Did you find yourself rolling without a destination? You're not alone.

Do you think you're aimlessly scrolling? You're not alone

This is something that many of us have experienced: you can access his phone to check something, and in no time you scroll for an hour. According to a new report, people spend more than a third of their time without a clear purpose with their phones. Dr. Eleanor Drage from the University of Cambridge said: “This is not only about people making illegitimate decisions,” but that we are “undermined by the immersive nature of technology.” And while it can be unreliable to ask people to report their use of the phone themselves, the recognition of our own habits is a “actually important first step” to deal with it, Prof. Pete Etchells from Bath Spa University. Surveys commissioned by Virgin Media O2 revealed that adults in the UK spend an average of four hours a day on the phone, with 36% of them accidentally happening. The report also showed that many people know about tools to control their screen time, but have difficulty finding the will to use them. “Although the awareness of the disadvantages of habitual and excessive use of equipment is growing, it is difficult for people to successfully manage their online time,” said Drage, research assistant at Cambridge University. The respondents stated that their smartphone usage was largely intentional – including actions such as sending messages, using maps or checking the weather. But the participants stated that they also spent time scrolling or scrolling through apps without thought. The survey found that those who stated that without a clear reason spending more time using their phone also more often reported negative experiences – including that they felt worse afterwards or saw harmful or unpleasant content. The report entitled ‘Age of Autopilot’ was based on findings from three surveys carried out between 2024 and 2026. The recent survey asked about 6,000 people from 16 years of age how they feel about their time before the screen. Human failure

“We are really bad at assessing the time we spend on things, especially in connection with the use of technology,” said Etchells, Professor of Psychology and Science Communication at Bath Spa University. He said that the BBC studies had shown that self-reported statistics on telephone use and screen time were often exaggerated compared to objective measurements – which meant that there could be a “exaggerated correlation” if they were related to the health of a person. But Etchells said, despite his concerns about this, the “Age of Autopilot” report was helpful, as he suggests that the people of their phone habits might become more aware. “To be able to notice when you use it if you don’t want it or need it, is a really important first step,” he said. The key to understanding the effects of the screen time is to know that it is not always “bad” but rather to recognize where it can lead to unwanted behavior or dangerous activities, such as checking your phone during the ride, added Etchells. Netta Weinstein from Reading University said that people should avoid judging too much about their directionless phone use – offering scrolling for some relaxation, distraction, humor or connection. “But it’s worth asking if we really feel restored or if we don’t feel better later, sometimes even with a worse feeling,” she said. On the way to a “surpassable” use

Experts say that the results also provide an opportunity to question how smartphone design affects our habits. Etchells noted that he would want more pressure on technology companies with regard to notifications – and said that the fact that they are often activated by default is “no design decision that has us in mind”. Rafe Clayton, lecturer for media and communication at the University of Leeds, told the BBC that the deactivation of notifications for all other important apps could be a way to exercise more control over them. The advice to curb the thoughtless scrolling could also include “ spending more time with activities that have nothing to do with the digital world,” he said. Drage said that her aim was to make the use of the equipment “surpassable” and to give people more co-authority in designing the technology. “The thing is that we will continue to use our mini-supercomputers we carry around with us,” she said. “They are really useful, they can really be fun ... we really want to stay committed. But the question is, how can we do this in a positive way?”

Drage said to the BBC: “There is no uniform way to tell people to use our devices, but what we want to do is help people who like more control.”

She and her colleagues at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence in Cambridge will investigate the use of generic AI and its impact in a five-year research initiative funded by Virgin Media O2.