ABOUT

Thumbtrap is a term describing the automatic scrolling behavior that continues after the conscious decision to stop.

The term was developed in 2025-2026 to better understand and describe this behavioral pattern, distinguishing it from related phenomena like “doomscrolling”, “internet addiction” and “smartphone addiction”.

This site exists to help people recognize and understand thumbtrap, shifting the focus from personal blame to design responsibility.

Created by Garry Jones

Digital wellbeing researcher and writer exploring the behavioral impacts of technology design. Published in [Medium/Substack]. Active contributor to r/nosurf and r/digitalminimalism communities.