Doomscrolling and how it hurts us

Alana M. Carroll

Staff Writer

Following the election results in November, and increasing since President Trump’s inauguration and first weeks in office, social media sites feel dominated by arguments and conflict. Differences of opinion frequently precede insults, “call-out posts”, political memes and curse words on sites like X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. All one needs to do to join in on the discussion (more aptly described as the “battle”) is to open the comment section under any post regarding politics.

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I took the liberty of checking my own screen-time on X, leaving me struck by a horrifying revelation: I spend over three hours daily doomscrolling on the text-based social media app. My friends and loved ones frequently accuse me of engaging in “doomerism”, a term describing the air of devastation and despair felt by those who view current events as inescapable and uncontrollable. I engaged in these practices to the extent that my friends had to add a new rule to our group chat regarding world events: “NO DOOMING.”

What is doomscrolling? A relatively new term, Cambridge Dictionary describes it as “spending a lot of time looking at your phone or computer and reading bad or negative news stories”. There’s plenty in the news to be worried about, of course: bird flu shooting egg prices sky-high and hospitalizing the vulnerable, increasing tensions with our neighbors in Canada, as well as with Panama, Denmark, and Greenland, and stories of the horrors taking place in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine.

Is it really that bad for you? The data is worrying. “... individuals who are more engaged with doomscrolling are more likely to experience psychological distress which in turn leads to lower mental well-being, life satisfaction and harmony in life,” states a 2022 study on the phenomenon. “Our findings indicated that doomscrolling [is linked to] social media addiction. … Individuals with social media addiction may find it difficult to stay away from the compulsive nature of the doomscrolling.”

An addiction, by nature, is difficult to give up. What are some ways to minimize the harm from doomscrolling or even cease the practice?

“Do what makes you happy,” said my friend Owxn, whose last name will be kept anonymous per Owxn’s request. Owxn was the one to enact the “NO DOOMING” rule into practice in our political chatroom. “Arguments on Twitter make nobody happy. It’s an illusion. [Doomscrolling] is not organisation, or education, or theory… It is a timewaster that you're using to make yourself feel like you're doing something”.

Cleveland Clinic suggests several ways to combat the compulsion, such as putting a time limit on checking the news, slowing one’s consumption of news media, and seeking out positive news. Perhaps most important, in my opinion, is to engage in hobbies and the company of friends and family. My long-term romantic partner, during a difficult conversation about my harmful habit, had this to say:

“If your social media experience is logging in, seeing [bad news], looking for things to argue about, … you need to log off and think about your priorities,” said Alex, whose last name is kept anonymous. “There’s a difference between getting involved and piping news down your throat,” he continued. “There’s a difference between caring and taking the pain of the nation on your shoulders.”