Ashwin Menon

Neutral Scroll - doomscrolling, neutralized.

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Neutral Scroll is an iPhone app for the habitual moment your thumbs reach for your social media feed. Calming haptic feedback and slow colour transitions give you a controlled way to regulate the urge. Ninety seconds, then it ends itself. No algorithm, no streaks, no account.

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Ashwin Menon
Maker
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Hi Product Hunt, Are you tired of doom scrolling? I definitely was! I had tried some of the popular blocking apps, but the craving always eventually broke through and I ended up right back in the vortex of mindless content. A few weeks ago a close friend of mine asked if there was a way for her to scroll without viewing any content. Sort of like a nicotine patch or digital fidget spinner. This immediately made sense to me! With this inspiration, I built Neutral Scroll. The Hypothesis: The initial urge isn't always about consuming content; often, it’s just our brains craving the physical, sensory act of scrolling and the micro-dopamine hits that come with it. Neutral Scroll intercepts that habit loop. The Sensory Pause: When you try to open a distracting app, you're redirected to a time-boxed, algorithm-free space featuring muted gradients and responsive haptics. It gives your brain the physical comfort of scrolling without sucking you into an indefinite time vortex, making it easier to step away and return to the real world. Zero Noise: No likes, no scores, no streaks and no notifications. An app designed to try and help minimise your screen time. I’d Love Your Feedback! This is a small, focused app, and I want to make it as effective as possible for the community. Please give it a spin and let me know what you think!
Ian Kok

Gonna try it out and come back with more feedback. Love the idea! Initial thought is if the scroll dopamine is inherent to scroll or just due to the habit of social apps, and if that matters?