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ShadeĚ Zahrai Official op Instagram : "Do you ever find yourself in bad-news spirals? Where you specifically look out for bad news, then keep going down rabbit holes of⌠you guessed it, more bad news? Itâs called âdoomscrollingâ. We know itâs not good for us, yet we keep scrolling and scrolling, almost seeking it out. Most of us spent some portion of 2020 âdoomscrollingâ, so much so that it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary (prior to 2020 the word didnât exist). Itâs not necessarily a new human behavior though. We tend to do similar things when we come across a car accident⌠âCanât look away⌠canât look awayâŚâ Itâs been described as a behavior we engage in when weâre trying to get answers when weâre afraid or during uncertainty. And the reality is weâve all going through huge amounts of uncertainty over the past 2-3 years so itâs entirely understandable. BUT⌠hereâs why you donât want to be endlessly consuming negative news, ESPECIALLY in the morning: One study found that people who watched just 3 minutes of negative news in the morning had a whopping 27% greater likelihood of reporting their day as unhappy or depressing 6-8 hours later (Achor & Gielan, 2015). Negative news influences how we approach our life, our work and the challenges we encounter. It starts to erode our sense of personal control, and we begin to believe that weâre powerless to effect change. Not what we want. Instead, set up your day for success by priming your brain with things that serve you: â Meditation â Mindfulness â Prayer â Exercise â Positive uplifting content⌠Share in the comments what you do to start your day (or what youâre going to implement now that you know better!). Iâd love to hear it!đ đ Research ⢠Price, M., Legrand, A. C., Brier, Z. M., van Stolk-Cooke, K., Peck, K., Dodds, P. S., ... & Adams, Z. W. (2022). Doomscrolling during COVID-19: The negative association between daily social and traditional media consumption and mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. ⢠Achor, S., & Gielan, M. (2015). Consuming negative news can make you less effective at work. Harvard Business Review." (1)Scrolling Towards Doom: The Negative Impact of Endlessly Consuming Negative News
Imagine a world where everything is on fire, and instead of running away, you grab a chair and start watching it burn. That's kind of what doomscrolling is like. It's like getting hooked on a disaster movie, but instead of fictional characters, it's real-life events that are unfolding right in front of your eyes.
Doomscrolling is the act of endlessly scrolling through your social media feeds or news outlets, looking for the latest updates on negative news stories. Whether it's a global pandemic, political unrest, or natural disasters, doomscrolling keeps you glued to your screen, consuming an endless stream of depressing news.
Research suggests that this habit can have serious negative impacts on mental health. One study, conducted by Achor and Gielan in 2015, found that people who watched just 3 minutes of negative news in the morning had a whopping 27% greater likelihood of reporting their day as unhappy or depressing 6-8 hours later.
The problem with doomscrolling is that it can have a negative impact on your mental health. It can increase your anxiety and stress levels, leaving you feeling overwhelmed and helpless. It's like a vicious cycle - the more you scroll, the worse you feel, but you can't seem to stop.