Scrolling Endlessly to Unwind? It Could Be Making You Feel Worse

If you want to tune out and relax after a long day, you might turn to social media, online shopping or playing games on your phone. But a new study suggests that these activities might actually stress you out more.

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“Uncertainty is exciting,” said Ayelet Fishbach, a behavioral science professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In her research, she and her colleagues have found that people find uncertain rewards more motivating. Even though we generally don’t like uncertainty, we want to see the resolution.

In games, uncertainty is part of the appeal. Social media has uncertainty built in, too, and it capitalizes on our human need to be social.

“There’s fear of missing out. And there are no cues to stop,” Fishbach said. “Social media is just designed to get us addicted with every feature that is on the screen.”

Read the whole story (subscription may be required): The Washington Post