Scroll Hush
Self assessment

Coming soon for Android

← Back to Scroll Hush

Research

Research on screen time and social media use

Scroll Hush and the educational self-assessment draw on peer-reviewed research on attention, habitual social media use, mental health, and behaviour change. The sources below informed how the app uses intentional openings, limits, quiet time, and how the self-assessment describes patterns. Each topic includes a short note on what the evidence does and does not show. This research is about screen time and related interventions in general; it is not evidence that Scroll Hush itself produces a particular result.

Reducing use and taking breaks

Randomized trials have tested one-week social media breaks, cutting daily smartphone use by an hour, and blocking mobile internet. Results are encouraging, and reduction often looked as good as or better than total abstinence, but most studies are short, use motivated volunteers and rely partly on self-reported mood. None evaluated Scroll Hush.

Practical guide: A digital detox without quitting social media

  1. Brailovskaia, J., et al. Finding the sweet spot of smartphone use: Reduction or abstinence to increase well-being and healthy lifestyle? Experimental evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied (2023). PMID 35389685
  2. Lambert, J., et al. Taking a One-Week Break from Social Media Improves Well-Being, Depression, and Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (2022). PMID 35512731
  3. Castelo, N., et al. Blocking mobile internet on smartphones improves sustained attention, mental health, and subjective well-being. PNAS Nexus (2025). PMID 39967678
  4. Pieh, C., et al. Smartphone screen time reduction improves mental health: A randomized controlled trial. BMC Medicine (2025). PMID 39985031
  5. Plackett, R., et al. The Impact of Social Media Use Interventions on Mental Well-Being: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2023). PMID 37565693
  6. Ramadhan, R. N., et al. Impacts of digital social media detox for mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Public Health (2024). PMID 39280291

Attention, notifications and interruptions

Laboratory and workplace studies show that interruptions, including phone notifications, can disrupt ongoing tasks. Evidence that a phone merely nearby drains attention is weaker than early studies suggested, and media multitasking findings are mixed.

Practical guide: How to stop checking your phone out of habit

  1. Altmann, E. M., Trafton, J. G., and Hambrick, D. Z. Momentary interruptions can derail the train of thought. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (2014). PMID 23294345
  2. Stothart, C., Mitchum, A., and Yehnert, C. The attentional cost of receiving a cell phone notification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance (2015). PMID 26121498
  3. Leroy, S. Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes (2009). doi:10.1016/j.obhdp.2009.04.002
  4. Ohly, S., et al. Effects of task interruptions caused by notifications from communication applications on strain and performance. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology (2023). doi:10.1037/ocp0000351
  5. Böttger, T., et al. Does the Brain Drain Effect Really Exist? A Meta-Analysis. Behavioral Sciences (2023). PMID 37754029
  6. Wilmer, H. H., Sherman, L. E., and Chein, J. M. Smartphones and Cognition: A Review of Research Exploring the Links between Mobile Technology Habits and Cognitive Functioning. Frontiers in Psychology (2017). PMID 28487665
  7. Wiradhany, W., and Nieuwenstein, M. R. Cognitive control in media multitaskers: Two replication studies and a meta-analysis. Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics (2017). PMID 28840547
  8. Santos, R. M. S., et al. The Association between Screen Time and Attention in Children: A Systematic Review. Developmental Neuropsychology (2022). PMID 35430923

Social media use and well-being

Reviews find modest average associations between problematic social media use and poorer mental health, with large differences between people. Passive scrolling, social comparison and fear of missing out appear more relevant than total time alone. Most of this research is correlational.

Practical guide: How to stop doomscrolling

  1. Huang, C. A meta-analysis of the problematic social media use and mental health. International Journal of Social Psychiatry (2022). PMID 33295241
  2. Escobar-Viera, C. G., et al. Passive and Active Social Media Use and Depressive Symptoms Among United States Adults. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking (2018). PMID 29995530
  3. Valkenburg, P. M., Meier, A., and Beyens, I. Social media use and its impact on adolescent mental health: An umbrella review of the evidence. Current Opinion in Psychology (2022). PMID 34563980
  4. Marciano, L., et al. Digital Media Use and Adolescents' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Public Health (2022). PMID 35186872
  5. Conte, G., et al. A systematic review of the impact of TikTok on adolescent mental health. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2025). PMID 39412670
  6. Meier, A., and Johnson, B. K. Social comparison and envy on social media: A critical review. Current Opinion in Psychology (2022). PMID 35184028
  7. Verduyn, P., et al. Social comparison on social networking sites. Current Opinion in Psychology (2020). PMID 32387840
  8. Akbari, M., et al. Fear of missing out and internet use: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Behavioral Addictions (2021). PMID 34935633

Sleep

Meta-analyses link more electronic and social media use with poorer sleep quality. The studies are mostly observational, so the direction of the effect is not settled.

Practical guide: How to stop scrolling before bed

  1. Ahmed, O., et al. Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses. Journal of Affective Disorders (2024). PMID 39242043
  2. Han, X., et al. Electronic Media Use and Sleep Quality: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2024). PMID 38533835

Mindfulness and alternatives

Mindfulness programs and meditation apps show modest benefits in meta-analyses of randomized trials, including for problematic internet use. These findings concern the programs studied, not the meditations inside Scroll Hush.

  1. Fendel, J. C., et al. Mindfulness programs for problematic usage of the internet: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review (2024). PMID 38703362
  2. Gál, É., et al. The efficacy of mindfulness meditation apps in enhancing users' well-being and mental health related outcomes: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders (2021). PMID 33049431

Habits, goals and behaviour change

Setting specific goals and monitoring your own behaviour are well-studied behaviour change techniques. People also misjudge their own screen time, which is why logged usage is a better baseline than estimates.

Practical guide: How to reduce screen time on Android

  1. Epton, T., et al. Unique effects of setting goals on behavior change: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (2017). PMID 29189034
  2. Compernolle, S., et al. Effectiveness of interventions using self-monitoring to reduce sedentary behavior in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2019). PMID 31409357
  3. Michie, S., van Stralen, M. M., and West, R. The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions. Implementation Science (2011). PMID 21513547
  4. Brand, M., Young, K. S., Laier, C., Wölfling, K., and Potenza, M. N. Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders: the I-PACE model. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2016). PMID 27590829
  5. Parry, D. A., et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of discrepancies between logged and self-reported digital media use. Nature Human Behaviour (2021). PMID 34002052

How platforms shape attention

Work in ethics and psychology examines how engagement-optimized design and recommendation algorithms influence what people see and how long they stay.

Practical guide: App blockers vs screen time apps vs pause apps

  1. Bhargava, V. R., and Velasquez, M. Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction. Business Ethics Quarterly (2021). doi:10.1017/beq.2020.32
  2. Metzler, H., et al. Social Drivers and Algorithmic Mechanisms on Digital Media. Perspectives on Psychological Science (2023). doi:10.1177/17456916231185057