It's been a long day; you are about to retire to bed and enjoy that eight-hour sleep you promised yourself. But before you do, an urge takes over, and you reach for your phone for just a quick scroll through social media. That's when you see it. A headline that catches your attention.
Your heart skips a beat. You tell yourself, "I just need to know more." One article leads to another, then a tweet, a video, and a deep dive into comment threads filled with speculation and fear. Minutes turn into an hour. Your screen is the last thing you see before your exhausted eyes finally close.
In your defence, you just wanted to stay informed. But what you just indulged in is called doomscrolling. It's this endless cycle of consuming distress news to convince yourself it's necessary. While the only thing you're doing is feeling your anxiety. The more you scroll, the heavier your mind feels.
Do you find this relatable? Don't worry—you're not alone. A study published in the journal Health Communication found that 16.5% of the 1,100 people surveyed showed signs of "severely problematic" news consumption.
But why do we do this? And more importantly, how can we stop? Let's find out by understanding the phenomenon of Doomscrolling in detail.
What is doomscrolling?
The term, as we all know, gained prominence during the pandemic. However, it was popularised in 2018 by Karen K. Ho, a financial and culture journalist. Ho is widely regarded as the doomscrolling reporter who frequently tweets reminders for people to put their phones down and take a break from negative news.
This leads us to the question: Why do we indulge in doomscrolling? The answer lies in our brain's negativity bias, which has been passed on to us for generations. Negative bias is a survival mechanism that makes us sensitive to threats.
In ancient times, humans relied on hyper-awareness to gauge dangers and stay alive. Today, the rise of the digital world has changed this instinct into an obsession with bad news. We feel compelled to keep scrolling, reading, and listening to convince ourselves that we are informed about the threats looming around us.
Social media and news platforms have understood this tendency of humans. Hence, they exploit it by using algorithms that are designed to keep us engaged. The more we interact with this negative news, the more they feed us. As a result, we are trapped in a cycle of fear and anxiety. This behaviour surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, and other global crises as people desperately sought updates.
Mental and Physical toll of doomscrolling
From definition, doomscrolling might seem like a mindless habit, but that's not the case. In fact, it has serious consequences for both mental and physical health.
For starters, constant exposure to distressing and negative news can lead to an individual feeling heightened anxiety, chronic stress, and even depression. Studies have shown that consuming too much of such news can also lead to an increased feeling of helplessness and a feeling that the world is spiralling out of control.
However, this activity greatly affects your sleep schedule and quality. If you're into the habit of doomscrolling, then you are more than likely to stay up late at night scrolling through the feed. This habit exposes the brain to blue light, which disrupts melatonin production and fills the mind with overwhelming thoughts.
Apart from that, it can also affect your productivity and daily life. Spending hours scrolling through your phone's screen could distance you from your work, hobbies, or meaningful social interactions. Sometimes, people who are lost in doomscrolling find it hard to complete basic day-to-day tasks.
In short, while trying to know what's happening around the world, you lose track of what's happening around you. Psychologist Jason S. Moser explains this in better words: "Doomscrolling is an interesting phenomenon because it's a 'reassurance seeking' behaviour." He adds, "That is, we're presumably looking for things to put our minds at ease — definitive information that helps us end the uncertainty or keep us in 'the know' or maybe even something good to offset the bad."
How to overcome doomscrolling?
We are surrounded by gadgets that have internet access, and we are hooked on them. If you're not working on your laptop, maybe you're reading on your iPad, or if not, then your phone follows you everywhere you go. Hence, it is difficult to break this habit, but with intentional effort, you can regain control of your screen time. Here's how you can do that:
1. Set screen time limits: The first step to doomscrolling is a quick check, which ends up in hours spent on the screen. To counter this, you must set specific time limits for social media. To do so, you can use features like Screen Time (iPhones) or Digital Wellbeing (Android) on your phone.
2. Recognise triggers: Do you know what prompts you to check your phone? If not, then maybe it's time to recognise what makes you gullible to checking your screen. It can be stress, boredom, or anxiety.
Once you have an idea of the trigger, you can maybe counter it. For example, deep breathing exercises or journaling can help you with stress, and boredom can be cured by engaging in activities like reading or solving puzzles.
3. Replace scrolling with mindful activities: Doomscrolling is a common downtime habit. Hence, actively replacing it with healthier alternatives like exercising, socialising, creative hobbies, or learning something new can help you control that urge to scroll.
Breaking a habit is never easy, and doomscrolling is no different. Instead of making drastic changes, start small, gradually reduce screen time, recognise triggers, and replace scrolling with healthier activities.
Over time, you'll notice improved mental clarity, reduced stress, and better sleep. The endless flood of negative news will always exist, but your peace of mind is in your control. Prioritise your well-being over constant digital consumption.
Remember, staying informed is important, but not at the cost of your mental health. Put down your phone, take a breath, and embrace the present it's okay to disconnect.
Penned by- Vaibhaw Tiwari
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