While doing homework, it can be easy to feel bored or overwhelmed. You struggle to stay on task and feel tempted to just take a break and watch a couple videos. You think it’s only for a little bit and then you’ll do your work. When you decide to get back on task, you realize the time. It’s already 10 p.m. Now you have to spend another late night doing homework. This is the reality for many teens.
Kosi Olugu, a sophomore, elaborates on this problem. She admits that she doomscrolls daily when she is supposed to be doing homework.
“I tell myself it’s just going to be a few minutes, but it turns into a lot more,” said Olugu.
Teens today struggle with trying to stay focused due to excessive doomscrolling. Doomscrolling is when people spend long periods of time scrolling through negative or fast-paced content online. Apps like TikTok and Instagram make it easy to constantly consume short videos, which can make focusing a daily struggle.
Olugu says she mostly scrolls on TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. While she doesn’t always feel stressed afterward, it does make it harder to focus.
“After scrolling, it’s harder to concentrate on my work,” Olugu said. “It makes it harder to focus for a long time.”
Another student, junior Kendra Asamoah, also struggles with putting her phone down while doing homework.
“Sometimes I’ll pick up my phone just to check one thing, and then I end up scrolling for like twenty minutes,” Asamoah said. “When I finally stop, I feel like I wasted time and then I have to rush to finish my work.”
Asamoah says that even though social media can be entertaining, it often distracts her from important tasks.
“It’s hard to focus when you know your phone is right next to you,” Asamoah said. “Even if you’re trying to do your work, you keep checking it, or even might just give up and scroll through Twitter or something”
Teachers have also noticed a change in students’ attention spans. Science teacher William Paleologopoulos, says he has seen a difference in students’ attention spans over the years.
“Students don’t focus as long as they used to. Many of them get distracted quickly and want constant stimulation,” said Paleologopoulos. “When students are used to fast, short videos, it becomes harder for them to sit through a full lesson or work on longer assignments.”
Experts say this habit can affect mental health and academic performance, causing students to feel distracted and overwhelmed with work. Doom scrolling seems harmless but results of excessive doom scrolling can lead to a teens’ brain seeking quick entertainment. Teen brains want constant dopamine and these short videos give our brains the fast entertainment they want. These short videos are meant for you to endlessly scroll and to become addicted. As a result of this, teens struggle in complex tasks and have a hard time focusing on what’s important.
“Phones aren’t the enemy, but students need balance,” William Paleologopoulos adds. “Setting limits and putting your phone away while doing homework can make a big difference.”
