ONE in 10 Brits admit choosing doomscrolling over sex with their partner, according to research.
A poll of 2,000 adults explored the impact of consuming ‘endless’ negative stories on the web – finding the UK collectively spends 67.4 million hours a day doomscrolling.
That’s 96 minutes every day in total – the equivalent of two days during the course of an average month.
And this not only affects productivity (46 per cent) and creativity (28 per cent) but for 10 per cent has even resulted in turning down sex.
Their fascination with such content has also led to 28 per cent feeling tired or drained, and 22 per cent anxious or overwhelmed.
The research was commissioned by OnePlus, which has also launched Brain Rot Blaster – a retro first-person shooter web game which champions the anti-scroll.
The game, which self-destructs after one play, holds up a mirror to the UK’s obsession with doomscrolling by highlighting the most toxic internet behaviours.
Spokesperson for the smartphone brand, Celina Shi said: “It’s easy to fall into mindless scrolling – at home, at work, even around loved ones.
“We’re encouraging people to take back control of their screen time and use their phones with more purpose.”;
The research also revealed 44 per cent of those polled regularly lose track of time when scrolling, and 22 per cent have no idea how much they scroll at all.
But for the 52 per cent who wish they had more hours in the day, cutting back on scrolling could help them make time for the things they say matter most.
This ranges from seeing family (40 per cent) and spending time in nature (36 per cent), to being creative (25 per cent) or learning a new language (19 per cent).
Four in 10 (41 per cent) scrollers admit to doing so on the toilet, and 49 per cent do it while spending time with friends and family.
Some have also indulged in the online negative swirls while at a wedding (12 per cent), at a school event (13 per cent), and even funerals (six per cent)
With the top ‘toxic topics’ include negative world events (32 per cent) and reality TV or celebrity drama (32 per cent).
Celina Shi, from OnePlus – which developed the game featuring digital demons like the ‘Blockchain Bro’ and ‘Tin Foil Hat’ to be blasted away with its Nord 5 smartphone, released on Tuesday 8 July – added: “Why lose hours to the scroll, when you could be creating something that inspires you instead?
“Brain Rot Blaster takes on the creativity-crushing, productivity-sapping scroll, challenging users to rethink their habits and up their game.”;
