Look around the next time you sit in a lecture hall. You might notice a familiar scene: a lecturer explaining the day’s topic while dozens of students stare down at glowing phone screens. The reality of living in a digital age is that TikTok videos compete with lecture slides and Instagram notifications interrupt note taking. For most students, attending class is less about listening and more about signing the register.
But how much of a problem is this really? PDBY spoke to several students across campus to understand the growing habit of doomscrolling – the endless scrolling through social media feeds during lectures and study sessions. A study published in Computers & Education found that the behaviour is a widespread phenomenon. The study shows that over 95% of university students bring their phones to class, and many admit to using them during lectures. The research estimates that students spend more than 20 minutes of a typical class on their phones, often checking notifications every few minutes. And yet, many students say the habit does not necessarily affect their academic performance.
“I will check my phone for a minute and suddenly five minutes have passed… but I still feel like I am following the lecture,” said Lerato M, a second-year BA (Psychology) student. For others, scrolling offers a quick mental break during long academic days. “I sometimes have three lectures back-to-back,” said a first-year BCom student. “Scrolling for a bit helps me reset before the next class.”
Third-year law student Nadine Dube believes multitasking has become part of student life. “I can listen while scrolling. As long as I am still understanding the work, I do not see it as a big problem, and if I do miss something, I will just go for consultations.” However, psychologists warn that constant digital interruptions may affect the brain over time. Some studies suggest that frequent phone use can reduce your attention span and make it harder to maintain deep focus, particularly when studying complex material. At the same time, not everyone believes the issue is entirely negative.
Tutor and mentor Axi Nala argues that the impact of doomscrolling depends on the individual. “My opinion on doomscrolling between lectures as a silent productivity killer on campus is that the issue is largely subjective,” he said. “Different individuals have different ways of learning. What appears unproductive for one student may serve a different purpose for another.” He also notes that social media platforms can function as spaces for information sharing and even learning. “In today’s digital age, scrolling cannot automatically be classified as a productivity killer. It can also serve as a way for students to access information or simply take a mental break between academic tasks.”
Ultimately, the question may not be whether students should use their phones at all, but how they should use them. As smartphones become increasingly integrated into student life, the challenge is finding the balance between staying connected and staying focused. However, it is important to be aware because sometimes, the biggest distraction in the lecture hall might just fit inside your pocket.
Visual: Gabriella le Roux
