What does the short video loop cost from age 30 to 65?
The Short Video Loop
25 minutes, daily, age 30 to 65 — the long-term cost is 222 days.
How the number's built.
A quick scroll in an elevator, a checkout line, or before sleep feels harmless. The feed is designed to keep attention moving. But 25 minutes a day over 35 years accumulates to 5,323 hours. That is 222 full days of waking life spent inside the algorithm.
Ten minutes of scrolling a day, not twenty-five.
133 days recovered.
No rush. It keeps until you want it.
reduce scrolling to 10 minutes/day to save 15 minutes/day
15 minutes/day saved over 35 years = 3,194 hours
3,194 hours ÷ 24 hours/day = 133 days recovered
25 minutes / day scroll time
365 days / year = 152.1 hours/year
× 35 years = 5,323 total hours
5,323 hours ÷ 24 hours/day = 222 days
The lifetime time cost of scrolling feeds
Last reviewed: May 2026.
An estimate built for reflection — not financial, medical, or legal advice. The figures follow the assumptions above.