Cognistop: Utilizing Cognitive Friction to Mitigate Habitual Social Media Scrolling among Pre-Service Teachers in the College of Teacher Education

Abstract

This study investigates the effectiveness of CogniStop, a custom-developed Android application designed to mitigate habitual social media scrolling among pre-service teachers through the implementation of cognitive friction. Grounded in Dual Process Theory (Kahneman, 2011), the Ludic Loop (Schüll, 2012), and Cognitive Friction Theory (Alter, 2017), the intervention introduces arithmetic challenges and intention declarations to disrupt automatic behavior associated with “Digital Autopilot.”
A mixed-method explanatory sequential design was employed, involving purposively selected participants from the College of Teacher Education. Behavioral data were collected through application logs during a 14-day protocol consisting of a baseline phase and an intervention phase. Quantitative results revealed no significant change in app launch frequency (p = .230), but a highly significant reduction in usage density (p = .004). The intervention achieved a deterrence rate of 57.83% and significantly improved perceived digital self-control (p < .001).
These findings confirm that cognitive friction effectively reduces mindless scrolling and enhances metacognitive awareness without restricting user autonomy. The study contributes to the development of ethical digital wellbeing tools that promote self-regulation through deliberate cognitive engagement.