What keeps you scrolling? Why do you spend so much time online?

So, my job is basically an office gig out in the field—I’m usually stationed out in the desert or working on a cargo ship or something—and because of how the work flows, I actually end up with quite a bit of downtime. Every once in a while, I hit this headspace where I just feel this sudden, intense urge to hop online and drop a post here. Honestly, when I’m back home, I’m all about my family; I don't really have the itch to write stuff like this, nor do I ever find the time.
I usually find myself popping in here when I'm busy with life stuff, you know? Like when I'm redecorating my apartment, shopping around for a new car, or if I get sucked into some political debate... I can easily spend hours scrolling through threads and reading everything, which is honestly such a great way to pick up new things.

Back in the day, I used to spend way too much time scrolling through Facebook just because I was bored out of my mind, but these days? I just open it, check the headlines, and close it immediately. I find I communicate with my friends way more through email now... I guess Facebook just lost its charm for me.

I’ll admit it, I’m an addict (except for Facebook—I couldn't care less about that). That wasn't an option in the poll.

Emily Fox2 said:I’ll admit it, I’m an addict (except for Facebook—I couldn't care less about that). That wasn't an option in the poll.

I left that out of the survey on purpose—the fact that so many people hang out online specifically because of this is just reality. I wanted to see other motivations.🙂

Arthur Kim74 said:Exactly, that’s really the best part about being on Reddit, there’s just a thread for absolutely everything you can imagine, so even if I have the most random, silly thought pop into my head, I know I'll find at least five other people ready to dive deep into a discussion about it 😁
I remember realizing a while back that no matter what I was searching for online, I'd almost always end up landing right here on Reddit, and I spent so much time just lurking and reading everything before I finally decided to sign up and join the conversation

That's spot on! 😁That's how it started for me too—I began looking up stuff about pets and now, well, here I am.🤣

Jamie Cox12 said:Partly because I'm bored, but mostly just because I don't have a life 😢

Just get out more. There are definitely things you can do without being stuck behind a screen. How did you end up in this situation?😲

🙂 This forum feels just like psychotherapy.

I feel like I have absolutely no life 👎—plus, I’m just way too insecure about myself, and honestly, I don't really trust anyone enough to actually do anything about it 👎

boredom, jealousy...
I think it's the latter that hits hardest

About two years ago, just before the summer heat hit, I found myself wandering through the digital corridors of this forum, and for a while, I actually managed to break my habit of checking in, mostly because I realized how much of a mental burden it was becoming and how much precious time it was leaching from my life.
Then came this summer—well, technically back in May—when I ended up stuck at home due to some health issues, and wouldn't you know it, the old devil has come knocking at my door once again.
Instead of utilizing this forced downtime to perhaps study German, or engage with some profound literature, or even tackle the mundane drudgery of washing the curtains and windows or finally organizing my closets in hopes of feeling somewhat productive by the time I recover...
I find myself questioning why I am even on this forum to begin with; it is an endless cycle where you start by contributing to a few topics that actually pique your interest, and then suddenly, you are compulsively refreshing the page to see what has changed.
To be perfectly honest, I am quite dissatisfied with this compulsion, as I far prefer the rhythm of my actual, tangible life. It is simply that, since I am currently unable to leave the house much or participate in my usual daily activities, I have found myself trapped here again.

I spend most of my time online listening to music. I'll pop onto Facebook to see if there's anyone interesting in the chats, or maybe drift over to a forum when I'm just feeling bored.