Scrolling

Text: II Timothy 3:1-7

 

I.         Maya sits down. She just needs a quick break before getting back to work.

            A.        She pulls up her social media on her phone, and her thumb naturally begins the familiar, rhythmic motion of scrolling the content upward.

            B.        Soon, she has looked through 20 vacation photos of people she barely knows, watch numerous recipe videos that she will never likely make, etc.

            C.        The brief break becomes an hour and a half.

            D.        She stops, but her brain feels sluggish, foggy, and scattered. It takes another 20 minutes before she can really focus on her work.

II.        Social media uses psychological principles to keep users engaged.

            A.        An example is the “infinite scroll,” which gives an endless list of content. There is no natural stopping point, so the user is tempted to go a bit further to see what is next

                        1.         Looking for novelty and entertainment because one is bored

                        2.         “This creates a reward loop similar to what's seen in gambling. You keep scrolling in anticipation of the next rewarding piece of content, creating a cycle that can be difficult to break. This is a core element of the psychology behind scrolling and a major reason why it can feel so compulsive.” [“The Psychology of the Scroll: How Social Media Quietly Rewires Your Mood, Focus, and Self Worth”, Doral Health and Wellness]

            B.        It is sometimes called “doomscrolling” in reference to looking for bad or depressing news, though sometimes all compulsive scrolling is referred to as doomscrolling.

                        1.         There is a fear that you might be missing out, so you seek constant updates

                        2.         “... doomscrolling aligns with the ADHD brain's wiring: it provides constant stimulation, frequent little rewards, and an easy outlet for impulsivity, all while distorting your sense of time. It's no surprise that so many ADHDers describe feeling “sucked in” to this behavior.” [Olivia Guy-Evans, Msc, “ADHD Doomscrolling: How To Stop Mindless Scrolling”, Simply Psychology, 20 March 2025]

            C.        The algorithms for selecting content naturally gravitate toward more extreme content because curiosity and excitement causes a viewer to continue looking

                        1.         It become a gateway to things involving strong emotions, such as violence or sex.

                        2.         There is a natural reinforcement of what a person is inclined to believe. Inappropriate or extreme behavior is normalized because of the repeated exposure.

            D.        Motivations [Shilpa Kalyan, “The infinite scroll … exploring the motivations and individual differences in binge-watching behavior on porn tube sites”, Social Sciences & Humanities Open, Vol. 11, 2025].

                        1.         Excitement Seeking

                        2.         Diversion

                        3.         Fantasy

                        4.         Arousal (broaden this to pleasure seeking)

                        5.         Habitual Pastime

III.       The moral problem of scrolling

            A.        There is a lack of purpose

                        1.         Just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean it is helpful - I Corinthians 10:23

                        2.         We should be seeking the betterment of others - Romans 15:2

                                    a.         Yet, the producers of scrolling media are not aiming for building up its viewers

                        3.         Pursuing worthless things lacks sense - Proverbs 12:11 (also Proverbs 28:19)

            B.        It is letting others decide what you are watching

                        1.         The focus is on worldly things - Colossians 3:2-6

                        2.         Don’t love the world - I John 2:15-16

                        3.         The world is in the dark - Ephesians 4:17-18

                        4.         Like Israel, people walk backward - Jeremiah 7:24

            C.        It is sedentary and passive

                        1.         We are to prepare our minds for action - I Peter 1:13-15

                        2.         A lazy person is destructive - Proverbs 18:9

                        3.         His desires kill him - Proverbs 21:25-26

                        4.         Laziness leads to misconduct - II Thessalonians 3:11-13

            D.        Thrill seeking leads to rash behavior

                        1.         The fool doesn’t consider where things lead - Proverbs 14:15

                        2.         The person is so focused on the thrill, he makes mistakes - Proverbs 19:2

            E.        Chasing pleasure

                        1.         Leads to poverty - Proverbs 21:17

                        2.         Lovers of pleasure is a sign of perilous times - II Timothy 3:1-5

                        3.         When you give yourself over to worldly pleasures, you are dead - I Timothy 5:6

                        4.         Their god is their appetite - Philippians 3:18-19

                        5.         Slaves of their own desires - Romans 16:18

            F.        Focusing on the latest bad news

                        1.         Proverbs 18:8 - Like tasty morsels, but once swallowed, they become a part of you (also Proverbs 26:22)

                                    a.         What we consume changes our views

                                    b.         It is why the warning that it can separate even close friends - Proverbs 16:28

                        2.         Those who follow wisdom are not in dread of evil - Proverbs 1:33

                        3.         The righteous are not afraid of bad news - Psalms 112:7

IV.      Breaking the Habit

            A.        Limit your access

                        1.         We have our phones with us all the time. I’m bored, pull out the phone. I wonder what other people are doing, pull out the phone, ...

                        2.         We have to practice self-discipline - I Corinthians 9:26-27

                                    a.         Not wasting energy in useless actions

                                    b.         Keeping yourself under control

                        3.         When you need to interact with others, the phone remains put away, such as at dinner.

                        4.         When you should be sleeping, put the phone elsewhere – not at your bedside.

                                    a.         In fact, don’t use your phone for the first 30 to 60 minutes in the day.

                                    b.         The world won’t end.

                                    c.         Yet, the times of greatest temptation is just before we fall asleep and just after we wake up.

            B.        Limit your time

                        1.         So many people tell me that they start to scroll and then the next thing they know, they been up half the night

                        2.         We need to make the most of our time - Ephesians 5:15-16

                        3.         If you must, put a timer on. Only allow yourself certain times of the day to scan social media.

                        4.         Don’t take your phone with you to the restroom. If you need a distraction, take a book.

            C.        Turn off notifications for social media

                        1.         Take control of your time.

                        2.         One thing that can pull people from God are the cares of this world - Matthew 13:22

                                    a.         It isn’t wrong to be aware of what is going on, but to allow constant interruption to pull your attention away from what needs to be done can lead to problems.

                                    b.         The worries of life can be a trap - Luke 21:34

                                                (1)       Dissipation - excessive indulgence in pleasure (pretending problems are not there)

                                                (2)       Drunkenness - typically to avoid problems

                                                (3)       Worries of life - immersing yourself into the problems

            D.        Put more purpose in your use

                        1.         Ask your self if what you are doing will help or improve you

                        2.         Is it going to help you help others? = Ephesians 2:10

                        3.         Do you need this to make a decision?

            E.        Practice patience

                        1.         The world won’t end if I don’t look at my phone until later.

V.        Computers, phones, and even social media can serve useful purposes, but don’t let the tools dominate such that your focus is on the tool instead of the task to be accomplished.