Doomscrolling is a popular habit that affects the mental health of many people. Have you ever caught yourself staying up late at night mindlessly scrolling on your phone? Or did you stay up all night watching the reels your friends sent you over social media? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you have been a victim to doomscrolling. It is easy to get lost in social media and all of the fun short clips it produces. However, it is also important to notice how doomscrolling may be affecting your mental health and sleep quality.
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What Is Doomscrolling And Is It Making You Depressed?
Doomscrolling involves spending a lot of time on your phone, which can sometimes lead to depression.
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines doomscrolling as:
“To spend excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc.”
Not everyone experiences symptoms related to depression when doomscrolling. Although, it can worsen preexisting mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression. Some people also experience fear and stress due to the expectations seen on their phones and social media. When consuming excessive amounts of content during periods of doomscrolling, it is almost inevitable to begin comparing your life to lives you see online. Sometimes this comparison can lead to people feeling saddened or upset because their lives may appear differently than their peers. For example, seeing a war going on in a different country or a natural disaster taking place in your neighboring state. These tragedies along with doomscrolling can seriously impact your mental health in negative ways.
How Doomscrolling Impacts Sleep Quality
Doomscrolling can play a huge role when it comes to sleep quality. Most people find themselves doomscrolling right before bed. We typically like to believe that our phones help us decompress and wind down. This is false.
Our phones actually do the complete opposite at night. As we are trying to calm our minds before bed, we are actually increasing our stress levels when we doomscroll. Furthermore, we trigger our fight-or-flight response when we scroll through our phones at night. We trigger this response because we are driven by our need to know what is happening in the world. Our fears and anxiety motivate us to keep scrolling which ultimately prevents us from attaining the healthy amount of sleep we need.
Our quality of sleep is largely affected by the amount of time we spend while doomscrolling. The more time we doomscroll the less likely we are to receive a good night’s sleep. This is largely due to the stress and anxiety doomscrolling inflicts on us while partaking in it. In order to better one’s sleep quality, you have to reduce the amount of time you spend doomscrolling which will also help lower your stress levels.
How Doomscrolling Affects Attention Span
Doomscrolling and attention span go hand in hand. For example, doomscrolling can rewire your brain and make it crave fast, emotional content. Doomscrolling can also cause your brain to constantly want some form of stimulation which directly impacts your attention span.
The constant need/want for stimulation can negatively affect your attention span. The moment your brain starts seeking stimulation at a constant rate, you will notice how much harder it is to focus on other tasks that don’t fulfill the same emotional impact as doomscrolling. Not only will doomscrolling impact your attention span, but it will also affect your ability to complete daily tasks. Our attention span helps keep us on track throughout our day to day lives.
5 Ways To Reduce Doomscrolling
- Set A Timer On Your Phone
- Go to the settings page on your phone and place a timer on the apps you typically doomscroll on the most. This will help you reduce your screen time.
- Avoid Placing Your Phone On Your Nightstand Before Bed
- Placing your phone in a position that is out of reach, can help reduce the temptation to doomscroll before bed.
- Turn Off Notifications
- When notifications pop up on our phone, it is easy to click on them and begin doomscrolling without even thinking about it.
- Surround Yourself With Loved Ones
- Spending time with family and friends can help distract you from the urge to go on your phone and doomscroll.
- Talk To A Therapist
- Talking to a mental health professional can help you work through the anxiety and stress you may experience while doomscrolling.
Understanding the effects doomscrolling can have on your mental health is crucial. Doomscrolling can affect people in both subtle and significant ways. Furthermore, doomscrolling is a dangerous habit to develop, however its effects can be lessened if you follow the steps outlined above.
