Trapped in the social scroll

Mobile habits are shaping, and sometimes stealing, our everyday moments in Goa

RAM JOSHI

It starts so casually. A quick check on WhatsApp, a scroll through Instagram, or a glance at Facebook while waiting for someone. Before we realise it, 10 minutes have stretched into half an hour. The waves may be crashing on Miramar Beach, the ‘xitt-kodi’ might be served hot on the dining table, or a friend may be trying to share a story, yet our attention is somewhere else, caught inside the endless scroll of
our screens.

On any given evening, this is a familiar scene. Friends gather at Colva or Baga, but instead of talking and laughing, most of them are looking down at their phones. At family gatherings too, conversations are interrupted by the glow of mobile screens.

What was once meant to connect us has quietly turned into a habit that steals our moments without
us even noticing.

Why the scroll feels endless

Social media is designed to keep us hooked. The more we scroll, the more it feeds us content we never even asked for. Slowly, this takes a toll on us. Our attention span gets weaker. Reading a long article or listening fully to someone feels like a task. The polished lives of others leave us comparing ourselves, even though we know most of it is
carefully filtered.

What Goa reminds us

Goa has always been about balance. It is about ‘susegad’ afternoons, music, conversations over tea/coffee, evening football or cricket matches and long walks by the sea. These are the things that truly refresh us. But they can so easily get lost when the scroll takes over.

Imagine if we used those 20 minutes differently. Reading a few pages of a book. Talking to family at the dinner table instead of scrolling in silence. Picking up the guitar and learning a new song, or even cooking a Goan recipe. Simply sitting by the sunset without feeling the need to record it. Or spending a little more time with our neighbours and elders, listening to the real stories of Goa.

A small takeaway

The social scroll itself is not the problem. It is the way we let it run our lives that makes the difference. If we pause for a moment and choose consciously, our phones can become tools for learning and connection instead of distractions.

Goa gives us the perfect backdrop to do this. With its beauty, culture and community spirit, we only need to look up from our screens to notice what really matters.

In the end, it will not be the endless scroll that we remember, but the sunsets, the smiles and the stories we shared.

(The writer is a UX designer based in Goa, passionate about technology, people, and everyday life experiences)