What is 'doomscrolling' and can it mentally affect us?

A new study has revealed that 'doomscrolling' may have a negative impact on mental health. But what is it?

On average, an average American spends around 4.5 hours on their phones every day. Gen Z are even bigger culprits at a staggering 6.5 hours a day.

Let's get into it:

What is doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling essentially describes aimlessly scrolling through phones, reading an excessive amount of news and watching a string of videos across social media.

It pertains to mostly negative content.

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Can doomscrolling affect mental health?

Recent findings from the Flinders University, Australia, found that doomscrolling can have "dire consequences on our mental health and wellbeing".

Researcher Reza Shabahang said it often leaves people feeling "stress, anxiety, despair and questioning the meaning of life".

"Viewing negative news on social media has become a source of vicarious trauma, where someone has a negative psychological impact even though they did not experience the trauma themselves," he said in a statement.

The study looked at 800 university students to explore whether there was a correlation between mental health and excessive phone usage. Participants were asked how anxious they felt and their views on humanity before being asked how much time they spent doomscrolling.

Results found that those who were guilty of doomscrolling more frequently had higher existential anxiety. In some instances, people revealed symptoms of PTSD.

"We suggest that people pay attention to how much time they are spending on social media and to be aware of the impact it is having on their emotions, thoughts, and feelings, especially when it comes to negative news and events," Shabahang added.

Some Americans have taken matters into their own hands and made a move to 'dumbphones' to avoid late-night doomscrolling. A dumbphone is essentially a device that does the bare minimum and steers away from modern-day apps.

Inspired by the transition, Caroline Cadwell launched UnPluq, a tool designed to lock apps and encourage people to use their phones less frequently.

"I think people are starting to tune in at a large scale about the perils of social media and smartphones--very few I think would argue that they're GOOD for us, 100 per cent, or that social media is ONLY good," she said.

"Is there room for more people to take more action? Absolutely, and we're starting to see that, but I think the younger generations will lead the way on having a different relationship with their smartphones from the get-go."

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