Spice Girl Mel B tells off fans for doomscrolling and says Stop right now

Be prepared to get told off by Mel B as she fronts a new callback service to remind people to put their phones away, “that’s why they call me Scary”

What Mel B really really wants is for the public to stop doomscrolling.

The Spice Girl legend has teamed with O2 to launch The O2 Scroll Stopper – a WhatsApp callback service where users can schedule a callback from Mel when they need reminding to put their phone down.

This comes from a new study that has revealed Brits will lose almost 5 years of their lives to ‘doomscrolling’ and unintentional phone use.

Mel spilled: “We’ve all fallen into the trap of repeatedly checking our phones and staying on them without even thinking about what we are doing, but I’m helping the nation to put a big stop to that!

“I’m a massive advocate for taking a break from my phone and that’s why I’ve partnered with O2 to give you that much-needed nudge to get away from a screen, to look up and get back to the good stuff happening right in front of you.

“And if I have to give you a bit of a telling-off to do it, well, that’s why they call me Scary – but you know it’s because I care.”

Fans can try the service by simply messaging 078682 89802 on WhatsApp to request their callback from scary spice herself.

Following a landmark year-long study engaging 6,000 UK adults at its peak, O2 has revealed that the average Brit is set to lose a staggering 4.7 years of their waking life to unintentional phone use. It comes as the operator launches a new Digital Wellbeing strategy – to help Brits to balance their time online and build healthier tech habits.

To help the 44% of Brits who want to better manage their screen time – and the 37% who feel addicted to their devices – users can now schedule a call featuring a pre-recorded message from Mel B.

The service provides a clear, much-needed prompt to put the phone down and have screen-free time. Users can expect a variety of messages delivered in Mel’s signature style, featuring playful reminders to take a breather from their phones.

O2’s research shows that 36% of our daily phone use is now completely mindless. That breaks down to 1 hour and 26 minutes every single day.

This unintentional use – whether doomscrolling or flicking between apps is taking a massive toll – with 74% of the UK experiencing negative side effects. For the 14 million Brits who spend over half their phone time without a clear purpose, the consequences are even higher:

Now the big question is can Scary help stop Posh’s kids get off social media? It’s what we really really want.

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