By Idea as Code, the developer of Dotball. This article discusses an everyday screen-use habit, not a treatment for anxiety.

You open your phone to check one thing. A few headlines, comments and videos later, you are still scrolling, even though you would rather be doing something else.

If that sounds familiar, a useful question is: what would you like the next few minutes to look like?

One option is to put the phone down straight away. Another is to choose a short, deliberate activity before stepping away. A tap-and-think game such as Dotball could fill that second role, provided you choose your stopping point before you begin.

The aim is modest: replace an open-ended feed with something you have decided to do, then leave the screen.

What scrolling anxiety can mean

“Scrolling anxiety” is an everyday description, not a diagnosis. You might use it for feeling tense while reading bad news, checking updates repeatedly, or finding that a browsing session has left you unsettled.

Research gives us reasons to take those experiences seriously without assuming that everyone responds the same way. In a study published online in 2022, researchers found associations between doomscrolling, psychological distress and lower well-being. Because the research was cross-sectional, it could not establish that doomscrolling caused the distress, or settle which came first. Read the study.

That distinction matters. Feeling anxious does not mean you have used your phone incorrectly, and changing apps will not necessarily change how you feel. Still, you can notice when an activity has stopped serving the reason you opened your phone.

Give your attention a specific task

Dotball offers a different kind of interaction from browsing a feed. On Android, you move a ball between adjacent dots without reusing a path, planning a route toward the goal against an offline opponent.

The current Android edition includes solo Beat the Bot, with Easy, Clever and Brutal difficulty settings. Easy is the default for a fresh game state. Your moves appear in red and the bot’s in blue, and the match is a race to three goals with a clear result. Explore Dotball for Android.

Those features give a session a defined task: consider the board, choose a move, see what happens. A completed match also offers a place to stop, if you decide to use it that way.

This is our proposed use of the game, rather than a demonstrated health benefit. We are Dotball’s developer, so our interest in introducing you to it is worth making explicit.

What research on games can and cannot tell us

There is some experimental evidence that a casual game can make an enjoyable break. In a 2017 laboratory study, participants completed a demanding attention task and were then randomly assigned to a passive break, a relaxation activity or a casual video game. The game group showed greater engagement and mood restoration than the relaxation group. Read the study.

That finding does not establish that Dotball reduces anxiety. The researchers tested a different game in a particular setting, not Dotball after an endless scrolling session. A short-term change in mood is also different from treating an anxiety disorder.

We do not have clinical evidence showing that Dotball treats scrolling-related anxiety. Some people may enjoy its strategy; others may find competing against a bot frustrating. Your own experience should guide whether it belongs in your break.

Try a break you can actually finish

If you want to experiment, keep the plan simple:

  1. Name the switch. “I’m closing this feed and choosing a short game.” You do not need to justify taking a break.
  2. Choose the limit first. For example, stop after one match or five minutes, whichever comes first. This is a practical boundary, not a scientifically established dose.
  3. Choose a comfortable challenge. Try Easy if you want less difficulty. You do not need to win or finish a match to earn your break.
  4. Follow it with something offline. Put the phone down, stretch, get some water or look outside.
  5. Check the result. Did you stop when you intended? Did the game feel enjoyable, neutral or frustrating? If it made stepping away harder, try an offline break next time.

Dotball is still screen time. It should not crowd out sleep, movement, relationships or other things you need. NIMH’s self-care guidance emphasizes sleep, connection and enjoyable low-stress activities, with room to find what works for you. Read NIMH’s guidance.

If anxiety is persistent, worsening or interfering with daily life, talk with a healthcare professional rather than relying on a game.

The useful outcome is being able to choose your next activity and stop when you intended. Dotball can be one possible activity along the way. Putting the phone down is always an option too.

Sources and further reading

The studies concern doomscrolling and a different casual game, not clinical testing of Dotball. Android product scope checked October 31, 2026 (UTC).