this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2026
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Technology
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It provides a natural stopping point, which as another user explained requires a conscious effort to continue rather than infinite scrolling which requires a conscious effort to stop.
It doesn't sound like much, but it can be those little things that make the difference. A little bit less on one side of the scale, and a little bit more on another.
I know I find myself scrolling for way longer than I intended, and when I look back and realize how much I scrolled it always seems to surprise me. Sometimes I tell myself I'm about to stop, but I just keep going. I see another headline at the bottom of the screen and have to click on it. After that I see another one below it, etc. Sometimes I have to scroll so the screen ends on one post, and I won't let it show the one below it, cause otherwise I might never stop.
People whose minds are already wired for addiction can struggle with this. Just like with beer. "One felt good, so twelve must feel twelve times as good." It's a subconscious process, but it can feel like a vortex and be really hard to escape.
Pagination would take away that "mindless" aspect, and for instance I could see when I reach page 10 or whatever and decide that's far enough. Or I could hop on and just scroll one page. Or I could scroll a few pages and then say "Okay at the bottom of this page I'm stopping." It's much easier that way for people who struggle with it.
@wonderingwanderer @Sina yes, I liked things more when pagination was the default, for the same reason. I turn pagination back on where it's an option and use mods to re introduce where it is not. Portion control is very important for enjoying all things. I love ice cream but I would be very ill with an infinitely refilling bowl. A set amount suits me much better.
That's a really good analogy
@wonderingwanderer thanks! I will admit to being inspired by one of Brian Wansink's food psychology experiments where it was demonstrated that even people who tend to have a better sense of when they're full will still eat more soup than they planned to or think they did if their bowl is secretly hooked up to a siphon that refills the bowl with more soup. He's a bit discredited for self plagiarism but mindless eating, the book he wrote about the food psychology experiments he ran, has a lot of good concepts that likely hold up on repetition if we can incentivize review a bit better instead of novel breakthroughs constantly.
You totally nailed it! This is a great and thoughtful comment, and I appreciate the effort you put into it to help educate others. :)