"Doomscrolling refers to repetitive consumption of negative or crisis-related information. It's less about stimulation and more about staying locked into threat-related material. What feels like staying informed can quickly become a feedback loop between the brain's threat-detection system and platforms engineered to keep users engaged."
"Within minutes, social media feeds filled with videos, breaking news alerts, and speculation about what might happen next. Videos of missile interceptions, airspace closures, and cyber incidents have circulated online within minutes of each new development. With confirmed information emerging slowly but updates arriving constantly, many users find themselves refreshing feeds repeatedly, trying to piece together events in real time."
Following missile strikes across the Persian Gulf, millions turned to social media for information, triggering widespread doomscrolling—the compulsive consumption of crisis-related news through endless updates and alerts. Videos, breaking news, and speculation flooded feeds within minutes, creating a feedback loop between the brain's threat-detection system and platforms designed for engagement. Doomscrolling differs from casual scrolling; it involves repetitive consumption of negative information focused on threat-related material rather than stimulation. Cognitive scientists explain this pattern stems from human wiring that prioritizes threats, making negative news particularly difficult to ignore. The combination of slow information confirmation and constant algorithmic amplification of crises keeps users trapped in cycles of refreshing feeds, attempting to piece together events in real time.
#doomscrolling #social-media-crisis-coverage #threat-detection-psychology #misinformation-amplification #digital-engagement-algorithms
Read at WIRED
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