"Research increasingly shows that doom scrolling, the habit of continuously consuming negative news and distressing content online, is strongly associated with heightened anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges. While this behavior doesn't directly cause mental illness in the clinical sense, it acts as both a trigger and amplifier for existing vulnerabilities. The relationship works both ways: people experiencing anxiety or depression may turn to doomscrolling as a coping mechanism, while the practice itself can worsen symptoms and create new emotional distress."
"Doom scrolling describes the compulsive consumption of negative news, particularly on social media and news apps. The term emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, though the behavior predates 2020. What makes it distinct from casual browsing is the repetitive, almost trance-like quality of the activity and the predominantly negative emotional content involved. People engaging in doom scrolling often report feeling unable to stop, even when they recognize the content is making them feel worse."
Doom scrolling involves compulsively consuming negative news and distressing online content in a repetitive, trance-like way, especially on social media and news apps. The behavior emerged into common usage during the COVID-19 pandemic but predates 2020. Doom scrolling does not directly cause clinical mental illness, but it functions as a trigger and amplifier of existing vulnerabilities. People with anxiety or depression may use doom scrolling as a coping mechanism, while the practice can worsen symptoms and generate new emotional distress. Continuous exposure to alarming content activates the amygdala and sustains a heightened stress response, intensifying during crises and increasing anxiety rather than reducing uncertainty.
Read at Social Media Explorer
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