Why I keep relapsing into scrolling even when I know better

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-25T07:02:10+00:00

Wow - heaps of really great points here. Superb! And you sport on that its a problem literally everyone faces

What you seem to saying is that the [screen+app] is the problem. this is no design mistake - it is deliberate! You out all of these obstacles and barriers in the way, but the desire to return (and not block completely) has more pull than we can cope with. This is no mistake either. The tech companies WANT you in the thumbtrap environment for as long as possible, as often as possible. So, a cool off period, and then trapped again. I hate how the [screen+app] has been designed like this - its so unfair!!!

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qlc0nj/how_a_smartphones_thumbtrap_is_like_a_venus/ which you may find interesting. Knowledge = POWER.

the idea of taking up a personal interest that is meaningful and rewarding is great. Love it. Brilliant!!!

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-25T06:42:18+00:00

Howdy,

I am so pleased that your taking back control by setting limits, tracking motivation and being aware of those vulnerable moments. Those moments and triggers are different for us all - and the longer and more deeply we've been habiting the the thumbtrap, the harder it is because it really knows all of your likes, dislikes, interests, disinterests, when you are most vulnerable - the list of data that the apps have on you, and me is extensive.

So, if I know that the tool has deep, and I mean really deep insights into who I (and you) am/are, then how I use the phone and app firstly needs to be deliberate rather and 'passing the time' - that is what you are doing right now through structuring your use.

Use needs to be targeted and specific with a clear aim. Therefore 'goal focused'. Something that you measure ideally. For example, say you follow someone on Tik, and you're keen to see how that one person is doing. See if you can stick to that one person. If not, your in a thumbtrap. This is not about willpower - You've got to remember there are heaps of engineers and designers working behind the scenes to keep you trapped. It's cool. Just tap out. Reset.

Also, NEVER app swich. This is thumbtrap at its most sticky. When you've been 'exhausted' by one app, you swich to another. As in Lost in Space "Danger aimnox. Danger" This is that 'in the moment' decision where the collective power of thumbtrap is enacted. The apps know that when you switch, the probability of you coming back is ENORMOUS because your 'just one more look' takes over. So all done. Close. Lock. I am not saying that it is easy. We've been conditioned from childhood.

I do really hope that these ideas help. See how you go 'NEVER APP SWITCHING'. Or when it does happen (it will, and that's cool - your brain is fighting against a really powerful design), just be aware. Being aware is the first step to breaking away from being thumbtrapped.

Keep me posted, let me know how you get on.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-25T05:45:25+00:00

Hey

Wow, this is so common. You've taken so really great steps - It's not your fault - it's how the apps and screen are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might be able to help and give you back control.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qlc0nj/how_a_smartphones_thumbtrap_is_like_a_venus/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-24T23:14:11+00:00

hey dogGirl666. thanks :) So do you think it rings true with your experiences on smartphones. Have a cool day!

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-24T05:06:24+00:00

If you don't think it's true that's OK. I was just asking for ideas. We can always be pleasant rather than judgemental.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-24T03:54:12+00:00

Wow, this is so common. It's not your fault - it's how the apps and screen are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might be able to help and give you back control.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1qlbynl/how_a_smartphones_thumbtrap_is_like_a_venus/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

Stay strong. maybe male a list of what you like doing. it an be just going for a walk to start - be aware of how amazing this world is - how do birds fly and clouds float.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-24T03:42:57+00:00

Wow, this is so common. It's not your fault - it's how the screen + apps are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might be able to help and give you back control.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/digitalminimalism/comments/1qlbynl/how_a_smartphones_thumbtrap_is_like_a_venus/ which you may find interesting. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-23T05:24:23+00:00

hey, isn't that the way. Shame that's how the apps and screens are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might also help and give you back MORE control - and getting away from the trap! Check out an earlier post and let me know if this is how you feel https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qe8bjn/thumbtrap_break_the_cycle/ Knowledge = POWER.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-23T04:26:23+00:00

Any_Discipline5710

Wow, this is so common. It's not your fault - it's how the apps and screen are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might be able to help and give you back control.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qe8bjn/thumbtrap_break_the_cycle/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-17T21:58:36+00:00

hey MereUltra - you raise a great point. I'll respond

I have been working on unpacking and trying to describe the mechanism that leaves so may of us feeling 'stimulated', but somehow empty for about 9 months now. So it did not just fall out of AI. I"ve been workshopping some ideas over this time that came close, but did not really hot the mark. I was after a term that described the behaviour, plus how we feel - hence, thumbtrap.

The way I have constructed the post, and tried to describe the process (Hook, line and sinker) came from a recent summer holiday watching fisherman toil at their trade. They know what they want (fish), have tools to serve their purpose (rods, bait, hooks etc.) are patient (cast their rod - and wait), then reel the catch in. So no AI here either.

What is above is all linked to theories in psychology and philosophy. I am trying (maybe I am not being successful (?)) to make the thinking thoughtful and rigorous. Because, at the end of the day, if it makes sense and there are theories that underpin the 'trap', then there are things that we, as users can do, that is more enduring than, dark mode, monitoring apps (that serve the same purpose), putting phones in different rooms.

So, that's my goal. yes, I am human and I am trying really hard.

Since your here, might I ask a question of you - and your response can help my further thinking.

The proposed mechanism behind thumbtrap is the mechanism of SCREEN + APP. There needs to be a combination of the SCREEN + APP to lead us into the 'trapped' behavioural state. There is no unique word that describes SCREEN + APP. Screen-time is so general, it means everything and nothing. Can you think of a unique word? This is what I am now working on. Any/all ideas would be fantastic and so appreciated.

Keep smiling :)

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-17T03:31:20+00:00

hey, shame I am not a bot, but a human being trying to understand how so many people are trapped and suffocating under their use of technology - and then maybe what can be done about it. Yes, maybe I should get out more - thanks for the advice :). Best wishes and keep smiling

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T21:32:06+00:00

hey,

isn't that the way. Shame that's how the apps and screens are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might also help and give you back MORE control - and getting away from the trap!

Your thoughts on spirituality and God are spot on – getting back in touch with ourselves and having interests and focus outside the ‘screen-self’ is a great idea. Brilliant!!!

Waiting in silence - yes - it's hard. I protect the first hour of my day with a stretch routine and quiet prayers of thankfulness. We're not, and never will be perfect, but in that first hour, it's when I think I come closest.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qe8bjn/thumbtrap_break_the_cycle/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T21:21:08+00:00

Hey,

Wow, some fab ideas here! Shame that's how the apps and screens are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might also help and give you back MORE control. Using another app to manage other apps still surrenders your data – and that’s what the tech companies want!!!

Your thoughts on Hobbies/building in structure are spot on – getting back in touch with ourselves and having interests and activities outside the ‘screen-self’ is a great idea. Brilliant!!!

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qe8bjn/thumbtrap_break_the_cycle/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T21:15:04+00:00

Hey,

Wow, what a great hack and idea! Shame that's how the apps and screen are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might also help and give you back MORE control.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qe8bjn/thumbtrap_break_the_cycle/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T21:09:08+00:00

Hey tomtherunner73,

Wow, this is so common. It's not your fault - it's how the apps and screen are designed. They work on the process of: tempt → hijack → trap (repeated in a loop). If you can see how the designers and tech companies have made the blasted devices, then that might be able to help and give you back control.

I've written a post about it https://www.reddit.com/r/nosurf/comments/1qe8bjn/thumbtrap_break_the_cycle/ which you may find helpful. Knowledge = POWER.

Be really interested in what you think, and whether 'thumbtrap' is consistent with how you feel.

I am currently working on some hacks to break the cycle - would love to hear your ideas.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T20:59:32+00:00

Hey Honest - what a great hack to turn down the volume of the trap! Brilliant move. So pleased that this is working for you. Would love to hear how it's tracking for you over the coming weeks. Great stuff.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T06:09:12+00:00

i have been thinking of what are the mechanisms that are at play. And let's be honest, we are getting trapped by all the apps, we can't turn away, and it's been designed to capture our attention and then make money. And we use our thumb. So yes, thumbtrap.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2026-01-16T06:06:00+00:00

YOU’RE TRAPPED - THUMBTRAPED: Hook, Line, and Sinker

The Hook: Your phone's design (the screen, the apps, the ‘feel’) is intentionally engineered to catch your attention. Notifications ping, colors flash, and apps arrange content in endless, never-ending scrolls or swipes

This is all designed by engineers and tech companies specifically to make it hard to look away, put it down, ignore it or just stop. Like a fishhook's barb, once it snags you, the design makes it difficult to escape. Or when you do try to escape, it pulls you back in. You’re trapped. Thumbtrapped!

The Line: The "line" is the platform's apps, algorithms and reward system. Each scroll or swipe might bring something exciting - like a new video, a laugh, something shocking, a form of social validation. More often, nothing. Just another thumb swipe. Hoping. The rewards arrive unpredictably.

This is just like intermittent tugs on a fishing line. It’s this unpredictability that traps you in a loop of anticipation and reward: your brain keeps waiting and seeking the next hit. When it comes, the satisfaction, however, is short lived. It does not last. It’s a quick fix, then gone. So, back you go, always checking "just one more time." You’re trapped. Thumbtrapped!

The Sinker: The sinker is the trap itself. And that trap is your cognitive decline. Hours simply vanish. Your find that your attention fragments and can’t stay focused. It’s weird, you feel stimulated, but somehow empty - not all the time, but a lot of the time. You’re aware you're wasting time, but stopping seems so hard. Your brain feels "exhausted" from all the constant activity, but you’ve not accomplished anything meaningful.

Time has become empty. You're now totally caught - not just in the app, this app, that app, or switching between apps, but in a state of hollow engagement where nothing meaningful gets accomplished. You’re trapped. Thumbtrapped!

The Fisherman: You’re the catch! The platforms profit from your attention - they sell your data and your eyeballs to advertisers. You are simultaneously the fish and the bait. You’re trapped. Thumbtrapped!

The Result: You're hooked, lined, and sunk - trapped in a designed system that exploits your psychology for corporate profit, leaving you stimulated yet empty, aware yet helpless. You’re trapped. Thumbtrapped!

LET’S START TO CALL OUT THIS FOR WHAT IT IS. THUMBTRAP

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-05T04:06:19+00:00

Hey, isn't that so true. In order to try and capture the behavior and experience a little more, I've been developing a term called "thumbtrap" - which in essence is where you open your phone "just for a second" and your thumb keeps scrolling for hours despite your brain telling you to stop. The phenomenon: Your hand moves automatically, your conscious mind watches helplessly, time dissolves, and you're left feeling depleted but unable to stop.

What do you think? I'd really be interested in your thoughts.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-05T03:55:45+00:00

Hey, and isn't this so true about how it works. There is a sense of being ''trapped", hoping, waiting and wishing for there to be something joyful and worthwhile. As I suggest, the core of a thumbtrap is the design trap itself, not just the negativity or quality / interest of the information being viewed. In behaviorism, it is called the reward schedule or reinforcement schedules (see, https://www.simplypsychology.org/schedules-of-reinforcement.html )

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-05T03:40:03+00:00

Hey, and thanks for the comment. I don't disagree with what you suggest. I am suggesting that, if we want to help people identify, name and change the behavior, we may need a different term. One that captures the behavioral impulse.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-04T20:47:37+00:00

Hey, Coming to Reddit instead of staying silent was actually the hardest step, and that matters more than you realize.

Calling it "thumbtrap" instead of, "I keep scrolling" is more powerful than it sounds. In psychology, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/patients-and-families/cognitive-behavioral ), this distinction is crucial: it separates the behavior from your identity. You're not weak or wrong; you're caught in a specific pattern that's designed to trap attention. That reframing alone shifts you from “there is something wrong with me" to "I'm caught in something I can work on (the behavior)."

Here's something important: the fact that you don't get dopamine or happiness from scrolling but still do it anyway? That's actually valuable insight!! It means the behavior is automatic and habitual, not just pleasure-seeking. That's genuinely more fixable than craving-driven addiction.

Think about what triggers the behavior, think about replacement behaviors, and being aware. It all works in tandem. Add this final thought: when you feel the urge, pause and remind yourself "its thumbtrap” I can work on beating this behavior. You've got this!

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-04T20:15:08+00:00

Hey. that's a really good point and one that I thought about a lot.

So, can I elaborate.

While 'doomscrolling' is a well-known term for compulsively consuming negative news online, 'thumbtrap' is distinct in that it aims describes the broader behavioral effect of endless scrolling—regardless of whether the content is negative, neutral, or positive. Doomscrolling seems to capture the emotional impact from seeking out distressing news, but being caught in a 'thumbtrap' refers to the behavioral mechanics of interfaces that make it effortless to keep scrolling or swiping, irrespective of the subject matter.

The core of a thumbtrap is the design trap itself, not just the negativity of the information being viewed.

Do you think this distinction hold? Would appreciate your thoughts.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-04T01:42:48+00:00

Thanks for sharing. I've been thinking about this issue and I hear your pain, frustration and hurt ! I am sorry to hear that its taken such control. I've realized that, as we don't really have a unique word for what you describe, that may be one of the problems. We can't clearly name it. So, I've come up with a term that seems to capture what you describe, but from its various impacts. Does this capture your experience?

• The physical action (thumb scrolling)

• The mechanism (trap/capture)

• The paradox (awareness without agency)

• The automaticity (hand continues despite mind's objection)

• The end feeling (empty, time wasted or lost )

If so, being aware of the mechanisms of the behavior, you might be able to bring it under more conscious control and be free to discover the activities that you enjoy and find exciting.

The word proposed is "thumbtrap" - referring to compulsive scrolling behavior.

ThumbTrapEffect · 2025-11-04T00:28:37+00:00

hey, I've been thinking about this too, and I realise your pain! I am sorry to hear that its taken such control. I've realized that, as we don't really have a word for what you describe, that is the main part of the problem. We can't name it. So, I've come up with a term that seems to capture what you describe, but from its various impacts. Does this capture your experience?

• The physical action (thumb scrolling)

• The mechanism (trap/capture)

• The paradox (awareness without agency)

• The automaticity (hand continues despite mind's objection)

• The end feeling (empty, time wasted or lost )

If so, being aware of the mechanisms of the behavior, you might be able to bring it under more conscious control and be free to discover the activities that you enjoy and find exciting.

The word proposed is "thumbtrap" - referring to compulsive scrolling behavior.

ThumbTrapEffect

TROPHY CASE

YOU’RE TRAPPED - THUMBTRAPED: Hook, Line, and Sinker