Scrolling on your phone can be a form of dissociation. When it’s a form of dissociation, you are likely scrolling endlessly and unaware of how much time is passing. You may even be unaware of what is going on around you or inside you. That is, by scrolling you may be numbing yourself, avoiding feelings, or escaping into endless stimulation.
Some people are hard on themselves for spending too much time on their phones, but this can be a survival strategy for trauma survivors. By keeping busy, you don’t have to feel. Understanding this as a coping strategy can make it easier to approach the behavior with curiosity rather than self-criticism.
This does not mean all phone use is dissociation. The difference is usually in how aware and present you feel while you are doing it.
This page is part of the What Is Dissociation? section of the CommuniDID site, which explains how dissociation works and why it develops.
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