PulsePomWhy short videos are so hard to put down
Short-video feeds never end and every swipe brings something new, so there's no natural point to stop. They also pull your attention between unrelated things every few seconds. In a 2023 lab study, people who had just watched short-form videos were worse at remembering to carry out a task they had planned than people who had done other activities, such as watching longer videos (Chiossi et al., 2023).
Switching itself has a cost. Experiments on task switching have found that moving between tasks takes extra time, and the cost grows with how complex the tasks are (Rubinstein, Meyer and Evans, 2001). Every "quick check" during study is a switch, and so is coming back.
What about just having your phone nearby?
A well-known 2017 study reported that having your own phone on the desk, even switched off, lowered people's scores on attention and memory tests (Ward et al., 2017). A later replication didn't find the effect (Ruiz Pardo and Minda, 2022), so the evidence is mixed. Moving your phone away costs nothing, though, and it removes the temptation either way.
9 ways to stop scrolling while you study
- Put the phone out of reach. Another room is best, a bag is good, face-down next to you is the weakest.
- Block the feeds, not your whole phone. You may need your phone for a calculator, notes or a class group. Blocking YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels and TikTok removes the trap and keeps the tools.
- Study in timed blocks. With a Pomodoro timer, you know exactly when the next break is, so "just checking" can wait 25 minutes.
- Make breaks phone-free. Stand up, stretch, get water. Opening a feed during a 5-minute break is how a break becomes an hour.
- Silence notifications while you focus. Each one is an invitation to switch.
- Set limits before you need them. A daily scroll limit or a cap on how often you open an app decides for you when willpower is low.
- Keep YouTube for learning only. If lectures are on YouTube, use a mode that plays only educational videos, so a tutorial can't turn into an evening of recommendations.
- Study with other people. Knowing your study group can see whether you're studying is a reason to stay on task.
- Look at the numbers. Seeing your screen time and scroll time each week makes the habit visible, and the change too.
How to set this up in PulsePom (Android)
PulsePom's Android app does most of this list, and every part of it is free:
- Shorts and Reels blocking: YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, TikTok and Facebook Reels, during focus, on a schedule or after a limit. More
- Blocking during focus: start the timer and your blocklist switches on; breaks block nothing.
- Scroll and app-launch limits, and notification blocking.
- YouTube University: only educational YouTube videos play.
- Study Mode: only the apps you allow can open, and opt-in Strict Mode if you need it.
- Screen-time and scroll-time reports.
- Study groups that show who is studying and for how long.
Start a focus session
Open the Timer without an account. On Android, turn on blocking during focus in Block, and the feeds stay closed until your break.
FAQ
How do I stop scrolling TikTok and Reels while studying?
Take the decision out of the moment: block the feeds during study time, put your phone out of reach, and study in timed blocks so you know when your break is. PulsePom's Android app blocks TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts for free.
Is it better to block apps or use willpower?
Changing your surroundings tends to work better than relying on willpower in the moment, because the urge to check comes many times a day. A blocker or a phone in another room removes the choice.
Can I block YouTube Shorts but still watch lectures?
Yes. In PulsePom's Android app, Shorts blocking leaves other videos alone, and YouTube University lets only educational videos play.
Does having my phone on the desk hurt my focus?
One study found it did; a later replication didn't. The evidence is mixed, but moving it away costs nothing and removes the temptation.