This study explores Instagram addiction through the lens of the ‘Scrolling Paradox’ - the contradictory phenomenon where users simultaneously derive pleasure from Instagram's infinite scroll feature while experiencing distress from their inability to control engagement. By analyzing 28,434 user-generated entries through sentiment analysis and thematic coding, this research examines how platform design features interact with psychological vulnerabilities like social comparison and FOMO to foster compulsive use. Findings reveal that Instagram's design significantly drives behaviors such as time distortion, compulsive checking, and validation seeking, with infinite scrolling emerging as the primary mechanism underlying addictive patterns. Current interventions, like screen time management, are moderately effective, while mindfulness-based strategies show greater promise in addressing the underlying psychological factors that perpetuate the Scrolling Paradox. This research offers insights into how Instagram addiction develops and suggests more effective, emotionally-focused intervention strategies that acknowledge both the appeal and the problems inherent in infinite scroll design.
Balcıoğlu et al. (2025) studied this question.