"It's 4 a.m., and you are once again doomscrolling through the news on your phone. You are well aware that this is the opposite of good sleep hygiene, but you can't stop. It's an itch that you scratch, knowing full well it is counterproductive. Your emotional state is unsettled and extremely uncomfortable. You aren't ready to rest, and you definitely are not ready to face tomorrow morning."
"The specifics of what causes you to go down this rabbit hole vary. One week, it is ICE you are endlessly researching; another week, you are in deep with the Epstein files. The event you are focused on changes, but the dynamic is consistent. It is one of your core values to be civically engaged. You want to be a witness, active in your world, eyes open to what others are experiencing."
Nighttime doomscrolling becomes an irresistible habit that disrupts sleep and leaves individuals emotionally unsettled and unable to rest. The specific topics of fixation vary, but the pattern of compulsive research and rumination remains constant. Civic values drive people to stay informed and bear witness, yet persistent exposure to traumatic material clashes with self-concept and raises questions about effectiveness and sustainability. Many capable adults experience emotional flooding, hyperarousal, and difficulty fulfilling responsibilities at work and home. Prolonged empathy for endless suffering overwhelms emotion-regulation centers, producing normative dysregulation rather than fragility. Intentional boundaries and alternative modes of civic engagement can help sustain compassion while preserving functional responsibilities.
Read at Psychology Today
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]