Have you noticed how you spend an hour on Netflix scrolling for a show to watch? How you get sucked into TikTok while seeking a video to lift your spirits?

The documentary, The Social Dilemma suggests that when using addictive technology, the brain keeps searching for a dopamine reward. That’s why we won’t put the phone down until we get it. After all, we’ve already spent hours scrolling, so how can we leave before finding something that validates our sunk time.?

That’s how 20 minutes becomes 2 hours, until finally, the Headspace app pops up to remind us that excessive screen time isn’t good for us.

This phenomenon of endlessly looking for something on a device is called doomscrolling.

More of the Same

Social media algorithms excel at giving us more of what we’ve seen before. They do a lesser job of recommending what will truly satisfy our cravings—like the desire for love and connection. So, we often come away feeling vaguely dissatisfied. Sometimes, we may find something that at least makes us chuckle.

It’s even worse for creators who work on content for hours only to get a few comments. Then, the one they put minimal energy into goes viral. It can seem like the reward is not commensurate with the effort.

As a whole, chronic social media users are caught in an endless loop of seeking validation from strangers instead of getting it from family and friends.

Recommendations Worth Having

For TV series, have I found great recommendations from endless scrolling? Rarely, when I compare the time spent to the quality of discovery. Instead, I get better picks from expertly curated lists and from family or friends.

So, I don’t scroll anymore. Instead, I ask a friend or go to a curation platform. Until I find a recommendation worth having, I wait for a new season of a series I already love or watch reruns of previous shows.

Power of Community Recommendations

Community recommendations are powerful. Things that people love, have connected with, or that have made a huge impact in their lives are worth checking out.

For instance, after reading Surrounded by Idiots, I kept raving about it. Now, quite a few people in my network have read the book too. That’s the power of genuine community recommendations.

The book, The Holy Spirit: An Introduction by John Bevere never came up in my Google searches for top books about the Holy Spirit. But it was recommended by someone and has transformed my life. The Holy Spirit is more real to me now than He ever was at any point in my life.

Music Does It Better

Music streaming platforms do a better job with recommendations. They use a mix of algorithms, AI, and staff who serve as official tastemakers. I have discovered diverse music from these recommendations, not just more of the same. In doing so, my worldview has expanded instead of being locked in a bubble of plain vanilla preferences.

But even in music, personal recommendations rock. I love country pop, but it was first mentioned to me by a colleague at work. Because of them, I went down the rabbit hole of Rascal Flatts, listening to every album. Then I segued to the likes of Jordan Davis, Brett Young, Dan & Shay, and Luke Combs. I even went to a Carrie Underwood concert in Vegas and was one of a few black fans in the audience.

Stop Scrolling and Look Up

Humans are not designed to scroll endlessly or have their media chosen for them by an algorithm alone.

Beyond content, they need more to satisfy the desire for something new, meaningful, and impactful. And your tribe tend to know exactly what you need.

Thanks for reading!

For more, read Personality or Problem?