What is Doomscrolling and Why Do We Do It?
On the science side, Rutledge says doomscrolling is our instinctive reaction to danger.
Rutledge says our minds are trying to find those answers through doomscrolling.
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The effects of your daily doomscrolling habit go beyond just wasting your time online.
Rutledge says that the habit significantly impacts our mental health.
“Doomscrolling affects your mental health by overloading our perceptions of the world as scary and negative things.
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Your brain is reacting to keep you safe, which means your anxiety increases,” she said.
To curb the doomscrolling habit, Rutledge says you have to stay mindful about the purpose of your search.
“You have to step in with what I think of as a cognitive override,” she said.
“You have to talk yourself down and focus on what youre doing and why.
Its about being aware of when youre reacting and when youre purposeful.”
Rutledge says that overall, doomscrolling is nothing to be ashamed about since were probably all doing it.
So if you needed a reminder not to doomscroll today, this is it.
