Challenging the doomscroll

Doomscrolling, the act of excessive consumption of negative news or social media content, is an issue that has been on many people’s radars for years. An academic study published in Health Communication found that in a survey of over 1000 participants, almost 17 percent of people who admitted to “severely problematic” news consumption reported higher stress levels and worse physical health. (1)

However, even with rising awareness about the negative effects of doomscrolling, it continues to affect a significant number of people. A research review in the Applied Research in Quality of Life journal found that "...doomscrolling had significant negative relationships with conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness and it had a significant positive relationship with neuroticism." (2)

Doomscrolling's addictive draw

As technology, such as algorithms, develops and adapts further, doomscrolling becomes increasingly addictive and difficult to challenge.

Compounded with ever more personalised and addictive content are the volatile and challenging times that we live in. There is no shortage of negative news that media outlets can cover.

I often find myself watching and scrolling through negative news content. News piece after news piece or video after video, providing me with no satisfaction and leaving me feeling mentally worse.

Many of us feel the detrimental impact doomscrolling can have on our mental wellbeing. However, there is a plethora of academic research confirming its impact on our mental wellbeing, with one recent academic article finding that it evokes existential anxiety and pessimism about human nature. (3)

Whilst we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to what goes on in our world, we should be cautious and selective with our media consumption. We live in a world of constant 24/7 news coverage and media access. It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed and to become subsumed by content.

However, there are things we can be to challenge doomscrolling. We can limit and control how, when, where, and how much we access news/social media content.

Tips to challenge your doomscrolling habits

Here are some strategies you can use to challenge doomscrolling:

• Limit when you consume news and social media content. Only read or watch the news at certain times of the day, such as in the early evening at 6pm.

• Restrict what devices you use to access the news or social media content. By limiting your access, for example to just a computer, you greatly restrict when and where you can access news and social media content. Restricting access helps reduce temptation and the amount of media you consume.

• Whenever you find yourself tempted to look at the news or social media, distract and occupy yourself with something else. You could put down or away your device, and go for a walk.

• Try reading more positive news stories and social media content. Don’t simply read the top news stories, they are often the most negative, look for smaller positive stories instead.

• Use screen time tools to restrict the amount of time you can use news or social media apps each day.

• Swap news and social media consumption with positive habits and rituals. Consider reading or perhaps try something creative like writing.

• Reward yourself for challenging doomscrolling. Positive reinforcement is a good way to build up new and positive habits.
  

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9580444/

2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11482-022-10110-7

3. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S245195882400071X?via%3Dihub