What was the last thing you did before going to bed last night, or the first thing you did when you woke up? Was it reaching for your phone and scrolling through TikTok videos or your Instagram feed? You’re not alone in this behavior. If you find yourself glued to the headlines and bad news on your device for hours at a time, you’re doing what is called “doomscrolling”, and it can have very negative consequences for your mental health.
The urge to scroll through all the bad things happening in the world is a natural one. You want to stay up to date with the latest events, whether it is wars, mass shootings, missing children, or uncontrolled fires. Most of us refresh our feeds consistently to see what the next terrible thing is that is occurring.
This habit can be devastating to your mental and physical health. But why is doomscrolling so bad for you, and how can you break the habit before it consumes all your joy?
What Is Doomscrolling?
“Doomscrolling” was one of Oxford English Dictionary’s 2020 words of the year, and is defined as “the action of constantly scrolling through (=moving down through text on a screen) and reading depressing news on a news site or on social media, especially on a phone”.
Although it became prevalent in 2020 when the world was at a standstill, it is still incredibly common today when political, social, and economic unrest is happening daily across the globe. The media has a taste for bad news since it gets more views, meaning we’re missing out on a lot of positive news and hope.
Many people are increasingly turning to lighter, more entertaining online activities instead, like exploring gaming platforms and online casinos voted by US players as the best for their rewarding and fun experiences. It is a new way to unwind and escape the constant cycle of negativity.
The Bad Side Of Doomscrolling
Downscrolling can result in a negative mindset and constant negative thoughts, which understandably will impact your mental health over time. Some potential side effects of doomscrolling include:
- Insomnia: If you check social media before going to sleep, you may find yourself lying awake for longer. It can be because of the increased anxiety you experience or because of the blue light in your devices that impacts melatonin production.
- Loneliness: Spending so much time on your phone can increase feelings of isolation and disconnection.
- Worsened mental health conditions: If you’re already struggling with anxiety and depression, doomscrolling may worsen the situation. At its worst, you may experience panic attacks.
- “Crazymaking”: This occurs when constant negative headlines manipulate how you view reality. One news outlet may explain a situation in a certain way, while another attributes the same situation to completely different factors. This conflicting information can make you feel insane.
- Reduced attention span: Spending hours on your phone teaches your brain that it needs constant stimulation. You may find it harder to deep focus on tasks that don’t trigger your emotions, like reading a book or working.
You may also experience physical side-effects from doomscrolling, like nausea, headaches, exhaustion, increased blood pressure, and muscle tension, according to Harvard experts. Being sedentaryt for a long time will eventually start taking a toll on your body, as well as your mind.
How To Stop Doomscrolling
Fortunately, it is possible to stop the habit of doomscrolling if you’re willing to be disciplined:
- Don’t keep your phone on your nightstand.
- Put your phone on airplane mode when you sleep.
- Turn off social media notifications and Google alerts.
- Follow pages or channels that post local community news.
- Say no to people who want to talk about negative news.
- Focus on the positive by volunteering locally and following positive pages.
- Spend more time outside when you would usually be on your phone.
- Talk to a healthcare professional.
- Set a time limit when browsing your socials.
- Unfollow any channels that cause you stress.
- If you want to take a break, play games or listen to (positive) podcasts instead.
Final Thoughts
The main takeaway is that doomscrolling isn’t going to help you live in a better world. You need to be more intentional about what media you consume, and spend time curating your social media to be a positive place. Although knowing about what is happening out there is important, you also need to take time to focus on your mental health.
