Trapped in the feed: How endless scrolling warps our reality and wears us down

Social media! How did we get here? There was a time when what woke us up was not an alarm clock on our phones, not even a notification from Instagram, but the sound of birds or the hum of life outside our windows. Now, a staggering percentage of people check their phones first thing in the morning. Mobile phones have become ubiquitous with advancement. We connect with friends and strangers alike on social media apps, but at what cost, writes Grace Itumbiri.

The increased use of social media among South Africans poses many dangers such as susceptibility to misinformation and narrative manipulation. But before talking about these dangers, let’s talk about social media fatigue—the sheer overload of information we consume daily. Why is nobody talking about the massive shifts enabled by mobile phones? The age before social media was not devoid of global events; tragedies still occurred, and political battles still raged. The difference? We did not receive an instant, relentless feed of these events every waking moment. We did not have social media’s self-acclaimed political analysts, mental health experts, or God-knows-who else remixing the information, adding propaganda, and broadcasting it by the minute on social media. News came in digestible portions—radio bulletins, newspapers, or the evening news. This allowed time to process events before moving on to the next crisis. Today, everything is immediate, from verified news to manipulated narratives designed to provoke outrage.

See, propaganda and misinformation have always been here. As early as the 18th century, Russia utilized dezinformatsiya (disinformation) as a tool to mislead and control narratives. This tactic was famously employed in the Potemkin villages and later became a key strategy during the Cold War to deceive and manipulate public perception. The difference now? The scale, speed, and accessibility of these tactics have amplified beyond measure. What was once confined to secretive state operations is now readily available for anyone with an internet connection to wield.

Am I saying it’s bad that we are in the age of technological advancement? That we can chat across continents in real time? That we can get news updates within seconds? That we can engage with diverse opinions in real time? Well, maybe I am. Or at least, maybe I am saying we have failed to consider the full extent of its consequences. With the promise of information democracy, we have also opened the floodgates to psychological exhaustion, disillusionment, and deepening divisions.

In a time when information is at our fingertips, the distinction between fact and fiction has become increasingly blurred. Recent events involving the United States of America president Donald Trump have spotlighted the profound impact of social media misinformation on international relations, particularly the executive order signed and sentiments concerning South Africa. Through algorithms and echo chambers, manipulated messages have been amplified, sensationalist narratives about South Africa peddled, and this has helped foster a distorted global perception of South Africa. What happens when an entire nation is repeatedly misrepresented online? When people wake up every day to a barrage of negative messages about their country, their identity, their future? Societal fatigue and anxiety exacerbated by social media can be immeasurable. The AfriForum saga is a real example of this issue. The conversation on social media, especially the exchanges between social media users in the United States of America and South Africa, is very telling. It is a masterclass in how misinformation, when repeated often enough, can begin to feel like truth.

Algorithms often prioritize sensationalist content, as it generates higher engagement. This emphasis on provocative material can contribute to the "Mean World Syndrome," a cognitive bias where individuals perceive the world as more dangerous than it is, due to prolonged exposure to negative news. This can have real-world consequences: increased xenophobia, growing distrust in institutions, and even policy decisions based on false narratives. When people feel that chaos is the only reality, their behaviour shifts—sometimes in ways that are harmful to themselves and their communities.

When one is fatigued from social media use and from consuming enraging content, it becomes easier to manipulate. In such scenarios, it becomes incredibly important for alternative voices on social media to exist. The value of fact-checkers, verified news channels, and prominent social media users committed to sharing truthful information cannot be overlooked. Research has shown that people are likely to believe their favourite social media celebrity as opposed to, say, a news channel. The power of influencers and digital personalities cannot be ignored. Whether they acknowledge it or not, they play a crucial role in shaping public discourse. This is why social media users with huge followings become an integral part of helping build resilience among their followers. The same way malicious information is peddled by dis-informants, positive messaging and verified content can be shared by responsible users. It is the duty of governments and various agencies—including those that deal with media regulation—to see ethical use of social media and warn against misuse. Sometimes, people do not know they are being manipulated. Sometimes, all it takes is a well-placed alternative perspective to break the cycle of misinformation.

Being made aware of the various social media manipulations can be the first step in building a resilient citizenry. This means teaching people to ask the right questions: Who benefits from this message? Why is this story being pushed now? Is this information coming from a credible source? A sceptical, discerning population is a population that is harder to deceive.

While social media has the potential to mobilize communities and foster empathy, the prevalence of emotionally charged misinformation can distort public discourse. In South Africa, narratives emphasizing racial divisions and societal decay can overshadow efforts toward unity and progress, influencing both national morale and international relations. But it does not have to be this way. If social media can be a tool for division, it can also be a tool for awareness, solidarity, and genuine dialogue. The question remains: Will we choose to engage with it responsibly, or will we continue to be trapped in the feed?

Grace Itumbiri is a researcher and media consultant with a background in journalism and public relations. A former columnist for The Standard, she explores the intersection of technology and society, focusing on information disorders, computational propaganda, and global media politics.

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