Browsing social media or “doomscrolling” has ranked as Britons’ least enjoyable pastime, despite it being the one people engage in most often, a new study has claimed.
After surveying more than 2,000 people, researchers from the University of Sussex found that scrolling social media was the most frequent leisure activity, but it was also considered to be the least favourite.
Coming out on top for the most enjoyable pastime was listening to music, with hobbies including reading and crafts also proving popular.
The study’s lead researcher, Robin Banerjee, said: “The study provides compelling evidence that an important key to psychological fulfilment and wellbeing could lie in being more intentional with our leisure time.”
Psychologists spoke to 2,182 people from across the UK, surveying them on a list of 21 common leisure pursuits and asking them how often they participated in each activity, and how much joy they got out of them.
Listening to music topped the list for most joyful, receiving an average joy score of 6.16 out of 7. Coming in second was playing a musical instrument, and then reading, followed by crafting and volunteering.
Mr Banerjee said: “These findings highlight the importance of dedicating time to hobbies that are emotionally rewarding and socially enriching, offering a powerful blueprint for maximising personal wellbeing.
“It is also striking to see the activity we do with the most frequency, social media scrolling, is the activity that brings us least joy, suggesting that if we are led by what intrinsically motivates us as opposed to algorithms, we can move towards experiencing more joy in our lives.”
Previous research has identified the negative impacts of scrolling, with a study published in the Journal of Computers in Human Behaviour Reports finding a connection between ‘doomscrolling’ and feelings of existential anxiety, despair, distrust, and suspicion of others.
“At a time when there is growing debate about young people’s relationship with social media, our findings underline the importance of enabling people of all ages to engage in activities that promote joy, mental health, and wellbeing,” said Mr Banerjee.
It comes as the government has recently announced it is considering an Australian-style ban on social media for under-16s, with technology secretary Liz Kendall saying that overnight curfews and “doomscrolling” breaks would be considered in the government’s consultation.
In a statement in the Commons, Ms Kendall said: “I can tell the House we will bring forward a swift three-month consultation on further measures to keep children safe online.
“The consultation will include a range of other options too, such as whether there should be curfews overnight, breaks to stop excessive use or doom-scrolling, how we ensure more rigorous enforcement of existing laws around age verification and action to address concerns about the use of VPNs to get around important protections.”