'Doomscrolling' is silently ruining our mental health

Click, scroll, sigh. We all do it, don’t we? Lying in bed, letting our thoughts run wild as we mindlessly scroll across negative news and social media content on our cell phones.

This habit, known as “doomscrolling,” pulls us deeper into the internet – intent on finding answers, solutions, or distractions that weigh on our mental well-being.

More often than not, we find ourselves immersed in an abyss of negativity, bathing in bad news and distressing content. But have you ever stopped to question the impact of this habit on your mental health?

What is doomscrolling?

The term “doomscrolling” describes this exact pattern of digital consumption – continuously trawling through negative information, seemingly addicted to heart-wrenching news and gloomy content. Despite triggering negative emotions, we seem incapable of escaping this pull.

But why? What’s causing this? Has doomscrolling become unwittingly intertwined with our attempts to make sense of an increasingly chaotic world?

Doomscrolling and mental health

A team of researchers from University College London (UCL) set out to investigate. The results of their exploratory study paint a rather disconcerting picture.

It appeared that people with poor mental health not only gravitated toward negative content online, but this habit seemed to amplify their depressive symptoms.

The UCL team assessed the mental health of over 1,000 participants who were then asked to browse the internet for thirty minutes. A subsequent mental health evaluation and examination of their search history revealed a stark pattern.

Those with the lowest mental health scores sought out the most substantial amount of websites with negative themes.

It’s a two-way street

A subsequent experiment aimed to discern if doomscrolling was a product of our mental and emotional state or the internet’s influence.

In short, were the participants driven to melancholy content because they were already feeling low, or did their foreboding mood result from their online activity?

Tali Sharot is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at UCL, who contributed significantly to this debate.

“Lots of people are saying that there is a correlation between poor mental health and internet use,” said Sharot. “We spend many hours online, and as humans, we only just started doing so in the last few years. Is it causing problems?”

And the irony isn’t lost on us. We are willingly choosing to foray into these murky waters, fully aware that it’s going to leave us feeling down. Isn’t it time we reconsider our digital habits?

Implications for mental health

Our insatiable appetite for distressing news isn’t merely a quirky habit; it has serious implications for public health. This subject is particularly relevant as digital consumption has skyrocketed more than ever.

Health experts and policymakers are advocating for comprehensive digital literacy, aiming to educate individuals about the link between their internet habits and emotional well-being.

The ideal scenario? People would learn how to identify their negative online behavior, helping them to put an end to the negative spiral of doomscrolling.

Furthermore, experts are calling for breaks from screen time. They are promoting environments that are conducive to mental well-being in an effort to offset the harmful effects of excessive digital consumption.

Mindful digital consumption

How can we navigate this digital labyrinth without getting consumed by the darkness it often breeds? Mindful digital consumption may be the answer.

We can counter the anxiety that often accompanies continual exposure to gloomy information by adopting a balanced media diet, moderating our screen time, and using mindfulness techniques like meditation.

In short, we must reframe our relationship with technology. It’s about ensuring that technology serves us – not the other way round.

Change your scrolling habits

A recent UK study highlighted the potential adverse effects of smartphone obsession, especially among adolescents.

Teens who reported troubled relationships with their smartphones were found to be three times more likely to be anxious, depressed, or suffer from insomnia.

Our digital habits hold a sizeable sway over our mental health. While the internet carries the potential to be a marvelous resource, harnessing its full power lies in our hands.

If we consciously choose to satiate our minds with positive content, we stand a chance at protecting – if not boosting – our mental well-being.

So, the next time you find yourself doomscrolling, remember this: Your mental health is worth far more than any viral tweet, incendiary post, or alarming news article.

The study is published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

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