Excessive Social Media Scrolling (“Binge-Scrolling”) Could Be a Byproduct of FOMO. What Does This Mean for Our Cognition?

There is finally a term to describe the moment when you open your phone to check a notification then suddenly look up and it’s been an hour of scrolling through social media. “Binge-scrolling” is used to describe the phenomenon of compulsive viewing of short-form digital content over extended, unplanned, periods of time. A common understanding of this behavior is that technology itself is too addicting, but could the root of the cause be on an individual level?

Researchers at University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and University of Cincinnati had modeled potential behaviors theoretically correlated with the phenomenon of binge-scrolling: problematic social media use, problematic smartphone use, and fear of missing out (FOMO). They ended up finding that problematic usage (both for social media and smartphones) was positively associated with binge-scrolling behavior; the more problematic the usage, the more compulsive the scrolling behavior was. Although this is not too surprising, the interesting link between these problematic behaviors was found to be fear of missing out.

This finding builds upon a prior framework for technology addiction– the Compensatory-Internet Use Theory– that claims individuals are prone to coping with negative mood or unmet psychological needs and are therefore more likely to engage in addictive behavior towards technology, not that the technology itself is addictive. When considering the main finding where FOMO mediates the relationship between problematic technology use and binge-scrolling, it further solidifies the theory that technology addiction could stem from sociopsychological factors of an individual more-so than the social media platforms themselves. To summarize, individuals that have greater anxiety surrounding exclusion from events or opportunities are compensating by excessively browsing social media.

Research being conducted on the earliest markers of addictive technology behavior is an important beginning step for intervention and prevention– but what about those that are already affected? How does this have long-term effects on our current generation?

A meta-analysis of excessive short-form video (SFV) viewing had found associations with poorer cognitive performance across multiple domains: attention, inhibitory control, and memory. In other words, excessive SFV viewing is linked to shortened attention spans, less capability of self-control, and worse memory of events later on. As social media usage starts earlier as generations go on, we are heading towards a decline of cognitive functioning that is important for the development of youth: reading, problem solving, and deep learning.

In order to prevent a generational decline in capability and independent functioning, we as a society need to emphasize the importance of socialization and education. Socializing is an important prevention, given recent findings of FOMO and binge-scrolling, and education is an important intervention to preserve cognition. Whenever you feel compelled to scroll social media, start with transitioning to reading about your favorite topic (maybe in an online editorial like Remember Magazine?) or reach out to someone nearby to have an in-person conversation. There is more to life than memes and influencers– and it’s important for your wellbeing and health to discover it.

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References

Holte, A. J., Wise, A. B., & Nixon, A. J., II. (2026). From Binge Scrolling to Problematic Technology Use: Fear of Missing Out as a Self-Regulatory Mediator. Behavioral Sciences, 16(5), 802. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs16050802

Kardefelt-Winther, D. (2014). A Conceptual and Methodological Critique of Internet Addiction research: Towards a Model of Compensatory Internet Use. Computers in Human Behavior, 31(1), 351–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.10.059

Nguyen, L., Walters, J., Paul, S., Monreal Ijurco, S., Rainey, G. E., Parekh, N., Blair, G., & Darrah, M. (2025). Feeds, feelings, and focus: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining the cognitive and mental health correlates of short-form video use.Psychological Bulletin, 151(9), 1125–1146. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000498