Researchers have developed an app called Mindful Scroll to assist users in shifting from endless doom-scrolling to incorporating mindfulness into their everyday lives.
Do you often catch yourself endlessly scrolling through negative news on social media and want to break free from it? There’s now an app designed just for that.
Mindful Scroll is a mobile application created by researchers at the University of Waterloo to help individuals move away from doom-scrolling and embrace mindfulness within their daily activities.
This app allows users to fill in an infinite array of geometric shapes using calming colour palettes. During a study assessing the app’s effectiveness, users reported reduced anxiety and enhanced mindfulness.
“Many people find themselves mindlessly scrolling through social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter,” stated Saralin Zassman, the study’s lead author and a recent master’s graduate in Computer Science now collaborating with media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. “Mindful Scroll combines art and computer science to transform that mindless scrolling into a healthier practice.”
The team utilized existing research on adult colouring books and other creative activities to develop a straightforward mindfulness resource. Unlike traditional colouring books, the app’s patterns quickly appear and fade away, encouraging users to concentrate on their immediate actions rather than a broader goal. Additionally, the app’s brush shrinks if users try to colour too quickly, promoting a slower, more mindful approach.
In their study, 28 participants used the app for 10 minutes each day over a period of five days. Every participant expressed interest in continued use and noted an increase in mindfulness alongside a decrease in anxiety.
“Building effective mindfulness habits can be challenging without simplicity and regularity,” explained Daniel Vogel, a Computer Science professor focused on human-computer interaction. “This technology facilitates easier mindfulness practice, helping convert negative behaviors like doom-scrolling into positive actions.”
