In the realm of media, negativity has long been present. However, in today’s world, media outlets employ strategies to keep us hooked, often at the expense of our mental well-being.
Research conducted on 800 Iranian and American university students who were active social media users showed that doomscrolling increased the likelihood of experiencing existential anxiety symptoms in both groups, regardless of cultural differences.
Lead author of the study, Reza Shabahang, stated in an email interview with The Epoch Times, “The existential aspects of news consumption, particularly in the context of negative content, are relatively unexplored in the realm of news consumption psychology. Our study aimed to shed light on this overlooked area.”
Doomscrolling: A Modern Digital Epidemic
Shabahang’s research is pertinent in today’s digital landscape. While negative media is not a new phenomenon, our interaction with it has evolved. The concept of “doomscrolling” gained prominence during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, describing the incessant checking for news updates that can lead to anxiety, depression, and a feeling of overwhelm.
Psychologists like Ehab Youssef have observed an increase in these effects among their clients.
Youssef mentioned to The Epoch Times, “It’s as if they are burdened by the weight of the world, constantly bombarded with distressing news that paints a bleak picture of everything. Clients have described feeling trapped in a cycle where they acknowledge the negative impact of the content but struggle to break free from scrolling.”
According to the American Psychological Association, this continuous cycle can result in media-induced post-traumatic stress disorder, where individuals exposed to others’ traumatic experiences secondhand may experience psychological effects similar to those who directly went through the events.
Anxiety Induced by News Consumption
However, external events are not solely responsible for the surge in doomscrolling—our brains also play a significant role. Negative news, being perceived as a potential threat, triggers stronger reactions compared to positive news.
News platforms and social media channels have increasingly pivoted towards promoting content that generates high engagement and entices users to keep scrolling. Shabahang and his team noted that this has created an environment where emotionally neutral news is scarce, with a significant portion of coverage characterized by emotions like anger, fear, disgust, and sadness.
Prolonged exposure to this flood of negativity can challenge our fundamental beliefs and prompt us to question the essence of humanity and the meaning of life. It can instill a sense of life’s fragility, the world’s unpredictability, and the absence of benevolence and justice.
Dr. Stacey Rosenfeld, a licensed psychologist and director of the Gatewell Therapy Center, remarked in an interview with The Epoch Times, “Prior to this exposure, it was easier to believe that people and humanity, in general, were good. Now, we are exposed to content that raises doubts…about the state of the world.”
These sentiments and queries are indicative of existential anxiety, where individuals perceive life as devoid of ultimate meaning. Paradoxically, a 2022 article in The Guardian noted that existential anxiety can drive individuals to doomscroll more in a bid to find news that alleviates feelings of despair. However, since algorithms prioritize content with high engagement, we are likely to encounter stories that reinforce our negative thoughts.
Is Life Meaningless?
Our susceptibility to existential anxiety may stem from a societal shift away from a shared belief in objective truth towards existentialism and postmodernism.
Similarly, postmodernism asserts that reality is a human construct, and objective knowledge is unattainable.
This diminishing belief in universal truths can heighten the impacts of doomscrolling. Without a firm grip on reality to explain human nature and the state of the world, we may find ourselves endlessly searching for answers in the negative content we encounter.
“This uncertainty can exacerbate feelings of existential dread, making the world seem even more chaotic and unpredictable,” mentioned Youssef. However, individuals grounded in objective principles “tend to navigate through the sea of information more effectively,” distinguishing between credible sources and sensationalism, and averting the uncertainty that triggers existential apprehensions.
Breaking Free from Doomscrolling
To break the cycle of doomscrolling and alleviate anxiety, Shabahang and his team emphasize the importance of approaching news and social media content discerningly. The outcomes of their research indicate that “prioritizing cautious consumption of negative news could help in steering clear of undesirable existential emotions.”
- Removing apps that tend to induce doomscrolling, such as news aggregators or social media platforms
- Making conscious decisions about the sources of news to engage with instead of mindlessly scrolling through feeds
- Keeping the phone in another room at night to resist the temptation of late-night scrolling
- Setting a daily limit on news and social media consumption
- Emphasizing real-life interactions and activities, such as spending time with friends, going for walks, or pursuing productive hobbies
When engaging with media, Shabahang suggests reflecting on the reasons behind our engagement and the emotional impact it has on us.
“We should be mindful of the motives driving our media usage and news consumption,” he advised. “Being aware of how our thoughts and emotions shift when engaging with media and news can help us manage our consumption more effectively and maintain a healthier perspective.”
If persistent feelings of anxiety, dread, or depression persist despite reducing news consumption, seeking assistance from a licensed professional is recommended.
