Stating that bad news increases the sense of curiosity and creates addiction after a while, experts warn that the tendency to read bad news non-stop, which is defined as 'Doomscrolling', can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, fear, startle, constant crying and hopelessness. Emphasizing that bad news addiction can disrupt a person's system, experts point out that this can lead to intense anxiety, depression, stress, headaches and hormonal changes. In order to avoid the effects of doomscrolling, experts recommend staying away from bad news and gradually returning to daily routines.
Stating that the term Doomscrolling means the tendency to read bad news uninterruptedly and bad news addiction in Turkish, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said, "Doomscrolling is also referred to as 'disaster scrolling'. With the bad news, the sense of curiosity increases and the next news is always followed as if scratching a wound. We are not even aware of the time spent on the screen or social media while following the bad news we saw with the earthquake disaster."
Which Symptoms Does Doomscrolling Cause?
Pointing out that screen time is prolonged with doomscrolling and that people's mental health is also seriously affected, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said, "Doomscrolling can cause secondary trauma in people. In the case of what we call secondary trauma, even if the person is not exposed to the disaster, they may be exposed to trauma symptoms by following the processes and fictionalizing them in their minds as if they had experienced it. Symptoms may include feelings of startle, constant crying or the desire to cry, insomnia or oversleeping, loss of appetite or binge eating, anxiety, fear and hopelessness. People do not even need to directly experience an earthquake to have these feelings. People can experience all these symptoms with doomscrolling throughout the day."
Expert Clinical Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın summarizes the reasons why the habit of following bad news cannot be stopped and the problems it causes as follows;
- Even if we have not experienced a disaster, there is a need to connect with the disaster environment and learn what is happening. Generally, even if these people interpret this as a need for help and useful information, this rate is quite low. As soon as we realize that the information is not useful, we should understand that this situation is doomscrolling and stop it.
- Knowing the situation gives the idea of being in control of the situation. Disasters signal an unknown for us, and the unknown is one of the most critical points that human psychology cannot cope with. One thinks one is in control by constantly doomscrolling. But because the situation is so far out of one's control, it only leads to anxiety and confirmation of uncontrollability.
- Detecting danger causes our nervous system to remain constantly alert. Evolutionarily, it is important to detect danger and to be alert, but the brain's constant reassurance of danger and constant vigilance can destabilize the nervous system and lead to psychiatric illnesses.
- Dommscrolling can disrupt a person's system. The person may experience intense anxiety, depression, stress and complaints. It can lead to changes in hormonal levels. It can cause digestive system problems, attention and concentration problems, headaches, sleep and appetite problems.
Is it possible to recover from Doomscolling?
Stating that it would not be a realistic approach to step aside as if everything is perfect and act as if the earthquake disaster did not happen, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Özgenur Taşkın said, "It is possible to say that secondary trauma affects the person as much as those who experience trauma and those with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is very important to stay away from doomscrolling in order not to be exposed to secondary trauma."
Taşkın explained that it is possible to change this situation, which gradually harms the person, with the following recommendations:
Setting limits and setting daily hours: If you allocate certain hours during the day to news, your focus will not be on the news all the time. This will also help reduce your anxiety.
Gradual transition to routines: A gradual return to routines gives a person a sense of security. If you have a regular routine such as school, work, courses, sports, etc., it can be an important stress regulator.
Getting in touch with your own body: You may not want to do anything during the day because of your depressed mood. In this case, you can switch to doomscrolling again. Try stopping yourself and focusing on things that are good for your body. Try a warm space, a comfortable body position, a short walk that balances the stress, a bit of fresh air, a bit of a routine that feels good for you.
Make face-to-face contact with people: If you are able to do so, it is much more productive and reassuring to be in face-to-face contact with those who have suffered a disaster.