AT A GLANCE
- A growing number of social media creators, often called anti-doomscrolling influencers, are interrupting feeds to encourage users to log off or be more mindful of their screen time.
- Olivia Yokubonis, known online as Olivia Unplugged, uses research-backed reminders to disrupt mindless scrolling, drawing both praise and criticism for using social platforms to challenge overuse.
- Researchers say many people underestimate how much time they spend on social media, and simply showing users their screen-time data can lead to voluntary reductions in use.
- Experts remain divided on whether heavy social media use qualifies as addiction, but agree that small, intentional changes can help people regain control over their screen habits.
The Rise of Anti-Doomscrolling Influencers, Rise of Social Media “Addiction”
It’s easy to lose track of time while scrolling through Instagram or TikTok, slipping from video to video until a quick break quietly stretches into half an hour. But for some users, that trance is suddenly interrupted by an unfamiliar presence in their feed — someone gently telling them it might be time to put the phone down.
Olivia Yokubonis is one of those interruptions. Known online as Olivia Unplugged, she appears mid-scroll with a calm voice and research-backed reminders about attention, memory, and screen time. One of her recurring prompts asks viewers whether they can even remember the video they watched just moments before she appeared. Often, they can’t.
Her content is designed to challenge mindless social media use, and reactions vary. Many viewers welcome the nudge as a needed wake-up call. Others respond with sarcasm, pointing out the irony of using social media to tell people to stop using social media.
“People will comment and they’ll be like, ‘Oh, it’s ironic that you’re posting,’” Yokubonis said. “And I’m like, ‘Where else am I supposed to find you, Kyle? Outside? You’re not outside. You are here, sitting here.’ For us to actually be seen, we have to be where people are.”
That tension sits at the heart of a growing trend: creators using the very platforms engineered to keep users scrolling as tools to disrupt that behavior. Yokubonis is part of a small but expanding group of influencers whose videos encourage viewers to close the app they’re on. Some do it bluntly, others gently. Some post about it occasionally, while others build entire accounts around the idea of logging off.
The appeal taps into a widely shared feeling — that many people spend far more time on their phones than they realize. Ofir Turel, a professor of information systems management at the University of Melbourne, has studied social media use for years and said that lack of awareness is common.
“Most people have no clue how much time they spend on social media,” Turel said. When participants in his research were shown their actual screen time data, many were “in a state of shock,” and a significant number reduced their usage afterward without being prompted to do so.
Yokubonis’ videos often rack up millions of views, and notably, they’re largely free of overt branding. While she works for Opal, a screen-time management app, her page avoids heavy promotion. Logos are minimal. App downloads aren’t aggressively pushed. She said that approach is intentional.
“People love hearing from people,” she said. “It’s a fine line — finding a way to cut through the noise without adding to the noise.”
Still, researchers question how effective these disruptions are, particularly for people with deeply ingrained scrolling habits. Ian A. Anderson, a postdoctoral scholar at the California Institute of Technology, said the concept is intriguing but complex.
“If they’re paying full attention, I feel like it could be an effective disruption,” Anderson said. “But if you’re really a habitual scroller, maybe you aren’t fully engaging with it.” He described the approach as an attempt to “intervene from the inside,” even if results vary widely from person to person.
The broader debate over social media use often centers on whether it should be considered an addiction at all. With billions of users across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, concerns about screen time are nothing new. But experts disagree on whether the term “addiction” accurately applies.
Some researchers argue that addiction requires specific symptoms, such as withdrawal or uncontrollable urges, while others acknowledge that the term resonates with how people describe their experiences, even if it’s imprecise. Anderson’s research suggests many users overestimate their level of addiction, which can actually backfire.
In one study of Instagram users, 18% said they felt at least somewhat addicted, and 5% strongly agreed with that label. But when assessed based on clinical symptoms, only about 2% were considered at risk. Anderson said believing you’re addicted can reduce your sense of control and increase self-blame, making it harder to change behavior.
For those who do want to cut back, Anderson recommends small, practical steps: moving social media apps off the home screen, turning off notifications, or keeping phones out of places where scrolling tends to happen automatically, like the bedroom. More intensive interventions exist, but they require motivation and self-awareness — something not everyone has when they’re deep in a scroll.
That’s where anti-doomscrolling creators may play a role. By explaining how platforms are designed to maximize attention and why people lose track of time, they can plant early seeds of awareness, even if viewers don’t log off immediately.
Cat Goetze, who goes by CatGPT online, blends accessible tech education with candid discussions about screen time. Drawing on her experience in the tech industry, she explains how algorithms and design choices are built to keep users engaged longer than intended.
“There’s a whole infrastructure — there’s an army of nerds whose only job is to get you to increase your time spent on that platform,” Goetze said. “There’s a whole machine that’s trying to get you to be that way, and it’s not your fault. You’re not going to win this just through willpower.”
Goetze also founded Physical Phones, a business that sells Bluetooth-enabled landline phones designed to work with smartphones, encouraging users to spend less time staring at screens. The packaging includes a simple message: “Offline is the new luxury.”
She said social media helped her build the business quickly, underscoring the irony — and utility — of using the platforms to push back against themselves. The demand, she said, reflects a growing desire for balance.
“Social media will always play a part in our lives. I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing,” Goetze said. “But if we can get average screen time down — from 10 hours to one, or from three hours to 30 minutes — that’s a net positive for individuals and for society.” She paused, then added with a laugh, “That being said, I’d love to be the person they’re watching for those 30 minutes.”
