Research warns that constantly viewing distressing content on social media, known as doomscrolling, may alter our perceptions of humanity and the purpose of life.
Doomscrolling involves spending excessive time browsing through upsetting news on social media platforms like stories about violence, terrorism, and conspiracy theories, often leading to addictive behavior.
A recent study indicates that doomscrolling can make individuals more inclined to feel suspicious of others, lose trust in people, and develop a sense that life lacks significance.
Lead author Mr. Reza Shabahang from the College of Education, Psychology, and Social Work highlights, “Doomscrolling can severely impact our mental well-being, causing stress, anxiety, despair, and prompting existential questions.”
He explains, “Consuming negative news online can result in vicarious trauma, where individuals experience negative psychological effects despite not directly experiencing the trauma themselves.”
The study surveyed 800 university students from diverse cultural backgrounds – one from an Eastern collective culture (Iran) and the other from a Western individualistic culture (the United States) – to understand how excessive consumption of negative news on social media could influence their perceptions of existence.
Participants were asked about their frequency of doomscrolling, their existential anxiety levels, beliefs about fairness in the world, and attitudes towards humanity.
Mr. Shabahang notes, “We aimed to explore whether there was a correlation between doomscrolling and subsequent attitudes and feelings about humanity and the value of life.”
The study found that doomscrolling was associated with existential anxiety – concerns about existence, life, and death – in both Iranian and American participants. It was also a significant predictor of misanthropy – a dislike of people – in the Iranian sample.
“Continuous exposure to negative online content can challenge our beliefs regarding mortality and the level of control we have over our lives,” Mr. Shabahang explains.
He emphasizes the need to be mindful of online behaviors, take breaks from social media, and limit exposure to negative news.
“It is important for individuals to monitor their social media usage and be aware of its emotional and psychological impact, especially concerning negative news,” he advises.
“Tracking doomscrolling time and taking steps to reduce it, if necessary, can contribute to improving mental well-being,” he concludes.
The research paper titled “Doomscrolling evokes existential anxiety and fosters pessimism about human nature? Evidence from Iran and the United States” authored by Reza Shabahang, Hyeyeon Hwang, Emma F. Thomas, Mara S. Aruguete, Lynn E. McCutcheon, Gábor Orosz, Abbas Ali Hossein Khanzadeh, Benyamin Mokhtari Chirani, Ágnes Zsila was published in Computers in Human Behavior Reports Journal.
