The habitual checking of disturbing stories on social media is changing the way humans perceive the world and triggers PTSD-like symptoms.
In a world-first study on the impact of “doomscrolling”, Flinders University researchers found the phenomenon was linked with changes to how we viewed humankind and the meaning of life.
Reza Shabahang from the University’s College of Education, Psychology and Social Work said doomscrolling was where people spent a lot of time scrolling through traumatic news on social media such as shootings, terrorism and conspiracies, often to the point where it became addictive.
Mr Shabahang said the study revealed that doomscrolling made people more likely to feel suspicious and distrustful of other people and form the impression that life lacked meaning.
“Doomscrolling can have some dire consequences on our mental health and wellbeing leaving us feeling stress, anxiety, despair and questioning the meaning of life,” he said.
“Viewing negative news on social media has become a source of vicarious trauma, where someone has a negative psychological impact even though they did not experience the trauma themselves.
“By being exposed to images and information about traumatic events, people have been found to experience symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as anxiety and despair.”
Mr Shabahang said researchers surveyed 800 university students from two distinctly diverse cultures, an Eastern collective culture (Iran) and a Western individualistic culture (the United States), to explore how excessive negative news consumption on social media can impact their thoughts and feelings relating to their existence.
He said participants were asked to respond on how often they doomscrolled through social media, how anxious they felt about their existence, whether they believed that the world is a fair place, and how they felt about humanity.
“We wanted to see if there were any connections between doomscrolling and subsequent thoughts and feelings about humankind and the importance of life.”
Mr Shabahang said doomscrolling was associated with existential anxiety – worries about their existence, life and death – in both Iranian and American samples and emerged as a significant predictor of misanthropy – dislike of people – in the Iranian sample.
“When we’re constantly exposed to negative news and information online, it can threaten our beliefs when it comes to our own mortality and the control we have over our own lives.
“Moreover, doomscrolling can negatively affect how we view the people and world around us,” he said.
Mr Shabahang says that the study was a timely reminder to be mindful of online habits and to take regular breaks from social media and exposure to negative news.
