According to a latest media survey, Indians are spending a significant portion of their day on socializing and leisure, with men dedicating 20.3% of their time, while women too are trailing behind, as they spend 19.1% of their time on leisure too.
A major chunk of this time is going into social media, especially endless scrolling through short videos and reels, often leading to, what the GenZ is referring as doomscrolling. Which is the habit of mindlessly consuming content for long periods.
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Platforms like Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Moj have turned into default leisure activities. The infinite scrolling feature keeps users hooked, often making them lose track of time. What starts as a quick break ends up becoming an unintentional habit, affecting productivity and focus.
Men, who have more leisure time, are more likely to engage in prolonged social media usage, gaming, and online discussions. Women, despite having less free time, also get drawn into the scrolling cycle when they use social media.
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Urban Indians, with better internet access, tend to spend slightly more time on socializing compared to those in rural areas. While rural communities still engage in traditional forms of interaction, digital adoption is steadily increasing.
For many, social media serves as a stress reliever. However, excessive usage is becoming a major time-waster, reducing meaningful interactions and productive activities. Studies indicate that doomscrolling can lead to lower attention spans, addiction, and mental fatigue.
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Perhaps the culprit is the lack of work-leisure balance. A person after a heavy day might prefer to divert or lose their attention to reels that serve as fast food in a way to a hungry person. The consumption however just like fast food comes with hefty consequences.
