From doom-scrolling to mindfulness

Researchers from the University of Waterloo have created Mindful Scroll, a mobile app that helps users transition from doom-scrolling to adding mindfulness into their daily routines.

In Mindful Scroll, users fill in endlessly scrolling patterns of geometric shapes using predetermined, soothing colour palettes. During a study that tested the app, participants found it reduced their anxiety and increased their mindfulness.

"So many of us struggle with endlessly, mindlessly scrolling using social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter," said Saralin Zassman, first author of the study and a recent Computer Science master's graduate who now works with media artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. "Mindful Scroll unites art and computer science to help turn that scrolling into something healthier."

The researchers drew on existing research into the effects of adult colouring books and other creative exercises to create an easily accessible mindfulness tool. Unlike a colouring book, however, the app's patterns appear and then disappear soon after being coloured, prompting users to focus on their current actions instead of a larger pattern or accomplishment. The team also coded the app's brush to grow smaller if users attempt to colour quickly, encouraging them to slow down and be present.

They conducted a test of the app where 28 participants used the app for 10 minutes a day over a five-day period. All study participants reported that they would use the app again and felt more mindful and less anxious after using it.

"It's hard for people to build good mindfulness habits without ease and consistency," said Daniel Vogel, a Computer Science professor specializing in human-computer interaction. "This technology makes mindfulness easier to practice, helping to turn a negative behaviour like doom-scrolling into a positive one."