Doomscrolling: The Dark Side of Online News Consumption

Have you ever found yourself scrolling through endless streams of negative news on your phone or computer, feeling anxious, depressed, or angry, but unable to stop? If so, you may be a victim of doomscrolling, a term that describes the habit of compulsively reading bad news online.

Doomscrolling is not a new phenomenon, but it has become more prevalent and problematic during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought unprecedented levels of uncertainty, fear, and stress to many people. According to a 2020 survey by the American Psychological Association, 95% of U.S. adults said they followed the news about COVID-19 closely, and 72% said it was a significant source of stress. ¹

Doomscrolling can also be triggered or exacerbated by other events that generate widespread negative emotions, such as natural disasters, political conflicts, social unrest, or personal crises. For example, doomscrolling was reported to increase during the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. ²

Why Do We Doomscroll?

Doomscrolling may seem irrational or masochistic, but there are several psychological factors that explain why we do it. Some of them are:

• Negativity bias: This is the tendency to pay more attention to negative information than positive information, as it is perceived as more important, relevant, or threatening. Negativity bias is an evolutionary adaptation that helped our ancestors survive in a dangerous environment by alerting them to potential threats and motivating them to avoid or overcome them. However, in the modern world, where we are constantly exposed to negative news that we have little control over, negativity bias can backfire and cause us to overestimate risks and underestimate opportunities. ³
• Curiosity: This is the desire to learn new information or satisfy one's interest in a topic. Curiosity can be a positive force that drives us to explore, discover, and grow, but it can also lead us down dark paths if we are not careful about what we consume. Curiosity can make us want to know more about a negative event or situation, even if it makes us feel worse or does not benefit us in any way. ⁴
• FOMO: This stands for fear of missing out, which is the anxiety that one may miss an important or exciting opportunity or experience if they do not keep up with what is happening online. FOMO can make us feel compelled to check social media or news sites frequently, even if we know they are full of doom and gloom. FOMO can also make us compare ourselves unfavorably to others who seem to be coping better or having more fun than us during difficult times.
• Confirmation bias: This is the tendency to seek out or interpret information that confirms one's existing beliefs or opinions, while ignoring or rejecting information that contradicts them. Confirmation bias can make us more likely to doomscroll if we have a pessimistic or cynical worldview, as we may look for evidence that supports our negative outlook and reinforces our sense of hopelessness or helplessness. Conversely, confirmation bias can also make us avoid positive news that challenges our assumptions or expectations.

How Can Doomscrolling Harm Us?

Doomscrolling can have serious negative consequences for our mental and physical health. Some of them are:

• Increased stress: Doomscrolling can activate our fight-or-flight response, which prepares us for action in the face of danger by increasing our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, muscle tension, and cortisol levels. While this response is adaptive in short-term emergencies, it can be harmful if it persists for long periods of time without relief. Chronic stress can impair our immune system, digestion, sleep quality, memory,
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  4/10/2023(1) Doomscrolling - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomscrolling Accessed 4/10/2023.
  (2) Doomsurfing and Doomscrolling Meaning | Merriam-Webster. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/doomsurfing-doomscrolling-words-were-watching Accessed 4/10/2023.
  (3) What’s Doomscrolling and Can It Harm You? - WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-doomscrolling Accessed 4/10/2023.
  (4) What Is Doomscrolling? - Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-doomscrolling-5088882 Accessed 4/10/2023.