21-year-old Lacy Wilson enjoys spending copious amounts of time with Instagram under the pad of her thumb, but Lacy says she will totally stop as soon as the app stops being so freaking addictive.
“There are some nights where my thumb goes on an automated spree of swiping, scrolling, and liking. I can’t stop myself,” Lacy says. “It’s obvious that it’s taking a toll on my mental health, and that’s why I plan to quit once Instagram stops giving me dopamine hit after dopamine hit.”
An increasing number of people feel they are suffering from a social media addiction, and like Lacy, they look forward to when that will somehow no longer be the case.
“I mean I could totally give it up, but it’s like Instagram, babe, you hang up first,” Lacy says. “Seriously though – my mental health is suffering.”
Instagram’s user experience allows users to fall into a trance-like state with their phone, but it can’t go on like this forever – at least Lacy doesn’t think so.
“One day they will make the algorithm less manipulative and addicting so we won’t go on it so much, right?” Lacy says. “I think that would just be the right thing, and the only way for me to have a healthier relationship to it ever. I’ll be totally ready for when that happens.”
So will the infinite scroll ever stop? Well, Instagram does constantly innovate to ensure the app is endlessly captivating every waking minute of your consumer-driven life, but maybe Instagram will slow down business for Lacy and people like her.
“Sure, I could set a time limit on the amount of hours I could spend on Instagram, but that’s too complicated,” Lacy says. “I’d rather just wait for it to all stop, or for the techpocolypse comes and brings us back to agrarianism or something. Whatever comes first.”
Good luck!
