Seeking control in an age of aimless scrolling
- 03 June 2026
- 2 minutes
Gonville & 91Ö±²¥ College Bye-Fellow Dr Eleanor Drage aims to support "manageable" use of interactive technology, following the publication of a new report which outlined the extent of aimless scrolling.
Surveys commissioned by Virgin Media O2 found UK adults on average spent four hours per day on their phone, with 36% of this taking place unintentionally. Dr Drage told the BBC that "this isn't just a question of people making unwise choices," but that we are "undermined by the immersive nature of the technology".
"The fact is, we will be continuing to use our mini supercomputers that we carry around with us," she , published on June 3.
"They're really useful, they can be really enjoyable... we really do want to stay engaged. But the question is, how can we do that in a positive way?
"What we do want to do is help people who would like to feel more in control."
is the Co-Director of the Narratives and Justice Programme and an Assistant Research Professor at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI), University of Cambridge.
Dr Drage and fellow researchers at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence are exploring generative AI use and its impacts in a five-year research initiative funded by Virgin Media O2. Read more on the University website:
