Doomscrolling Causes Stress, Existential Crises, etc.: Study

In today’s digital era, we’re surrounded by devices of all sizes, kinds and purposes, ranging from desktop PCs and laptops for work to mobile phones and tablets for personal entertainment and vice versa.

Now, social media platforms are the new hangout spots for business professionals, artists, creators, researchers, educators and even students to share information, news and stories and the content shared on such platforms can quite often be negative.

Unfortunately, this content can quite often be addictive, leading to long-term side-effects. However, what exactly can the overconsumption of bad news do to users?

That’s exactly what a group of experts and researchers from Australia’s Flinders University and other universities spanning Australia, USA, France, Iran and Hungary set out to study.

So, what did the researchers discover about social media scrolling? Let’s explore!
 

What Is The Flinders University Study About?

 

• As per an article published on ScienceDirect’s website, a group of researchers set out to answer the question; does doomscrolling evoke existential anxiety and foster pessimism about human nature?

• The research consisted of a cross-cultural study, in which the researchers surveyed 800 university students from “two distinctly different cultures”, spanning the Eastern “collective culture” and Western “individualistic culture”.

• The research team consisted of lead author Reza Shabahang and Emma F. Thomas (Australia); Hyeyeon Hwang, Mara S. Aruguete and Lynn E. McCutcheon (USA); Gábor Orosz (France); Abbas Ali Hossein Khanzadeh and Benyamin Mokhtari Chirani (Iran) and Ágnes Zsila (Hungary).

• The study observed the impact of doomscrolling from an existential perspective, was the first of its kind.

• The participants consisted of 620 Iranian and 180 American university student who were social media users.

• The study was inspired by various media effect theories, including the Cultivation Theory, which studies the long-term effects of media consumption on individuals and society.

• The aim was to study the link between the consumption of negative news AKA doomscrolling and existential anxiety, pessimistic views about human nature and belief about a just world.

• “Participants were asked to respond on how often they doomscrolled through social media, how anxious they felt about their existence, whether they believed that the world is a fair place, and how they felt about humanity.”

 

What Did The Doomscrolling Study Find?

 

• The study indicated that social media users who habitually check disturbing stories or engage in doomscrolling exhibited a change in how they view humanity and the meaning of life.

• Doomscrolling is when users tend to prefer and eventually get addicted to looking at negative videos such as shootings, terrorism, trauma, conspiracies, corruption, fraud, war, etc.

• Users tend to focus on negative news more than positive ones owing to a negative bias.

• Both groups displayed increased levels of existential anxiety, while the students from Iran displayed misanthropy.

• Prolonged doomscrolling can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, despair and existential crises, while also fostering distrust and suspicion about other people.

 

What Did Lead Author Reza Shabahang Say?

 

• The study’s lead author, Mr. Reza Shabahang from the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work at Flinders University, Australia, said, “Doomscrolling can have some dire consequences on our mental health and wellbeing leaving us feeling stress, anxiety, despair and questioning the meaning of life.”

• “By being exposed to images and information about traumatic events, people have been found to experience symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as anxiety and despair.”

• “When we’re constantly exposed to negative news and information online, it can threaten our beliefs when it comes to our own mortality and the control we have over our own lives. Moreover, doomscrolling can negatively affect how we view the people and world around us.”

• “It’s a good idea to keep track of how much time you spend doomscrolling and start making changes to reduce that time if it’s problematic. By becoming more aware of our online habits, such as doomscrolling, and taking small steps to address them, it could help with improving our overall mental wellbeing.”

Do you think social media platforms should regulate negative content published on their websites? Do you think

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