scroll fatigue noun [U]
UK /ˈskrəʊl fəˌtiːg/ US /ˈskroʊl ˌfətiːg/
a feeling of mental exhaustion caused by spending too much time scrolling through social media or other online content
Understanding scroll fatigue as a unique type of cognitive strain helps us see why it can feel so insidious. Unlike tiredness from work or physical activity, scroll fatigue often sneaks up, leaving users unaware of the subtle depletion until it manifests in frustration, distraction, or digital avoidance.
[mindfultechwork.com, 17 January 2026]
ultraprocessed time noun [U]
UK /ˌʌl.trəˌprəʊ.sest ˈtaɪm/ US /ˌʌl.trəˌprɑː.sest ˈtaɪm/
time spent consuming online content that has been designed to keep people watching it, rather than to be useful or educational
Dr. John La Puma, an internist and author of “Indoor Epidemic,” calls these moments we’re on our phones “ultraprocessed time,” because they don’t replenish us. Much like ultraprocessed food, he told me, ultraprocessed time is “engineered for convenience, compulsion and stimulation, not for nourishment.”
[nytimes.com, 4 June 2026]
Slow Social Era noun [S]
UK /ˌsləʊ ˈsəʊ.ʃᵊl ˌɪə.rə/ US /ˌsləʊ ˈsoʊ.ʃᵊl ˌɪr.ə/
a period when people use social media less often and more carefully
So, what exactly is the Slow Social Era? It’s the collective pushback against the speed, sameness and synthetic feel of the modern internet. People are tired of doomscrolling, tired of AI slop filling their feeds, tired of the pressure to keep up with a content treadmill that never stops. The Slow Social Era isn’t about deleting social media entirely – it’s about redefining our relationship with it.
[astondigital.com.au, 2 December 2025]
I want you to write me a thesis about my life now.
I often feel fatigue and see it in others – and the language of fatigue has changed a lot from the industrial to the medical to the social.
Ultraprocessed time – time has always been as much a process as it is a thing to be processed.
Also, of course, time is an indicator of CHANGE.
These links and sites may change you a lot.
And it is good to see the Aston Digital crew/team.
I look for creators and friends who give me time to process and are able to recoup my fatigue.
The words scroll fatigue and ultraprocessed time are welcome into my lexicon. I did not have a word to describe my feelings about social media and the use of my phone. These words are needed. ( I just want my old life back! The phone beyond texts to and calls is ruining society! Let’s go back to 2005)
I’ve never heard these terms before but in today’s digital world I think that they should definitely be added to the dictionary.