Infinite scroll is a nefarious UX pattern.

I love observing waterfalls. It's the best visualization of time: continuous and one-directional. And it has finality. Once water goes over the edge, it doesn’t come back. The stream marches forward relentlessly.

Our modern lives are streamlined. Our days cascade in chats, calendar invites and social media feeds. The rectangle-shaped device you’re reading this on lends itself to scrolling. Continuous and one-directional. The few seconds you’ve taken to read these words have gone over the edge, never to return.

Time felt a lot slower before the internet. Days, weeks and years all blend together now. Time disappears in the infinite scroll.

I like observing waterfalls because it allows you to step outside and become aware of your own stream. Life is short. Don't get swept away by momentum.

Skip meetings where you’re optional and there’s no agenda.

--

P.S. I visited the Niagara Falls last week, and it amplifies the concept of time for me. The inevitability of gravity and the sheer volume of water simply disappearing over the edge always gets me. We only get 24 hours each day to either do something meaningful or doomscroll.

P.P.S. This is the first cinemagraph I've made after 10 years. I missed making them.