Have you ever found yourself stuck in a scroll hole? This is what happens when you want to get to the end of the internet.
Doom scrolling
Just refreshed your Twitter feed for the umpteenth time today? You’re not the only one. “The tendency to endlessly scroll from one bad news story to another has grown over the past 18 months,” warns Tanya Goodin, digital detox expert and author of . This habit, also known as doom scrolling, is specific to your smartphone. Unlike your TV, your iPhone is always there, offering you continuous access to, let’s face it, the now rather depressing world.
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We love misery
This may sound strange, but your brain loves to cling to negative news. “And the algorithms that drive news feeds know this all too well,” explains Goodin. Reading bad news triggers the fight-flight response, but your brain also hates leaving things unfinished. And so arises the psychological phenomenon where you have a fear of interrupted or unfinished tasks, also known as the Zeigarnik effect. And you just want to soak up more bad news.
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Pandemic = infodemic
This harmful effect is particularly associated with digital media. In the early days of the pandemic, consumption of stressful online news (which some researchers have called social media’s first “infodemic”) was associated with increased levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Research found that this was not the case with newspapers or magazines. The choice of your reading material therefore determines a lot.
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Vibe check
It is not only news that can temper your mood. If scrolling through your perfectly filtered feed fuels your anxiety, it can be just as damaging. “If you find yourself getting gloomier, log out and do something completely different,” Goodin advises. And that really doesn’t mean you should delete all your apps: ‘Dissociating yourself from (social) media is not good for your mental well-being, any more than overconsumption of news or social updates is.’ Keep it in balance.
