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Doomscrolling After a Tragic Event Can Be Draining — Here’s How to Quit
When tragedy strikes, many people turn to social media in an attempt to find the words they cannot come up with themselves. And after a month of turmoil — including the looming loss of abortion rights, the two-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death, and the deadliest elementary-school shooting since 2012 happening in Uvalde, TX — it’s likely people are staring helplessly into their phones now more than ever.
Whether you’re seeking comfort, distraction, or news updates, social media has a way of luring you in, especially during times of chaos. But while it’s important to stay informed about what’s happening in the world, psychologists say there is such a thing as consuming too much news — especially when it feels like you’re on a conveyor belt of bad news and can’t stop. This phenomenon is called “doomscrolling.”
“Doomscrolling refers to the rabbit holes we often find ourselves in on the internet, reading, searching, and ‘investigating’ the toils and troubles of the day,” Jason S. Moser, PhD, a professor of clinical psychology at Michigan State University, tells POPSUGAR.
Though it can occasionally bring people together in times of difficulty, social media rarely provides the “comfort” so many people seek at times like this. And even if you don’t want to stay off of Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook in fear of missing new information or updates on current events, this could be wreaking havoc on your mental health. Here’s how to find a balance, so you can stay informed but on your own terms.
What Is Doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling isn’t exactly a new concept, because people generally focus on bad news, Moser says — but thanks to our smart devices, we can now consume countless headlines and discussions on social media about these issues every second of the day.
As is the case with anything we do in excess, Moser says we generally reach a point where we’re not learning anything new and the time spent doomscrolling can begin to creep into other aspects of our lives. For example, if the amount of time you spend scrolling interferes with completing work tasks, caring for family, and socializing with friends, it’s a red flag that you need to change the behavior, Erika McElroy, PhD, a licensed psychologist at Aurora Mental Health Center in Aurora, CO, tells POPSUGAR.
“Doomscrolling is an interesting phenomenon because it’s a ‘reassurance seeking’ behavior,” Moser explains. “That is, we’re presumably looking for things to put our minds at ease — definitive information that helps us end the uncertainty or keep us in ‘the know’ or maybe even something good to offset the bad.” Unfortunately, there’s often not a definitive answer, so we can find ourselves in a cycle of looking for solutions and not finding anything, which only causes or exacerbates anxiety.
Moser notes that sometimes we do find a bit of relief, which only reinforces the behavior. “The momentary relief we find in some of these answers makes us more likely to scroll again,” he says. “The problem is, scrolling only has short-term benefits. Most likely it will result in longer-term anxiety and uncertainty because we never find the answer or relief that lasts that long.”