When Scrolling Becomes A Trap
Christmas morning 2021, my family was downstairs opening presents while I sat alone in my room, staring at my phone for the 16th straight hour. I hadn’t showered in a week, I’d barely eaten anything, and my arm was numb from scrolling. I could not bring myself to leave my room.
My name is Andre, and four years ago, my life was way off track because of a dependence on my phone that consumed my every waking moment.
Over the past year and a half, the pandemic had taken away everything I was looking forward to, my freedom, my high school graduation trip with friends, even my carpentry apprenticeship. What should have been formative years that launched me into adulthood were replaced with isolation and endless hours lost behind my phone.
What began as a tool to stay connected during lockdown turned into a trap.
Without even realizing it, scrolling became all I did. The algorithm kept feeding me exactly what would keep me there until hours blurred into days, my sense of time disappeared, and the very connection I was searching for was replaced with isolation.
By summer 2022, when my friends could finally hang out again, I felt paralyzed and couldn’t leave my room. The idea of putting down my phone, of having real conversations and living real life, filled me with anxiety and kept me locked away in my room.
My parents tried everything; setting limits, turning off the Wi-Fi, and pleading with me to join family activities. Nothing worked, and they felt helpless. My younger sister was struggling too, watching me disappear. Then one day, she came home from school after a presentation by Rideauwood. My mom cried overwhelmed by the sense of relief. For the first time, my family saw a path forward.
That presentation didn’t happen by chance. It happened because someone like you cared enough to make sure help reached families like mine.
The team at Rideauwood didn’t dismiss me as “just another kid on his phone.” They helped me and my family understand how my technology use had taken over my life, and how it can affect people just as deeply as problematic substance use. Using proven approaches like counselling, exploring harm reduction methods, and most importantly family support, they gave me the tools I needed to take my life back.
Today, my phone is just a tool, and its use is within my control. It’s still tricky at times, but now I recognize the signs that tell me it’s time to put it down. I’m back to participating in the world around me. I have a small but close-knit group of friends and am working through my carpentry apprenticeship. I have my life back.
Past support from caring community members like you helped to make this possible!
More people than ever, both youth and adults are feeling trapped in an endless scroll of anxiety, loneliness, and despair. At Rideauwood, they’re reclaiming their sense of self, rebuilding confidence, and finding balance again, both online and off.
Without Rideauwood, families like mine would have nowhere to go. For almost 50 years, Rideauwood has been the place Ottawa families turn to when problematic substance use, gambling or technology use disrupts their lives. The Rideauwood team helps people understand the reasons behind their struggles, find healthier ways forward, and reconnect with the people who matter most.
I’m telling you my story because I know others out there are struggling like I was. Your gift today will help another family like mine find their way back to each other.
Please give generously today.
Another family like mine is counting on you.
P.S. Addiction doesn’t always come in a bottle or a pill. For many people, it starts on a screen. Your gift helps Rideauwood meet them where they are: online, anxious, and ready for help.
Note: Rideauwood uses representative stories to reflect the real experiences of people who have found hope and healing through our programs.