Negative information is becoming more numerous and accessible, which promotes doom scrolling. A practice that continues to grow, accentuated by the pandemic, yet has implications for mental health. Explanation.
Doom scrolling, the compulsive scrolling of negative information on your smartphone and on social networks, is a phenomenon that is gaining traction, especially since the Covid-19 crisis. Repeated incarceration has contributed to the increase in time spent in front of screens, both for work and leisure, by extension favoring time spent on predominantly negative news.
Earlier this year, a study published in theJournal of Technology, Mind and Behavior of the American Psychological Association confirmed that doom scrolling was not a trend that would disappear in the coming months, but rather a “unique behaviour” which mainly develops in the youngest and in men. Negative information often brings strong emotions and creates a reliance on staying up-to-date, which could explain why this phenomenon has grown so quickly, as well as why it’s bad for your health.
More recently, a survey conducted by the UK site bupa, which specializes in health, reveals that Google searches related to morning fears increased 247% in 2022. This behavior can be explained by the need for constant reassurance to end the vicious circle of this bad news taken in the morning. to dawn. A mental health nurse in Bupa explains to: Cosmopolitan UK that the body registers this information as a threat and that it can eventually cause physical problems.
However, a few tricks can be applied to avoid the grip of doomscrolling. First of all, you can focus on yourself by avoiding the phone as soon as you wake up. It is also possible to disable notifications from news apps to avoid receiving negative news throughout the day. Finally, the most important thing is to try to disconnect. The more information you search for negative news, the more it fills your news feed.
Avoiding doom scrolling involves making a daily behavior change.
(ETX Daily Up)