The most unsettling headlines on the planet are just a click away in the internet era. Negative news comes like a rushing wind, enveloping our thoughts, feelings, and emotions even more than the good news that we don’t hear often enough.
Social media posts have a good knack for their relentless streams of distressing content that captures us in an unending cycle of what is colloquially known as “doomscrolling”. This syndrome, defined by a compulsive need to consume disheartening information, is a well-known bane to mental health and general well-being. But what if there’s more to this destructive phenomenon, than what meets the eye? Is there an unforeseen silver lining amidst the dark glooms of negativity?
Many studies and experts have highlighted the adverse effects of this behaviour, inclusive of stress, anxiety, and even depression. The obsessive trawling of news sources like Twitter, Apple News, and other informative sites you’d have on your phone, is a means of confirming to one’s anxious self, that the world is indeed a nightmarish hellscape, as it might seem that way to certain people. Needless to say, personally, even though more information is supposed to make me more aware and feel better- come what may ( as wisdom wields strength right?) all I accomplish is a lost sense of control, and yet I have plenty of company if the other individuals losing it on the forums I read are any indication.
Doomscrolling and how it wreaks havoc on your health
Doomscrolling is a cultural term that was coined in 2018 on Twitter but became overused in 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak, where anxiety spikes hit home runs, as people were dissolving themselves with unkind information about death tolls and loved ones catching the virus – our lives took a turn for the very worst, overnight. We hungered for any kind of information that could keep our families safe; many of us developed the habit of gripping our phones or tablets tightly while refreshing our feeds until our fingers started to hurt. Now, of course, we still doomscroll, but on various other topics. As reported in the Perspectives in Psychiatric Care article- “Doomscrolling may lead to the experience of emotions of intense anxiety, uncertainty, apprehension, fear and feelings of distress which in turn lead to difficulties in the initiation of sleep, poor quality of sleep, decrease in appetite, decreased interest in activities and low motivation to continue with tasks of the day”. According to another study, which was published in the Journal of Health Communication, 16.5% of roughly 1,100 participants showed symptoms of “severely problematic” news consumption, which increased stress, worry, and ill health.
“A dark and dangerous place” is how doomscrolling describes the planet
Associate Professor Bryan McLaughlin, the study’s lead author and a researcher at the Texas Tech University, said the 24-hour news cycle could bring about a “constant state of high alert” in some people, making the world seem like a “dark and dangerous place”.
He added: “For these individuals, a vicious cycle can develop in which, rather than tuning out, they become drawn further in, obsessing over the news and checking for updates around the clock to alleviate their emotional distress, where it doesn’t help, and the more they check the news, the more it begins to interfere with other aspects of their lives.”
Of course, keeping oneself updated with the latest news is never the issue, the problem is the receding line that differentiates a doomscroller from a news junkie. That is all about the nature in which it is consumed, and how engrossed a person can be.
The Texas Tech University investigated the link between excessive media consumption and poor health and has shed much light on it in the Journal of Health Communication, stating that mental health problems and physical problems were reported by 74% and 61% of respondents with consumption levels considered to be severe. This could be the result of an underlying issue, where it could be the case that certain people subconsciously receive a rush of pleasurable endorphins in the amygdala of the brain from reading alarming news. This could also be due to the fear of missing out (FOMO) on important situations, mostly seen in younger adults, men, and those who are politically engaged. This introduces us to the paradox that fear can be addictive, leading to heavy-weight psychological and physiological issues.
Is doomscrolling just a rabbit hole to psychological distress?
Well, yes and no. There can be a significant amount of “good” that doomscrolling brings.
One such potential positive is awareness and activism about critical issues. Coming into contact with distressing news may prompt a person to take action, support charitable causes, and execute an informed mindset about problems faced around the world. This viral spread of information can act as a ripple effect for social change and activism, along with movements like Black Lives Matter and #Metoo, thus gaining visibility through the increased presence on social media.
Witnessing and being knowledgeable about the sufferings that people face, whether it’s due to natural disasters, social injustices, or humanitarian crises, like the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas, can enhance and evoke strong feelings of empathy and compassion that would motivate to donate to charities and volunteer their time to help those in need.
Staying educated through doomscrolling allows individuals to be more vigilant and on the lookout for emergencies and disasters, thus making them more prepared and prompting them to take proactive measures when and if something or the other takes place, to protect themselves and their communities. Even though the negative consequences of doomscrolling are documented perfectly, it is evident that there exist some upsides that are unexpected for a behaviour such as this. It is vital to understand that these anticipated benefits are not a justification for excessive doomscrolling. It is a highlight of the complexities of our digital world and the multifaceted personality of human behaviour, that will only reap good merits if we engage in such activities with self-awareness and discipline.
(Tashia Bernadus)