You arrived at school on time, made it to first period early and upon arrival to class you powered on our laptop, got out your notebook and pen and and since you had extra time, being that you were early you take out your phone just to check your DM’s and the latest post on your instagram feed. Then the end of class bell rings. You did not take any notes, you did not use your computer and in fact you have no idea where the last 57 minutes of class went. If this sounds familiar to you then you have been a victim of doom scrolling.
Doom scrolling is the act of spending excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc. and according to the WebMD article “What’s Doom Scrolling and Can It Harm Me?” Medically Reviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD on November 06, 2024 and Written by Evan Starkman can lead to mental health conditions like anxiety, depression and panic attacks. WIth our education, free time, relationships and mental health at risk how can we stop doom scrolling and reclaim our lives? Well, for starters doom scrolling has been affecting most of our brains, and it is seriously affecting our mental health, including scrolling through negative news online. It can affect those who have anxiety or anxiety related disorders, but most commonly those with ADHD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. But what exactly is doom scrolling? Doom scrolling or doom surfing is the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading large quantities of news, particularly negative news, on the web and social mediaHere’s how we can stop that from happening in the future:
First, put the phone down and take a walk for at least 30 minutes a day. Going for walks are actually good for your health, and when you get used to it, you can build a daily life practice and make it a routine. Second, notice how you feel, mental health is very important, and it’s important to take care of your mental health. If you, the reader, are asking, how does doom scrolling affect your mental health?
According to the article “What Is Doomscrolling? Why It Happens and How It Affects Your Mental Health” by Mary Ellen Ellis published on February 21, 2024 on the website constellation behavioral health, states that; “Too much time on social media increases stress and levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. The more you engage in doom scrolling, the more cortisol and adrenaline are released in your brain and body. This leads to more stress and both mental and physical exhaustion.”
Third, this is similar to the second method, if you want to get off the internet for a while, the things I recommend you to do are: setting a time limit, using mindfulness, engaging in activities (or school-related activities), or doing yoga. Yoga is very calming, even for teens or adults. Studying can also help expand your knowledge and enhance your memory.
