Podcast Summary:

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Episode Title: Addicted to Scrolling? 3 Small Changes to STOP Feeling Drained After Scrolling Social Media
Date: December 5, 2025
Host: Jay Shetty

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Jay Shetty dives deep into the mechanics, psychology, and impact of social media algorithms, focusing on why we feel addicted to scrolling, how platforms keep us hooked, and the real reasons we feel drained after spending time online. Jay offers illuminating research, personal reflection, and actionable tips—both for individuals and for the tech industry—to regain agency and create healthier online habits.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power and Nature of Algorithms

• Algorithms aren't masterminds, they're mirrors:

  • Algorithms observe every pause, click, like, and share ([03:35]) and make content predictions based on past behavior.
  • They learn and adapt in real-time, shaping your feed day by day.

    “Your feed tomorrow is shaped by what you do today.” (Jay, [04:56])

• Amplification of emotion:

  • Posts with more emotional engagement (especially outrage) are more likely to be recommended widely, which intensifies polarization and negativity.

• Notable Quote:

  “The algorithm isn't a mastermind. It's a machine that asks one question over and over again: What will keep you here the longest?” (Jay, [06:43])

2. How We Get Hooked: The Trap of Social Media

• Design nudges:

  • Infinite scroll and autoplay features (Netflix, TikTok, YouTube) are designed for maximum engagement—making it effortless to lose hours online ([06:56]).
  • Studies confirm that removing autoplay or similar features shortens time spent on platforms.

• Reward Loops:

  • Social platforms reward moral outrage and strong opinions—users receive more attention for extreme views, creating cycles of escalating controversial content ([07:53]).

• Algorithmic Push & Echo Chambers:

  • Neutral searches often morph into exposure to more toxic or extreme content, as shown in multiple studies ([08:38]).
  • Both men and women experience increased insecurity, loneliness, and self-doubt—but in slightly different ways ([09:46]).

3. Our Role in Shaping the Algorithm

• User agency:

  • Our clicks and engagement build the cage:

    “Algorithms don't see truth or lies. They only see clicks from people like us.” (Jay, [10:10])

  • False news spreads much faster and further than true information, largely because we are more likely to click, share, and engage with shocking content ([11:16]).

• We are the bias:

  • Even without algorithms, humans gravitate into echo chambers and amplify the loudest, most polarized voices. (University of Amsterdam study, [12:36]).

• Notable Quote:

  “Maybe it isn’t just the algorithms that warp us. Maybe social media itself is wired against our better nature. Think about it like a funhouse mirror.” (Jay, [13:23])

4. Human Nature: Why We Compare & Fixate

• Comparison is hardwired:

  • Evolution predisposed us to notice threats (negativity bias) and compare ourselves to others for survival, which social media now magnifies ([14:36]).
  • Outrage becomes “social currency”—belonging is tied to visible emotion and group identity.

• Negativity is sticky:

  • The brain prefers simple, strong emotions; negativity is more engaging and “easier” than nuance or positivity ([15:16]).

5. The Cost: Mental Health and Society

• Doomscrolling:

  • Leads to increased anxiety, cortisol, and a learned sense of helplessness ([15:55]).
  • The incentive structure of platforms is at odds with user wellbeing.

• Responsibility and hope:

  • On structural change, Jay asks, “Will those building the algorithms have a soul?” and draws parallels to Frankenstein’s monster ([16:24]).

6. Three Small (But Powerful) Changes for Social Media Companies

1. Default to chronological feeds:

   • Let users easily opt out of algorithmic sorting to reduce polarization and misinformation ([17:15]).

2. Add friction to sharing:

   • Prompts to “read before retweet,” share limits, and cooling-off periods for viral content.
   • Twitter’s “read before retweet” increased actual reading by 40% ([20:57]).

3. Algorithmic transparency and independent audits:

   • Platforms should open up about how recommendations work and allow independent research, as the EU's Digital Services Act is pushing for.

7. Three Small Changes for Individuals (Jay’s Practical Tips)

1. Curate your feed on purpose:

   “Follow five people you wouldn’t usually follow.” (Jay, [25:48])

2. Engage intentionally:

   “Hover over and comment on five pieces of content you want to see more of.” (Jay, [26:03])

3. Share outside your comfort zone:
   • Share five pieces of content that break your usual patterns.
4. Don’t reach for your phone first thing:

   “It's like letting 100 strangers walk into your bedroom before you've brushed your teeth.” (Jay, [27:09])

5. Celebrate joy and gratitude on social media:
   • React more to positive moments and wins, less to negativity.

• Notable Quote:

  “You're co-creating your algorithm. You're actually coding it.” (Jay, [28:45])

8. Final Reflections & Memorable Stories

• The Buddha story:

  “I don't meditate because of what I gain. I meditate because of what I lose. I lose anger. I lose envy. I lose ego.” (Jay, [21:33])

• On wisdom and agency:

  “Algorithms do not fully decide your fate. They're predictive, not deterministic.” (Jay, [24:18])

• F. Scott Fitzgerald quote:

  “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function... One should see that things are hopeless and yet be determined to make them otherwise.” (Jay, [29:10])

• The party metaphor:

  • Social media as a party where comparison and outrage are the loudest rooms, but you can choose to leave ([29:40]).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:31] — The real function of algorithms and how they exploit our search for validation
• [06:43] — The key question driving algorithms: "What will keep you here the longest?"
• [08:38] — Algorithms pushing users toward more extreme and toxic content
• [11:16] — How false information spreads faster due to user engagement, not just algorithms
• [13:23] — The "funhouse mirror" metaphor for social media's distorting effect
• [15:55] — Effects of doomscrolling on anxiety and agency
• [17:15] — 3 solutions for social media companies
• [21:33] — The Buddha meditation parable on loss, not gain
• [24:18] — Algorithms are predictive, not deterministic—how to reclaim agency
• [25:38] — Jay demonstrates live how you can “train” your For You feed in minutes
• [27:09] — Why not to check your phone first thing in the morning
• [29:10] — F. Scott Fitzgerald’s resilience quote
• [29:40] — Choosing which “party room” you enter on social media

Conclusion

Jay Shetty’s episode is an insightful, practical guide for anyone feeling overwhelmed by social media. Through research, relatable metaphors, and concrete habit changes, Jay reframes not just how algorithms work—but how we can work with them. He emphasizes there’s reason for hope: with intention and mindful engagement, we can retrain our feeds—and reclaim our peace and agency.

Memorable Closing Quote:

“You never chose to come to this room. You were invited by the algorithm. That's the cruel genius of social media. It doesn't force us into comparison. It discovers we're already drawn to…” (Jay, [29:45])