I'm in a scroll hole?
01 PLUGGED IN
Finding yourself glued, hawk-eyed, to the BBC homepage on the regular? You’re not alone. ‘The tendency to endlessly scroll through bad news story after bad news story has been turbocharged over the past 18 months,’ warns Tanya Goodin, digital detox expert and author of My Brain Has Too Many Tabs Open (£14.99, White Lion). This habit, known as ‘doom-scrolling’, is specific to your smartphone. Unlike your TV, the hi-tech device in your pocket is always there, offering you constant access to a depressing echo chamber of cheer-draining stories. Yep, never invite an iphone to a party.
02 MISERY LOVES COMPANY
Your brain is, to borrow a scientific term, a right negative Nancy. ‘And the algorithms that control newsfeeds take this into account and ramp it up,’ explains Goodin. Reading worrying news triggers the fight-or-flight response. But your brain also hates to leave things unfinished. So, without resolution, you experience what’s known as the Zeigarnik effect – a psychological phenomenon that means you have anxiety about interrupted or incomplete tasks, leaving you hungry for more of the bad stuff.
03 SCREEN BURN
This detrimental effect is associated with digital media in particular. According to research conducted in the early days of the pandemic, the consumption of stressful content online (aka, a news cycle some researchers are referring to as the first social media ‘infodemic’) was linked with increased levels of depression, negative feelings, anxiety and stress. The same study found that this wasn’t the case with newspapers or magazines – so, take a moment to feel smug about your choice of reading material.
04 VIBE CHECK
But it’s not only news that can dampen your mood. If scrolling through perfectly curated and filtered grids spikes your anxiety, that can be just as harmful. ‘If you notice your mood deteriorating, log off and do something completely different,’ advises Goodin. We’re not saying delete all your apps and rev up your dad’s old 3310. ‘Cutting yourself off isn’t good for mental wellbeing any more than over-consuming news or social media updates is.’ Moderation it is, then.
05 CLEAN BREAKS
Remember when the news was on TV at 6pm and 10pm and that was it? Goodin recommends that you live by a similar schedule to stay informed without risking overexposure. ‘Breaks from bad news are essential,’ she says. ‘Train yourself to dip in simply to update yourself, and then log off.’ Goodin also suggests that you seek out and engage with positive news stories to reprogramme your internal algorithm, if you will. Check out accounts like @goodnews_movement or @theknow.media for a kinder take on current affairs. Hitting follow on baby animal accounts – honourable mention to @thesnuggleisrl on IG
– is also encouraged.