Doom Scrolling: A Hidden Threat to Your Well-Being
Doom scrolling represents a pervasive phenomenon that imperils our quest for flourishing and well-being. In this discourse, I elucidate the insidious nature of doom scrolling, detailing how it infiltrates our lives and undermines our mental health. I share personal experiences that illustrate the detrimental effects of mindlessly consuming negative content online. More critically, I propose actionable strategies designed to mitigate the adverse impacts of this modern affliction, emphasizing the necessity of cultivating awareness and implementing deliberate practices. Ultimately, I assert that by reclaiming our attention and energy, we can combat the deleterious effects of doom scrolling and foster a life characterized by excellence and fulfillment.
Doom scrolling has emerged as a formidable obstacle to achieving a flourishing existence, a theme I explore in depth throughout this episode. I reflect on the pervasive nature of doom scrolling, sharing personal anecdotes that highlight my own struggles with excessive consumption of negative content. The discussion reveals that doom scrolling transcends mere habit; it is a societal affliction that undermines our mental health and well-being, often leading to increased anxiety and a distorted worldview.
I articulate the psychological mechanisms that facilitate doom scrolling, emphasizing our innate tendency toward negativity and the subsequent addiction to distressing news. The episode advocates for a dual approach to combat this modern scourge: cultivating awareness of our scrolling habits and implementing proactive measures to mitigate their impact. I present various strategies, including mindfulness practices and the establishment of clear boundaries for social media engagement. By fostering a deliberate and intentional approach to our media consumption, we not only reclaim our focus but also pave the way toward a life characterized by excellence and fulfillment. Through this exploration, I hope to equip listeners with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of our information-saturated world, ultimately reclaiming their agency and emotional well-being.
Are you caught in an endless scroll of bad news and negative content? If so, you're not alone.Keep listening to learn about what doom scrolling is and what you can do to prevent doom scrolling from harming your flourishing. Welcome to Live well and Flourish, where I help you understand what it means to live a flourishing life. Hello, I'm your host, Craig Van Slyke.If you're ready to think beyond material and external success, if you're ready to take control of who you are and the kind of life you live, if you're ready to flourish, this is the podcast for you. In today's episode, I'll explore how doom scrolling sneaks into your life and actively works against your flourishing.More importantly, you'll learn practical ways to tame this modern beast and reclaim your attention, energy and well being. It starts innocently enough. You pick up your phone, telling yourself you'll just check the news for a few minutes.Two hours later, you're still scrolling, your anxiety is through the roof, and you feel worse than you did when you started. I know this pattern well because I do it. I've lived it. To relax, I often scroll through various Reddit forums, which are called subreddits.Ever since the US Election, many of my favorite subreddits have been almost entirely focused on reactions to the Trump administration's actions, or rumored actions, or even speculative actions. The typical pattern is that someone posts a news item, rumor, or speculation, then others comment on the original post.Most of the comments are some expression of existential doom or vitriolic ranting. Very little of substance or value is present in these comments. One of my favorite subreddits is a subreddit directed at professors.Although there's always been a fair amount of venting about students, administrators, or the state of higher ed in general, there were often useful posts that were informative and insightful. Many times I learned something of value when I scrolled through these posts. Not anymore.Although I understand why higher ed professionals have some serious concerns about recent events, the professor's subreddit has turned into a doom scrolling nightmare. There are very few posts with any real insights or advice.Most are just rants, many of them embarrassing to a profession that prides itself on rational thinking. I want to be clear. The concerns are valid and understandable. The posts are often no more than food for the doom monster.Unfortunately, my point here isn't to criticize the subreddit or the people who post to it. My point is to recognize the danger doom scrolling poses to your flourishing.After a few weeks of doom posts I realized that I was spending way too much time reading posts and content that just wasn't helpful. The problem wasn't them though, the posters. It was me. I failed to recognize that I was engaged in pointless, harmful doom scrolling.When I did realize what was happening, I took a simple action. I unfollowed the professor subreddit and it stopped showing up on my Reddit feed.I could have stayed off Reddit altogether, but I kind of enjoy and learn from other subreddits, so I just cut off the problematic ones. There were a few others that were problems for me. That's my story.Now let's break down what doom scrolling is, how you can recognize it in the moment, and what you can do when you catch yourself. Doom Scrolling Doom scrolling is the habit of continuously scrolling through bad news or distressing content online.But doom scrolling is more than just a bad habit. It's a modern affliction that actively works against our pursuit of excellence and well being.Doom scrolling taps into our negativity bias and rewards us just enough to keep us hooked. This often leads to increased anxiety, stress and negativity, which has detrimental effects on mental health and well being.At its core, doom scrolling is bad. It's harmful to your flourishing. To prevent doom scrolling from harming your flourishing, you need two things, awareness and action.Awareness of doom scrolling can be a challenge. You just get so caught up in the scrolling that awareness goes into the background. This happens with habits.They're habits because you don't think about them consciously. One way to counter any bad habit is by building a different habit.For doom scrolling, I suggest building a habit of asking yourself if you're engaged in entertaining or productive scrolling, or if your scrolling is pointless and harmful. This sounds pretty simple, and it is, but it's also effective.General mindfulness techniques will also help, since they'll make you more mindful of any action, including doom scrolling. To break the habit of mindless scrolling, you might set a timer to go off every three minutes or whatever period makes sense for you.When the timer goes off, your automatic scrolling is interrupted, which gives you a chance to ask yourself if it's a good idea to continue scrolling. This is kind of like the occasionally annoying but useful stand alarm on fitness watches.It's annoying to get that little buzz or chime, but it works. There are also apps that can limit your time on social media, but I recommend trying just a simple timer first.If the timer doesn't work for you, try an app. The timer may not be enough though. Rather than immediately turning to an app. There are a few other things to try.The timer can make you aware of the doom scrolling, but you have to take action to prevent you from just going back to the scrolling. Maybe a physical change of some sort is often enough to stop you from returning to the scrolling. Just get up and move.The easiest thing to do is to just step away from your device for a few minutes. Go outside, walk around a bit, get some water, whatever. Just get away from the device for just a few minutes.Dolly, one of our pups, suggests getting your pets a treat if you have them, but that's just her opinion. The point is to change something physically. Even a few deep breaths can break the doom scrolling cycle longer term.Put a little effort into curating your social media feeds. That's what I did when I unfollowed the Professor's subreddit and a few others.An even better idea is to set limits on your social media time altogether. Yeah, social media can be entertaining and informative, but many people, including me, spend too much time on it.Maybe read a book instead, or listen to a podcast. Doom scrolling is a sneaky beast, one that can have huge effects on your flourishing. It's more than just a waste of time.It's a direct obstacle to living an excellent life. It steals your attention, drains your emotional energy, and pulls you away from the activities that truly contribute to your flourishing.Doom scrolling isn't just a waste of time. It's a surrender of your attention, your energy, and your focus. But you're an adult with agency.Tame the beast with intention and you'll reclaim not only your focus, but your flourishing. Until next time, stay off social media, my friends.