Depression

ADHD. A lot of people might say depression, and ADHD gets misdiagnosed this way too, especially because people are much more familiar with the way depression manifests rather than how ADHD actually manifests beyond stereotypical hyperactivity and difficulty focusing.

What you’re describing is executive dysfunction and energy regulation problems. The reason you can’t stop scrolling is because your brain doesn’t produce dopamine enough, and it’s only used to the short bursts it can produce. This creates a feedback loop where you’re stuck stimulating yourself with quick, easy dopamine hits, and that’s why anything that seems like a prolonged task feels like an impossible endeavor. It’s also why you’ll get tunnel vision if you ever do start playing that game.

While I can’t provide you with a proper scientific answer I can offer a basic explanation - it’s effort.

Browsing through the never ending amount of content online requires no effort but provides you with a dopamine rush as if you actually managed to accomplish or do something with your time. Other stuff, like watching movies, playing games, reading books, etc. requires attention and active participation, the payoff on the other hand is largely delayed (especially compared to the lazy option).

As for hacks… I don’t know any. The only ways I know how to deal with it is limiting your time scrolling through this stuff and forcing yourself to do other things - it can be rough early on but you’ll eventually get used to the “normal” way of functioning.

I can only speak to my experience.

Often I fall back to films or games I’ve already developed an emotional attachment to. Because the mental energy it takes to develop a new attachment is significant. I find I can trick it by putting something on while I do something else and then come back to watch or listen to it later where it’s already somewhat familiar.

My ADHD doesn’t really let me have long term (hour plus) focus easily. It wants the easy dopamine hit from something that it knows it already can drop into.

Tell yourself “3 2 1 Go!” And do it.

It’s the level of commitment. You can start and stop online activities with almost no preparation or planning. When you watch a movie, you have to mentally prepare yourself to be in one spot and paying attention to one thing for an hour and a half. When you play video games, it takes effort to turn on the console or launch Steam / Epic / whatever.

Kinda sounds like standard adult burnout.

Because your brain is naturally “designed” to maximise things that trigger happy chemicals while minimising effort to get them.

So slowly frying your neurons from scrolling an endless supply of garbage where you don’t have to move or work or even use your brain to make a choice of what to watch or pay attention enough to follow a story is always going to be your brains preferred choice.

Because you have ADHD.

Your brain is a large energy eater. Slow oxygen transfer in the lungs would be my guess. Sitting around, your body downcycles to a lower energy requirement and the longer it remains in that statethe more effort it takes to get out of it

(most) films and video games requires a bit of engagement from you.

Only hack fortis discipline. Decide what you’re going to do ahead of time, then stick to your plans.

Consider how limited our time is and if you really want to spend it on “garbage”.

This sounds like it could be clinical depression, which sometimes requires professional help.

I generally try to find things that make me laugh if I get to this point. I look up old Whose Line episodes or moments, Improv-a-ganza, and recently Dropout shows like Game Changer and Dirty Laundry.