LYNX LIFE LIBRARY

"The Unfed mind devours itself" - Gore Vidal

Without nourishment the body will devour itself. Our minds are no different; without stimulation, knowledge, and positive input, our minds can turn inward and become self-destructive. There is a tale from the Cherokee Nation, The Tale of "The Two Wolves Within". It is a story of two wolves living inside each of us. One negative, that represents anger, jealousy, lust, and other negative thoughts. The other is positive, representing things like kindness, compassion, love. We can compare it to the common idiom, "you are what you eat". In the tale of the two wolves, you are the one you feed. That is, the wolf that you fuel will win out and is likely what you will become. 

Imagine this: a typical everyday human waking up to start their day. Unmotivated to face the benign challenges that confront them, stricken with depression, anxiety, overwhelmed by the discomfort of their thoughts, feelings, and the unadulterated tasks that have carried over from the day, week, month before. This human reaches for their phone… just a quick check… a welcome distraction… messages to read (dopamine hit)… snap streak (dopamine hit)… friends playlist check (hit)… cute cat video (hit).... depressing reel (hit)... swipe (hit)… swipe (hit)... opening themselves up to the endless and mindless scrolling of never-ending content. It’s only when the pangs of hunger set in, does this human realize that 3 hours have passed, and they are feeling worse than before. Sucked into the abyss of DOOMSCROLLING.

What is Doomscrolling?

The idea that misery loves company is not a new phenomenon. "The practice of doomscrolling can be compared to an older phenomenon from the 1970s called the mean world syndrome, described as 'the belief that the world is a more dangerous place to live in than it actually is, as a result of long-term exposure to violence-related content on television".[1] Studies show that seeing upsetting news leads people to seek out more information on the topic, creating a self-perpetuating cycle.[2]  Merriam Webster defines doomscrolling as: "to spend excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc."{3} Coined in 2020 in conjunction with the lock downs and covid pandemic, doomscrolling is now a part of the new reality we live in. It is typically consumed through short form videos, headlines, and different media content. This is compounded by the fact that social media platforms have blessed us all with infinite scroll powers, the ability to have unlimited access to content with no embedded stops. Thus, it has morphed into more than just negative consumption, and instead represents an overabundance of digesting content.

Why do we do it?

With the convergence of technological advancements and quality of life improvements, we now have the luxury to focus our attention on less labor-intensive daily living tasks. Enter endless screen time at our fingertips. 

In a very nonscientific survey of my clients, I asked for some of the reasons they find themselves doomscrolling: wanting to check out, avoidance/procrastination, fear of missing out, staying informed, boredom, feeling in control. 

If you have found yourself doomscrolling, I challenge you to HONESTLY ask yourself, WHY? Why pick up your phone for limitless time? Are you bored? Are you running away from something? Someone? Responsibilities? Yourself? Procrastination is often cited as a top reason people immerse themselves into their screens. It’s easy, effortless, it diverts us from our responsibilities and doing the hard things we don’t want to do. Social media, especially negative content, is easier to focus on than facing an unwanted challenge. 

Doomscrolling and its impact on mental health 

So, what are you feeding yourself? It is knowledge? Is it healthy? Or is it the mindless equivalent of junk food? If you find yourself often reaching for your phone, or other devices, doomscrolling is no different than a bad habit or feeding our minds something unhealthy. And, just like other negative habits, the digestion of all this content, particularly the negative, is not without its side effects. When people doomscroll, it is reported that it can increase or create: anxiety, sadness, uncertainly, a sense of overwhelm, fear, disappointment, discontentment, anger, feeling disconnected, depression, insomnia, jealousy, difficulties with interpersonal relationships and communication, OCD symptoms, and "Crazymaking" (your mind conflicting with opposing information). There are also indications that there may be secondary effects that impact people externally, such as your physical health, sleep, and eating habits.

Conquering the scroll

The best way to stop doomscrolling is: awareness, acknowledgment, and intention to change. Gathered below are some of the top tips that we found useful. 

• Cultivate mindfulness: The art of practicing being present with your thoughts and feelings. Where/when you feel it, but without self-judgment. When we understand ourselves better, we can improve our ability to redirect from our discomfort or from what is causing it.
• Try low dopamine mornings: Avoid screens for the first thirty minutes after you wake up. Set the tone for the day. 
• Swap out your habit: Replacing social media or time spent online with something healthier and more positive: You choose!
• Set app limits: Set boundaries and time limits with yourself and your devices. Many phones have screen time features and tracking. There are also third-party apps like Freedom, AppDetox, Stay Focused, and Instagram’s take a break. They are designed to help you limit your social media usage. Use an alarm if you have to! 
• Slow your scroll! – Are you even digesting what you saw? 
• Turn off or manage notifications on your device: Don’t let apps call you to attention, or at least during certain periods of the day.
• Delete apps: Delete apps that you do not use or do not use often. 
• Localize the behavior: Right time? Right Place? Put some distance between you and your phone by not checking it at certain events, during class, when eating meals, etc. Practice being present.
• Check your phone consciously, not compulsively: If you’re prone to doomscrolling, checking your phone may have become something you do automatically and without much thought. Practice being mindful about how often you pick it up.
• Seek out positive news: Curate your feeds. Unfollow negative news and set your boundaries on the info you feed your mind.
• Move your body: Go to the Wellness Center, walk around campus, bike, stretch, go for a hike, or just step outside. Movement can help you untether yourself from your screen. 
• Disconnect: Go analog for a bit. If you can’t stop doomscrolling, you may need to take a break altogether — walk away, take a breather and start fresh later on.  Yes! YOU CAN just put your phone away. Put it in a drawer, turn it off, or even on silent in a different room. Especially if you need to get work done and need to focus. 
• Ask for help: If you’ve tried everything and can’t seem to break your doomscrolling ways, it is okay to ask for help. You can work with a therapist or ask a friend to be an accountability partner. 
• Lastly, weigh the consequences of which wolf you feed: If you are stuck in a cycle of doomscrolling especially because you do not want to face a task, or challenge, but things are piling up and becoming worse; then choose accountability, discipline, and setting boundaries with yourself/devices. This might be the less stressful option, in lieu of the compounding consequences of losing yourself to DOOMSCROLLING. 

Citations 

1. "Doomscrolling Is Slowly Eroding Your Mental Health". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved January 7, 2021. 
2. Park CS (October 2, 2015). "Applying "Negativity Bias" to Twitter: Negative News on Twitter, Emotions, and Political Learning". Journal of Information Technology & Politics. 12 (4): 342–359. doi:10.1080/19331681.2015.1100225. ISSN 1933-1681. S2CID 147342965. 
3. "We Added 690 New Words to the Dictionary for September 2023". www.merriam-webster.com.