Doomscrolling
Doomscrolling or doomsurfing is the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading large quantities of news online.[1][2] Doomscrolling can also be defined as the excessive consumption of vertical, short-form videos for a long period of time, without knowing the amount of time passed. It may leave the person with a feeling of tiredness or unproductiveness after doomscrolling. This phenomenon is most seen in teenagers and children.[3] This can also be considered as a form of Internet addiction disorder. In 2019, a study by the National Academy of Sciences found that doomscrolling can be linked to a decline in mental and physical health.[4]
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The practice of doomscrolling can be compared to an older phenomenon from the 1970s called the mean world syndrome, described as "the belief that the world is a more dangerous place to live in than it actually is as a result of long-term exposure to violence-related content on television".[5] Studies show that seeing upsetting news leads people to seek out more information on the topic, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.[6]
In common parlance, the word "doom" connotes darkness and evil, referring to one's fate (cf. damnation).[7] In the early online days, "surfing" was a common verb used in reference to browsing the internet; similarly, the word "scrolling" refers to sliding through online content.[7] The complete word, "doomscrolling" had been recognized as an official word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, as of September 2023, after 3 years of it being on their "watching" list.[8] Dictionary.com chose it as the top monthly trend in August 2020.[9] The Macquarie Dictionary named doomscrolling as the 2020 Committee's Choice Word of the Year.[10]
Popularity[edit]
According to Merriam-Webster, the term was first used in 2020.[11] The term then continued to gain traction in the early 2020s[12][13] through events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the George Floyd protests, the 2020 U.S. presidential election, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2022,[14] all of which have been noted to have exacerbated the practice of doomscrolling.[15][16][17] As seen in a survey conducted by the Morning Consult, which concluded that approximately 31% of American adults doomscroll on a regular basis. This percentage is further exaggerated the younger the adults are, with millennials at 46%, and Gen Z adults at 51%.[18]
Doomscrolling became widespread among users of Twitter (Currently known as X) during the COVID-19 pandemic,[19] and has also been discussed in relation to the climate crisis.[20]
The Infinite Scroll[edit]
In the context of doomscrolling, a design feature known as the "infinite scroll" plays a pivotal role in perpetuating this behavior. This feature is a mechanism that allows a social media user to "infinitely scroll", as the software is continuously loading new content and creating an endless stream of information. Consequently, this feature can exacerbate doomscrolling as it removes natural stopping points that a user might pause at.[21]
Explanations[edit]
Negativity bias[edit]
The act of doomscrolling can be attributed to the natural negativity bias people have when consuming information.[22] Negativity bias is the idea that negative events have a larger impact on one's mental well-being than good ones.[23] Jeffrey Hall, a professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, notes that due to an individual's regular state of contentment, potential threats provoke one's attention.[24] One psychiatrist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center notes that humans are "all hardwired to see the negative and be drawn to the negative because it can harm [them] physically."[25] He cites evolution as the reason for why humans seek out such negatives: if one's ancestors, for example, discovered how an ancient creature could injure them, they could avoid that fate.[26]
As opposed to primitive humans, however, most people in modern times do not realize that they are even seeking negative information. Social media algorithms heed the content users engage in and display posts similar in nature, which can aid in the act of doomscrolling.[24] As per the clinic director of the Perelman School of Medicine's Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety: "People have a question, they want an answer, and assume getting it will make them feel better... You keep scrolling and scrolling. Many think that will be helpful, but they end up feeling worse afterward."[26]
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)[edit]
Doomscrolling can also be explained by the fear of missing out or FOMO. FOMO is a common fear that people experience that causes them to take part in activities that may not be explicitly beneficial to them but still partake in them due to their fear of missing out.[27] This fear is also applied within the world of news, and social media. In recent years, with the rise of social media, a large majority of people have begun to experience FOMO on social media platforms. This is seen in a research study conducted by Statista which found that more than half of Americans experienced FOMO on social media in 2013. In addition to 67% of Italian users in 2017, and 59% of Polish teenagers in 2021.[28]
Thus, Bethany Teachman, a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, states that FOMO is likely to be correlated with doomscrolling due to the person's fear of missing out on crucial negative information.[29]
Control Seeking[edit]
Obsessively consuming negative news online can additionally be partially attributed to a person's psychological need for control. As stated earlier, the COVID-19 pandemic coincided with the popularity of doomscrolling. A likely reasoning behind this is that during uncertain times, people are likely to engage in doomscrolling as a way to help them gather information and a sense of mastery over the situation. This is done by people to reinforce their belief that staying informed, and in control will provide them with protection from grim situations.[30] However, while attempting to seize control, more often than not as a result of doomscrolling individuals develop more anxiety towards the situation rather than lessen it.[31]
Brain anatomy[edit]
Doomscrolling, the compulsion to engross oneself in negative news, may be the result of an evolutionary mechanism where humans are "wired to screen for and anticipate danger".[32] By frequently monitoring events surrounding negative headlines, staying informed may grant the feeling of being better prepared; however, prolonged scrolling may also lead to worsened mood and mental health as personal fears might seem heightened.[32]
The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) plays an important role in information processing and integrating new information into beliefs about reality.[32][33] In the IFG, the brain "selectively filters bad news" when presented with new information as it updates beliefs.[32] When a person engages in doomscrolling, the brain may feel under threat and shut off its "bad news filter" in response.[32]
In a study where researchers manipulated the left IFG using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), patients were more likely to incorporate negative information when updating beliefs.[33] This suggests that the left IFG may be responsible for inhibiting bad news from altering personal beliefs; when participants were presented with favorable information and received TMS, the brain still updated beliefs in response to the positive news.[33] The study also suggests that the brain selectively filters information and updates beliefs in a way that reduces stress and anxiety by processing good news with higher regard (see optimistic bias).[33] Increased doomscrolling exposes the brain to greater quantities of unfavorable news and may restrict the brain's ability to embrace good news and discount bad news;[33] this can result in negative emotions that make one feel anxious, depressed, and isolated.[26]
Health effects[edit]
Psychological effects[edit]
Health professionals have advised that excessive doomscrolling can negatively impact existing mental health issues.[32][34][35] While the overall impact that doomscrolling has on people may vary,[36] it can often make one feel anxious, stressed, fearful, depressed, and isolated.[32]
News avoidance[edit]
Some people have begun coping with the abundance of negative news stories by avoiding news altogether. A study from 2017 to 2022 showed that news avoidance is increasing, and that 38% of people admitted to sometimes or often actively avoiding the news in 2022, up from 29% in 2017.[39] Even some journalists have admitted to avoiding the news; journalist Amanda Ripley wrote that "people producing the news themselves are struggling, and while they aren't likely to admit it, it is warping the coverage."[40] She also identified ways she believes could help fix the problem, such as intentionally adding more hope, agency, and dignity into stories so readers don't feel the helplessness which leads them to tune out entirely.[40]
