Context · Social Media
Social media feeds have no end by design, the infinite scroll removes the natural stopping point, and the app was built to keep your child going long past the point they meant to stop, so struggling to put it down is the design working exactly as intended.
Why this matters for your kid
Every app works like a slot machine: you keep scrolling because every so often something good shows up and you never know when, and that’s what makes it almost impossible for a child to stop on their own, even when they want to.
What your child experiences
Kids don’t experience scrolling as a choice, and "I will watch one video" becomes "I have been here for an hour" without any conscious decision in between.
What you might notice
You might notice they are a little irritable when the phone goes away, or that slower activities are harder to settle into, or that 'I'm bored' shows up the second there is no screen. None of that means something is wrong with them. It just means the loop is doing its job, and now you can name it together.