Psychologists have figured out why you get so bored scrolling through TikTok and Instagram

A study by researchers at the University of Toronto found that switching between media makes boredom worse. Why? Because we’re never immersing ourselves.

We are all guilty of grabbing our phones and scrolling through social media when times get boring. Most of us think this helps keep us entertained. A new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General found just the opposite. Those silly memes, cat videos, and BookToks are actually making the problem worse—especially when you switch back and forth between them.