There is a piece on wsj.com about “Doomscrolling” that caught my attention. Nicole Nguyen writes, “Also known as ‘doomsurfing,’ this means spending inordinate amounts of time on devices poring over grim news—and I can’t seem to stop. My timeline used to be a healthy mix of TikTok memes and breaking-news alerts. Now the entire conversation is focused on two topics: the pandemic and the protests.”
I think she’s speaking for so many of us, and I’m including myself in the legions of doomscrollers, as it is now defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
There have been some good scientific studies about social media addiction and its impact, but as UC Berkeley sociology professor Coye Cheshire says, “It leaves people feeling psychologically like they can never catch up on all the information.”
Want to cut back on your doomscrolling? Here are a few ways to start:
- Turn off news alerts: These moment-to-moment push notifications keep you glued to your screen and distracted from the world.
- Schedule scrolling time: Pick a few times per day to check Facebook, Twitter, or news sites. (For example, when you’re drinking your morning coffee, waiting for your lunch to re-heat, or on a bathroom break.)
- Monitor your emotions: If you find yourself more tense or upset after scrolling, minimize that kind of content. Check out other news sites or Twitter accounts instead. Don’t be afraid to mute, unfollow, or block!
Are you a doomscroller? Take the survey below.
Take the Survey
If the survey is not visible, click here.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.