Credits: Social Media
Doomscrolling can trigger an ‘existential crisis’, says new study
For most of us, an hour doesn’t go by without checking our phones. While you may be consuming the latest events worldwide, getting habituated to it can significantly impact your mental health.
People can’t imagine life without the Internet, it seems. The day begins with people checking their phones first thing and ends with them falling asleep while scrolling through different social media apps. If you’ve been doing the same for a long time, your perception of life may be altered to a large extent.
Study outlines the negative impact of doomscrolling
It’s addictive. Keeping yourself up to date with the most traumatic news can seem normal and become almost compulsive thanks to easy access to technology that allows it.
However, researchers are concerned that people may be contemplating the meaning of life from a negative perspective when constantly exposed to disturbing content on the Internet.
The study published on ScienceDaily tries to answer whether “doomscrolling can trigger an existential crisis,” while considering the responses of experts in the field.
“The new study reveals that doomscrolling makes people more likely to feel suspicious and distrustful of other people and form the impression that life lacks meaning,” the report states.
Doomscrolling is associated with the consumption of any traumatic news, such as shootings, conspiracy, terrorism, etc.
Scientists urge you to be mindful of your online habit
The study involved 800 students from two different cultures – an Eastern collective culture (Iran) and a Western individualistic culture (the United States).
The researchers asked the respondents about the frequency at which they doomscrolled daily and how anxious they felt about their existence after that.
The study found that doomscrolling was associated with “existential anxiety” in both Iranian and American samples. Therefore, researchers urge people to be mindful of their online habits – consuming select content – and taking regular breaks.
The lead author of the study says: “It’s a good idea to keep track of how much time you spend doomscrolling and start making changes to reduce that time if it’s problematic.”
“By becoming more aware of our online habits, such as doomscrolling, and taking small steps to address them, it could help with improving our overall mental wellbeing.”
