How doomscrolling wreaks havoc on our minds and bodies
WHY DO WE DOOMSCROLL?
The media we consume is designed to capture our attention and nothing captures a human’s mind more than danger. As a form of survival this makes sense. We need to pay attention to danger to keep ourselves safe. But what about danger that isn’t even near us? Why are captivated by wildfires four states away or a war on a different continent? Why can’t we turn away? And what happens when we keep scrolling?
It’s not breaking news that doomscrolling is addictive. Anyone who’s tried to put down their phones or promised themselves they wouldn’t pick it back up feels this addictive experience. We experience headaches, depressed mood, negative outlook, anxiety, fatigue and yet we return to hours of ingesting traumatic content on repeat.
In part, we doom scroll to wrap ourselves up in information as an attempt to buffer trauma. The thought is, “If I know what’s coming, I can prepare for the worst. This will keep me safe.” There’s logic in that line of thinking. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite work that way.
HOW OUR BRAINS RESPOND
To understand how doomscrolling affects us we first need to know a little bit about how our brain works.
The limbic system is a network of interconnected brain structures that plays a pivotal role in regulating our emotions. It is also known as the “reptilian brain”, “lizard brain” or “old brain” as it is one of the oldest parts of the brain, concerned with basic survival. In the simplest terms, it can be thought of as the ‘back of the brain’.
The limbic system is highly connected to our automatic nervous system. If it detects a threat it springs into action, producing a state of vigilance which can be expressed in a defensive response such as fight, flight, or freeze.
The neocortex consists of four lobes, including the frontal lobe where executive functioning is housed. It can be thought of as the ‘front of the brain’. Executive function is what helps us put things into context. It helps us gain perspective outside of an event, rather than being sucked into the immediate experience. It helps us see the forest for the trees.
The limbic system and the neocortex work in tandem. When the back of the brain lights up, the front of the brain goes offline. This is an extremely helpful survival tool when faced with imminent physical danger. If the building is on fire, I don’t need to be burdened with a mind questioning the best exit plan, I just need to get the hell out of the burning building.
However, outside of imminent danger, not having access to the front of our brain is problematic. And being in a constant state of hypervigilance also has its consequences.
Our limbic system is not sophisticated enough to determine that the content we are taking in doesn’t represent imminent physical danger. It detects general threats. In other words, it can assess risk but not probability. The brain system that can assess probability is our neocortex and when the limbic system kicks in, it goes dark. So, while our nervous system is experiencing the fear of threat, the part of the brain we need to reassure ourselves we are safe isn’t available.
HOW ARE BODIES RESPOND
Without a way to quell our hypervigilance and finally put our phones down, we stay in a state of limbic activation. When the nervous system is activated the stress hormone, cortisol is released. High and prolonged levels of cortisol have been associated with negative health outcomes. These include but are not limited to an increased risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
The current news cycle feels like pushing on a hangnail. It hurts every time, but we’re compelled to keep pushing. Much of the news we ingest is redundancy. The same information is repeated over and over again. This repetition is designed to increase our fear and keep us scrolling.
FIRST: The first step in changing this habit is discovering what it means to you. Ask yourself why do you scroll? How does it serve you or others? Is this a way to keep yourself safe? Are you an empath who feels obligated to witness the world’s suffering?
SECOND: Reality-check these beliefs. Have the ways in which you believe this habit serves you been realized? Does it help you or others? Does accumulating information really keep you safe? What are you truly in danger of? In what way does witnessing the horrors of humanity help humanity?
THIRD: Set limits for yourself. Decide on how many times and for how long you will ingest content. This may be a game of trial and error as you test out what feels okay for you. Experiment with your news sources. How you access content can help with setting limits. Know yourself and what news you can take in, today or forever. For instance, maybe you can’t stomach reading about war or climate change, but you can keep up on local news.
Maybe it feels like you, as a grown adult, shouldn’t have to put kindergarten level limits on yourself, but do it anyway. Algorithms are designed to appeal to the youngest, most primal parts of your brain. The limits need to match what has been impacted.
FOURTH: Keep a simple log noting how you feel when you don’t scroll. Realizing positive benefits is a great motivator for change. Success begets success.