British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says social media platforms need to stop "never-ending scrolling," wading into the debate over addictive design patterns that keep users engaged for hours at a time.

Speaking at a public event, Starmer argued that infinite scroll - the feature that automatically loads new content as you reach the bottom of your feed - is deliberately designed to maximize time spent on platforms rather than user wellbeing. The statement signals potential regulatory action from the UK government targeting the psychological techniques social media companies use to retain attention.

Infinite scroll has been a core feature of platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok since their early days. By eliminating natural stopping points, the design pattern removes the small moment of conscious decision-making that happens when you finish a page and have to click "next." That friction is enough to make some users close the app. Remove it, and engagement time increases significantly.

Here's what makes this interesting from a policy perspective: Starmer isn't just criticizing social media in general terms. He's identifying a specific design pattern and calling for its elimination. That's a more sophisticated approach than vague demands for platforms to "do better."

The UK has been more aggressive than the U.S. in regulating social media, with laws requiring platforms to remove harmful content and protect children online. An infinite scroll ban would fit into that regulatory framework as a measure to reduce addictive engagement patterns.

From a technical standpoint, infinite scroll is easy to disable. Platforms could switch to paginated feeds overnight if required by law. The harder question is whether that would actually improve user wellbeing or just shift addictive behavior to other features. TikTok users might stop scrolling endlessly through the For You page, but they could just as easily spend the same time actively searching for content.

The business implications are significant. Social media companies optimize everything for engagement time because more time on platform means more ads served. Infinite scroll is one of dozens of tactics - autoplay videos, push notifications, algorithmic recommendations - all designed to keep you using the app. Ban one tactic, and companies will double down on others.

What's notable is that Starmer is focusing on a feature that platforms could easily defend. They'll argue that users prefer infinite scroll because it creates a seamless experience, and forcing pagination would degrade usability. Whether that argument holds up in regulatory proceedings depends on how much evidence regulators can gather about the psychological impact of endless content feeds.

The uncomfortable truth is that users do keep scrolling. Whether that's because they genuinely enjoy the experience or because the interface is designed to exploit psychological vulnerabilities is the question at the heart of this debate. Starmer is clearly betting on the latter interpretation.

It's worth noting that some platforms have experimented with optional tools to limit scroll time - screen time reminders, daily time limits, and scheduled breaks. Those features exist, but they're buried in settings and most users never enable them. Regulators arguing for mandatory changes will point to that as evidence that voluntary measures don't work.

The technology to remove infinite scroll exists. The question is whether governments have the political will to mandate it over platform objections, and whether users will actually benefit from the change or just find other ways to spend hours on social media.