We all know doomscrolling is bad for our mental health, but why? How does continuous exposure to bad news increase anxiety and lead to news fatigue?How continuous bad news harms our mental health (and what to do about it)
War in the Ukraine and the Middle East. The election in the U.S. Inflation and the rising cost of living. Everywhere you look, it seems there’s more bad news, more things to stress or worry about.
“News fatigue” is on the rise. You might find yourself either devouring as many headlines as possible (“doomscrolling”) or avoiding the news altogether. You might feel anxious, out of control, or powerless to effect any change in the world.
| With the digital revolution and the growth of the Internet, the amount of information in the world has exploded. This is compounded by social media, the 24/7 nature and accessibility of international news, decreased trust in news media, and platforms that encourage you to keeping scrolling (with no end in sight). Too much exposure to bad news can lead to a phenomenon called “mean world syndrome” where there’s so much negativity around that we assume the world is a worse or more dangerous place than it actually is (especially since media mainly reports bad news). This greater exposure to negative news can lead to feelings of existential anxiety or dread (a feeling of insecurity or despair in relation to the human condition and/or the meaning of life). Fears about your or the world’s safety can also contribute to feelings of clinical anxiety. The good news is that there are ways to break out of this cycle! Here are our three top tips for managing news fatigue. |
| Our Top Tips For Managing “News Fatigue” 1. Take time to switch off.News fatigue is a signal that your mind and body need a break. Take time off from the online world. Enjoy an hour away from your phone, perhaps in “Flight Mode”. Delete social media apps from your homescreen. Manage your time online and don’t engage in stressful discussion threads. 2. Allocate a set time period to looking up news headlines. Resist the tendency to doomscroll for hours on end. Give yourself a limit on how much time you want to spend on news sites, e.g., 2:00pm to 2:15pm daily. In particular, remember that social media is designed to make you stay, and plays on FOMO (fear of missing out). But it’s completely okay to miss out on things if it benefits your mental health. 3. Find a cause you can support, ideally locally. There’s a saying that we are born with “village-sized hearts”. We aren’t meant to tackle all the world’s problems at once. Get involved in a cause that’s close to your heart (and ideally, your house), even if it’s just a $5 donation to a trustworthy charity. This can help you to feel like you’re making a small difference in the world. Every little bit counts! |