Doomscrolling

What Is Doomscrolling?

According to Harvard Medical School, doomscrolling is the act of continually searching and reading negative news feeds online. It became more prevalent during the pandemic due to people fearing for their lives and being isolated from others.

News reports are often scary and negative, and this constant exposure can have an unhealthy impact on a person’s physical and mental state. Online users often find themselves trapped in a cycle of seeking and clicking on headlines that trigger adverse symptoms. They may even think learning more about a topic will help them feel more in control.

Doomscrolling can lead to adverse physical and mental health consequences and may be associated with certain personality types, including neuroticism, sensation-seeking, negativity bias, and conscientious negative relationships.

Scrolling Paralysis

Scrolling paralysis refers to the excessive time someone spends online scrolling through content for information or entertainment.

Scrolling paralysis does not always refer to seeking negative information. Some people get caught up watching funny or lighthearted online reels for hours. They feel stuck in a loop where they can’t seem to stop watching and do something else with their time. They may feel like they are wasting time or procrastinating, which can feel like an addiction.

Doomscrolling can make you think that you cannot avoid seeking information on the internet or social media apps. You may experience intense urges, and once you start scrolling, it isn’t easy to stop. You feel as if you are stuck or paralyzed in this digital activity.

What Causes Endless Scrolling?

Social media can affect mental health, and being on social media can produce similar effects in the brain as some drugs. It boosts the release of feel-good chemicals, specifically dopamine, that initially creates a rush or surge of euphoria. To continue feeling the pleasurable effects, a person will continue scrolling online.

The causes of endless scrolling may include the following:

• The available reels on various platforms provide instant gratification
• The algorithms are geared to provide continuous personalized content and stimulation
• The fear of missing out if you quit scrolling
• Repeated behaviors become habits, and it becomes difficult to stop

The creators of social media platforms, apps, and news feeds use your personal and search engine data to gear news feeds and reels to topics that will grab your attention and lure you into clicking on their site. You may think you will take a quick look but end up spending numerous hours watching videos and reading headlines that change your thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and functioning.

The Effects of Doomscrolling on Mental Health

Thoughts, images, sensations, and other factors contribute to mental health. The interactions you have throughout the day can have a positive or negative impact on your brain. Doomscrolling may lead to mental health issues, including:

• Mental fatigue
• Anxiety and depression
• Poor concentration
• Reduced cognitive functioning
• Social media addiction
• Constant stimulation
• Cognitive processing issues
• Detachment from reality
• Compulsiveness
• Isolation
• Loneliness
• Distorted memory

Excessive online scrolling alters how the brain functions, changing how a person processes information, makes decisions, and performs tasks at work, school, home, and socially. It interferes with building successful relationships and hinders productivity.

Does Doomscrolling Contribute to Anxiety and Depression?

Doomscrolling and social media use in general are linked to mental illness. The most common social media-induced psychiatric disorders include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Stress
• Mental Deprivation

How much time someone spends online, the number of platforms they use, and the frequency of use directly influence the development of mental health disorders. It also leads to lower life satisfaction, social media addiction, fatigue or burnout, preoccupation with appearance, and emotional dysregulation.

Because doomscrolling hinders social connections, a person may become isolated and withdrawn, developing social anxiety, depression, or both. Depending on the intensity of doomscrolling behaviors, someone may have suicidal thoughts or attempts due to a lack of emotional support to counteract the amount of negative material they are taking in. Some may even turn to substance abuse to cope with their mental health symptoms.

Staying Informed Vs. Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling is characterized by an obsessive need for content consumption. Someone may spend many hours a day clicking on feeds or reels to learn more about a topic, such as diseases, true crime, political conflicts, and other concerns. Spending this much time online can interfere with getting proper sleep, which can also lead to anxiety and depression.

With doomscrolling, there is no balance of good and bad information. Staying informed or up to date with the latest news headlines involves striking a healthy balance of online use.  Staying informed refers to the following factors:

• Having specific intentions for being online
• Checking the news for a purpose
• Gathering information for a limited time
• Getting updates on particular topics

Staying informed involves getting a general overview of topics and then moving on with your day. Someone who is staying informed feels good about knowing a little about a subject rather than feeling like they must learn everything they can right away. They don’t get lured by clickbait headlines and can be productive in essential daily activities.

How To Stop Doomscrolling

Fortunately, there are things you can do to break the doomscrolling habit, including:

• Set specific time limits for being online and stick to them.
• Disable notifications on your smartphone to avoid distractions and temptations to get online. Turn off the infinite scroll options on your phone.
• Avoid keeping your phone near you during specific times, such as meals, bedtime, or meetings.
• Commit to unfollowing and unsubscribing to news sources that are not credible and that induce stress.
• Follow news sources that offer positive, uplifting stories.
• Fill in non-scrolling time with healthy activities to avoid boredom and temptation to go online.
• Reach out to a counselor or therapist for help.

Don’t hesitate to engage in a digital detox, going without your phone for an extended period. If you find you cannot go without your phone or being online, consider seeking an assessment from a licensed mental health professional to determine if you may be facing an online addiction. You can also download apps and tools that can help you control your online activities.

Breaking the doomscrolling habit is possible, and you can find a healthy balance between staying informed and starting your journey toward improved overall well-being.