Featured Article
Doomscrolling, Why Do We Do It and How Do We Prevent It?
Written by Leigh Spencer, Improving Lives Volunteer and Mental Health Advocate
In these days of tension in our own country and around the world it is very easy to doomscroll. This is the excessive and compulsive consumption of negative news and content on social media. Doomscrolling can take place on any form of device including computers, tablets and on Smartphones. Rather than look for positive stories you actively seek negative ones. This can lead to anxiety, depression and disrupted sleep. If you already suffer from any of the aforementioned it will only increase their intensity.
Aimlessly checking emails
Actively seeking out negative articles and posts whether related to the news, weather, health, entertainment or sport for example. This happened frequently during the Covid 19 pandemic as people checked to see the number of Covid cases being reported. A more recent example is the Middle East crisis where there are numerous articles reporting the events, often with different viewpoints.
Reading multiple sources of news to feel up to date and constantly refreshing the pages or apps.
Spending time before going to bed reading disturbing headlines and articles.
Telling yourself I’ll just check one more time to see if a story or post has been updated, or I’ll just check to see if there are any new stories, then I’ll stop. However you don’t and you continue to do so.
Reading negative comments on articles, and on social media.
Watching videos on such platforms as Tik Tok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts that focus on personal catastrophes and dystopian scenarios.
Continually checking push notifications on your device.
So why do we doomscroll? One reason is that our brains are programmed to search for threats so that we can be prepared for danger. We do this by focusing on negative information. It is a survival instinct. Doomscrolling also helps us feel like we are in control particularly in uncertain times and it doesn’t matter if the news is upsetting. Then there are the algorithms that social media platforms use. These are designed to produce maximum user engagement and often focus on the most alarming and sensational content. Also if someone has a history of trauma they can be more prone to doomscrolling and be triggered by situations similar to their own.
Now let us take a look at the mental and physical effects of doomscrolling and how to overcome them.
The mental effects of doomscrolling can include increased levels of anxiety including social anxiety, feeling depressed, being overwhelmed, believing the worst is going to happen and having your stress hormone levels increased. You can feel emotionally fatigued but don’t know how to overcome the mental toll doomscrolling is taking, or you don’t realise it is the doomscrolling that is causing these mental issues. Those who doomscroll while at work may become less engaged with their professional responsibilities.
The physical effects of doomscrolling can be equally as disruptive to your daily life as the mental effects. Having your sleep disrupted is one, you check your social media or favourite news sites before you switch off the light and settle down to get some sleep, you take what seems like forever to get to sleep as whatever you’ve seen or read is going round and round in your mind. Then in the morning you do the same thing when you wake up. You still feel tired and this in turn affects your concentration and ability to fully function. Headaches can be caused by doomscrolling, as can neck and shoulder pain as you hunch over your device. Doomscrolling can also cause loss of or low appetite. Other effects can be heart palpitations, shortness of breath and stomach aches.
As well as the mental and physical effects of doomscrolling can have an effect on behaviour. In some instances it can lead to harmful behaviours like self-harm and substance abuse to help cope with uncomfortable feelings, particularly if the doomscrolling has triggered flashbacks. Doomscrolling can reduce attention span, making it difficult to concentrate on anything for very long, whether it is at work or at home.
Here are some examples of doomscrolling:
Doomscrolling can take over a person’s life and for their loved ones it is hard to see them struggle, however there are ways to overcome it. Here are some suggestions:
● Make sleep a priority; you can do this by not having your device whether it is your phone, your computer or tablet. This will stop you from going to sleep or waking up with disturbing news.
● Set boundaries, for example don’t check your phone an hour before going to bed. Or make a point of not checking your social media or news sites while you are at work.
● Limit your screen time when using your device for leisure. Set aside a specific amount of time per day when you can watch videos, read articles, catch-up on your social media, and check the news and the weather. It could be an hour a day or less.
● If you do find yourself doomscrolling, use what is called the “5 minute rule”. This is when you pause what you are doing and change to doing a physical activity, like going outside or looking out of the window.
● Review the content of the pages and accounts that you are following. If they bring negative emotions into your life, unsubscribe from them and look for accounts that are calming or even educational.
● Check your sources of information, look for reputable sites and don’t believe everything you hear, see and read. There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet, plus there are tools to change audio, images and video content.
● Prioritise leisure activities and hands-on hobbies and by doing so you are less likely to be scrolling on your device with your fingers or using your mouse and keyboard on your computer. You could go for a walk, print out some colouring pages and colour them, do a jigsaw, sing, dance, cook, play a sport, there are plenty of activities to do that will help you break away from doomscrolling.
● Ask for support to help you overcome doomscrolling. If you feel you are unable to stop doomscrolling then there is nothing wrong with asking for help, whether it be from family or friends or even seeking professional help.
Doomscrolling may seem a harmless activity, but it can take hold of you and cause a lot of both mental and physical distress. On the surface it can seem harmless, for example checking daily, several weather apps to see which is showing in your opinion the worst weather, but when you are actively seeking out more and more sources and are constantly checking them that is when it becomes a problem. In these times of the twenty-four hour news cycle, social media and websites that are based on personal views it is easy for your time being taken up by actively seeking the most negative stories that you can find. However, as we've seen there are ways to stop, like not having your phone or your computer in your bedroom, and to prioritize leisure activities and hands-on hobbies. While stopping doomscrolling might seem like an impossible hurdle to overcome, whether using appropriate tools and seeking support from family, friends or professionals, it can be mitigated and you’ll be able to handle it should you ever have the urge to doomscroll in the future.