Is constant brand messaging fuelling digital addiction?

Endless scrolling and constant notifications are the new normal. Brands keep consumers engaged, while consumers enjoy a steady flow of information and exclusive deals. It’s (mostly) a win-win situation. That’s until the conversation shifts to the mental health aspects of this constant brand-consumer connectivity. 

According to Gartner, a technological research and consulting firm, about one billion people will be affected by digital addiction by 2023. The research states that it will lead to decreased productivity, increased stress and a spike in anxiety and depression.

It’s a probable consequence of ever-shortening attention spans, the constant streaming of easily accessible content, and the relentless drive to stay connected, where notifications, updates, and new information compete for attention every second.

Brands find it difficult to hold the attention of their potential customers. Attention-grabbing strategies come to the rescue, helping brands increase top-of-mind recall and drive sales. It causes a push-and-pull effect where consumers demand more content, which the brands are happy to supply, significantly adding to the time users spend on digital devices.

“Today, brands are focussing a lot on building communities as a way to increase top-of-mind recall and engage their potential customers,” said Vivek Loganathan, EVP - Growth & Paid Media, Social Beat, explaining that it’s a key component of strategies that focus on branding as well as performance marketing. Constant engagement is thus a necessity for the ecosystem.

“Influencers are created by people and content is created based on audience demand,” said Amit Verma, Founder, Digitup, adding that people want to see the validation of their fears, they want to consume drama and be a part of something powerful. 

"I am not sure if brands would ever worry about digital addiction. However, brands can take a more ethical and morally right approach while creating content. They can choose not to play on fear, power and ego,” Verma said, adding that the content brands create should be unbiased and the influencer should be worthy.

“Brands may not be contributing to digital addiction but they are interested in leveraging it,” said Sri Hari Cuddapah, Chief Business Officer, GenY Medium, adding that in some ways, brands are adding to it. “Brands that are doing well have a deep understanding of their customers and create content that resonates with their lifestyle,” he explained.

Further, he shared: “5 years back, our top search keywords for ads were acne cream and pimple cream. Today, the top keywords are salicylic acid and niacinamide cream. People who were earlier searching for hair fall serum are now searching for minoxidil. This is due to the awareness and how people are searching for products.”

When you pump people with information, they become aware and tend to go deeper into the subject. “Earlier, getting yourself informed on a particular topic took effort. That barrier is lost. You don’t have to search. Somebody is coming and giving it to you - and ensuring that it’s simple and easy to understand,” he added.

Moving forward, brands must take responsibility for the mental health impact of their engagement strategies — before these inadvertently start sparking conversations around digital detox and screen time limits.