Countering Doomscrolling in the Digital Era
STOP! Have you been doomscrolling again?
Doomscrolling is the tendency of constantly surfing or scrolling through news that is shocking, distressing, and tragic. Whether it is a natural disaster, a crime, or a mass shooting, your mind and fingers are scrolling through stories, posts, videos, comments, and the like. People expressing their opinions by blaming, finger pointing, having nuanced takes, and playing Devil’s Advocate. It’s exhausting to say the least.
The term, doomscrolling made its appearance in 2018. With the COVID-19 pandemic, doomscrolling was center stage while we were sequestered in our home. The phone in our hands became the news: seeing the new cases and death tolls rise, looking for remedies to combat COVID-19, diving into conspiracy theories, etc. A news story can come within seconds then a news story replaces the old one. Currently, doomscrolling is still prevalent. Our phones are still our lifeline of domestic and international news.
So, what if I told you doomscrolling can affect your physical and mental health. No, seriously, Here’s how it can:
Heightened isolation, anxiety, and depression when doomscrolling and even after you turn off you
Your cortisol levels are increased affecting your blood pressure, blood sugar, immune system, and fight or flight response
Lack of healthy sleep hygiene due countless hours of doomscrolling
Lack of exercise as doomscrolling does not require physical exertion
Lack of social interaction with loved ones and friends and opportunities to gain new relationships outside of a screen.
Can I tell you something else? What if I told you can get off the doomscrolling rollercoaster? It will take some effort and discipline, but it is possible. Serotonin is the feel-good hormone that regulates emotions, sleep, appetite and digestion, learning and memory, etc. Here are some serotonin booster tips for your mental health toolbox and end the scrolling..
Know your triggers and how it shows up in your body. When you know your warning signs, then you will know, “I’m in the early stages of doomscrolling and I need to stop before it gets worse.”
Designate “Phone-Free” times. An hour or two of no-phone throughout the day depending on your daily obligations. Put your phone in another room or in the opposite area of the room. Out of sight, out of mind.
Switch your doomscrolling to boon-scrolling. Boon means a thing that is helpful or beneficial. Cute pet videos, cooking videos, cleaning videos, art videos, listening to uplifting music, and other positive videos provide a feel-good serotonin boost.
Use your phone’s Do Not Disturb function. It is your friend and trusted assistant. You can turn off your notifications of the doomscrolling apps. It is helpful when winding down to go to sleep.
Keep your doomscrolling apps in its own folder on your phone from other apps. If it’s social media/news apps, keep it in one area from your games apps. When you take breaks, you leave it where it is, in its designated folder.
Change your scenery from a phone to something else. Go outside for a walk, have a conversation with a loved one, karaoke, go to the mall, go to a coffee shop.
Boost your serotonin, decrease the high stress cortisol levels. The reality is bad things happen, but we do not have to stay in the thick of it. We can draw towards positive things and people who can counter the doom and gloom.
Are you ready to decrease your anxiety and depression and feel better today? Book an appointment with me.
Biana is one of our newest additions to the Liberating Counseling team. Read more about her on her PsychologyToday profile here.
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