child or teenager is bored, it’s not the end of the world.

Instead, it’s a teaching moment. “Boredom may not be particularly stressful, but it’s not fun,” she explained to the Child Mind Institute, a mental health nonprofit. “Life requires us to manage our frustrations and regulate our emotions when things don’t go the way we want, and boredom is a great way to teach that skill.”

Adults can help children by modeling healthy behavior and talking things through with them. Next time you feel like scrolling on your phone, think about who might be watching your example and do it with intention. Instead, go to the movies, theater, or read a book more often. Science shows that you enjoy activities that you fully engage in, even if it’s a “silly” cat video. Just make sure you watch the whole video.

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