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Do you keep scrolling on social media day and night, morning, and evening? In which you feel happy, get a strange pleasure, and get addicted to watching especially negative content, this is Doomscrolling. Although watching reels on social media is a common thing, if you are watching too much negative content and you are enjoying watching that negative content, then it is possible that you too are a victim of “Doomscrolling Syndrome”. People are becoming mentally ill due to watching more negative content in reels.
What does “doomscrolling” really mean?
People watch videos for long periods on social media, whether on a laptop, tablet or phone. Although it may seem like a common habit at first, excessive scrolling can lead to mental health issues. In this, the person becomes mentally ill after getting trapped in the whirlpool of reels and negative news content on social media.
Doomscrolling may be a new term, but it is quite dangerous. The addiction to Doomscrolling or Doomsurfing is so strong that a person spends the majority of his time viewing videos on social media. People who scroll too much negative content get trapped in such a bad habit, or rather, in the swamp of negative news, that it becomes difficult to get out of there.
Victims of Doomscrolling become addicted to bad news. In simple words, reels about wars, earthquakes, floods, fires, shootings, crime scenes, etc. attract them. People who are victims of Doomscrolling become addicted to it due to their exposure to this negative content. They spend hours thinking about the negative aspects of that news, try to know more about such news, and constantly keep an eye on the updates of such news. Then it becomes their habit to keep scrolling through such news continuously. Most of the people who fall into the trap of the Doom Scroll are young adults. Because young adults are more strive to stay updated on social and political issues.
How Does Doomscroll Affect Our Brain?
Being active and using social media is not always a bad thing, but using them excessively or for extended periods might be harmful to our health. Our brain releases a hormone that makes us feel pleasurable, which is Dopamine. Whenever you feel happy, excited, and motivated, dopamine is released, and the pleasure centre of your brain gets stimulated.
This dopamine is not just released by Doomscrolls, but it is also triggered by excessive use of drugs and alcohol. People get addicted because their brains become accustomed to high levels of dopamine and desire to maintain such levels. In the meantime, your body is less able to produce dopamine naturally, which causes emotional lows when you are not using your phone. Now you need to stay on social media even longer to maintain the same level of dopamine.
The problem of how social media affects our brain’s dopamine labelling begins differently than drugs and alcohol. Memes are the new reason to be addicted to your phone. On the surface, it seems harmless, but when your dopamine levels are out of balance, you become a zombie, more irritable, and less focused, and eventually, you return to your phone.
Doomscrollers make themselves feel better by watching negative content and reels, although it is a mental illness. They are more prone to experiencing anxiety, which raises their heart rate, disrupts their sleep, and reduces their productivity. Doomscrolling addiction can cause depression.
According to a 2019 research study, when you come out of the flow state and take a 5-minute video break, it takes 25 minutes for your brain to reach its used level of concentration.
According to a 2012 Harvard study, the most pleasurable parts of social media are sharing information about ourselves and finding out about other people. When you start feeling pleasure on social media, it’s easy to fall under a phenomenon that psychologists call Doomscroll.
Why do we love social media so much?
According to psychotherapists, Doomscrolling is the mindless scrolling of negative news, articles, social media posts, or other information-sharing platforms. It’s reading negative stories one after the other. Social media is not an accurate representation of real-life the perfect body, the perfect family, and the perfect life. We all know this, but we still compare ourselves to these people.
Canadian research even referred to this phenomenon as Social Media Panic. The Doomscroll is that whirlpool that keeps pulling us into more content until we can’t take it anymore.
Solutions of Doomscrolling
The solutions are simple:
- Give as little exposure to social media as possible.
- Avoid watching negative news by focusing on important news.
- Set the scrolling time to a minimum.
- Develop the habit of reading books before sleeping at night.
- Do yoga and meditation.
When you limit your social media scrolling, your exposure to negative reels will also reduce. All these simple solutions help people quit Doomscrolling. In conclusion, doomscrolling is more than just a habit; it’s a silent threat to our mental health. The constant exposure to negative news and social media can leave us feeling anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed. But the good news is, we can break free from this cycle. By setting boundaries, choosing positive content, and being mindful of our screen time, we can protect our mental well-being. Remember, it’s important to stay informed, but not at the cost of our peace of mind. Take control, and make conscious choices for a healthier, happier you.
