'Instagram addiction is real': Bengaluru founder’s metro ride puts  doomscrolling habits in focus 

A social media post by Bengaluru-based founder Vasant Shetty has sparked widespread discussion online after he described what he observed during an early-morning ride on the Namma Metro, saying the scene inside the coach reflected how deeply social media has become embedded in everyday life.

Shetty shared the observation on X after returning to Bengaluru from a family function in Udupi. He said he reached the city early in the morning, got down at Goraguntepalya Metro Station at around 5 am, and boarded the metro from there.

 

 

 

During the ride, Shetty said he spent time observing passengers inside the compartment and noticed what he described as three clear categories of commuters.

According to his post, about 10 percent of the passengers were trying to catch some sleep. Another 10 percent were either talking with the people accompanying them or simply sitting quietly.

However, the overwhelming majority appeared absorbed in their phones.

Shetty wrote that nearly 80 percent of the people in the coach were focused on their mobile screens. From the movement of their thumbs, he inferred that many were scrolling through reels on Instagram.

The post ended with a broader reflection on daily digital habits. Shetty said the metro ride made him realise that Instagram addiction is real and that it offers a glimpse into the growing influence social media is having on people’s everyday routines.

The post quickly went viral and drew strong reactions from netizens, many of whom shared similar experiences.

One user wrote that they had already removed Instagram from their phone to break the habit. “Yes. I have uninstalled Instagram in my phone. That’s a big addiction. Gone are those days when we were listening to songs in wired earphones,” the comment read.

Another user said the behaviour was not limited to one platform. According to them, people constantly jump between different apps in a loop, including WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, and shopping platforms like Amazon and Myntra.

A third user argued that the trend is not new, saying that social media has long captured people’s attention spans. “Hasn’t that been the reality for the longest time. Instagram has got them hooked, thanks to cringe content that’s created a generation of doomscrollers,” the user wrote.

Another commenter went even further, claiming that Instagram addiction among Indians is “worse than all other addictions,” adding that it has “no cure.”

The discussion reflects a growing debate about the impact of short-form video platforms on attention spans, daily routines, and social behaviour in public spaces.