What is the news doing to you?

Long gone are the days where you had to pick up a paper or turn on the telly to receive the latest news. Now, thanks to the internet, news is instantly accessible and literally right at our fingertips.

That means that at any point of day, or night, you can have access to articles across the globe. Streams and streams of information, reems and reems of the latest stories constantly being updated, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

And all this information is not guaranteed to be reliable either. In an era where anyone with access to the internet can post, we now live in an era when naivety, ignorance or propaganda can find its way onto our screens. It’s no wonder so many of us, despite our best wishes to stay informed, feel that staying updated with the news is costly to our mental health.

In fact, there has been plenty of research conducted into proving the correlation between news exposure and poor mental health. Results proved that the higher the person’s news consumption the more likely it was that they experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety.

And this makes perfect sense. The constant consumption of worrying, upsetting or rage inducing headlines regularly will of course make you feel despondent, depressed and full of despair. It is information overload, like carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders that you feel powerless to change or control.

You would have thought that with doomscrolling being so damaging we’d do our best to limit ourselves to it, however for some, the news can become an addiction.

In fact, the terms doomscrolling first built traction during Covid, a moment in time which, understandably, caused a significant amount of worry and fear. The combination of feeling powerless, frightened and being stuck at home left people dependent on their devices, searching for updates, no matter how daunting or draining.

So why would anyone wish to engage in doomscrolling when it is so harmful?

An important thing to understand about doomscrolling is it is considered a compulsive behaviour. The clickbait, attention grabbing headlines and sensationalist news stories are all geared to get us hooked, giving us a powerful rush of dopamine, the hormone and neurotransmitter associated with pleasure.

In addition to this, people may find themselves glued to the media to seek reassurance (looking for clarity, certainty or comfort) or validation (an alliance of beliefs or confirmation they are right).

However, any reward we seek from doomscrolling will only ever be short lived. Instead of alleviating any stress doomscrolling will only exacerbate it further.

The constant consumption of negative news can lead to an increase in both mental and physical conditions. Mental health challenges can include an increase in stress, anxiety, depression while physical concerns may include an increase in fatigue, high blood pressure and autoimmune diseases.

So, what can we do to stop this bad habit? Here are some tips on how to stop the persistent scrolling.

Identifying the reason

A good start is to identify why you feel compelled to check the news. Are you bored? Are you wanting to stay informed and feel anxious about missing something important? Do you feel lonely and believe that scrolling is your way of staying connected to the world? Addressing the reasons behind the habit is a good way of tackling any underlining issues.

Check your phone consciously, not constantly

Being more mindful about how much time you spend on your device is a helpful way to limit your screen time. Whether you schedule slots when you can look on your phone, or restrict yourself time wise, setting boundaries is a positive way to monitor and manage your time spent online.

Out of sight, out of mind

Placing your phone well out of reach or in a different room can encourage you to find different ways to entertain and occupy your time. Stimulating puzzles, a gripping read, a film or a TV show are all activities to offer you some escapism from the world.

Be aware of your sources

The digital realm is full of information, but also misinformation too. Unreliable news sources, triggering opinion posts, clickbait pieces, all makes unpleasant reading. Be mindful of what you’re reading and where. Stick to professional, reputable websites and news outlets that will ensure any information you are receiving is reliable and unbiased.

Add some happy

Not all scrolling needs to be doomscrolling, why not add some joy to your screen time with lighter and brighter news stories from around the world. For example, visit Positive News or Only Good News Daily for a big dose of uplifting and inspiring content.

Go touch some grass

The saying ‘go touch some grass’ is a slang phrase popular on the internet. It means, get offline, go outside and enjoy nature. Getting out in the great outdoors is the best replenishment for mental energy, so remind yourself, even if it’s for just ten minutes, to get some fresh air to help shift your focus and perspective.