The Hidden Dangers of Doomscrolling

It’s 2:00 a.m. You should be sleeping. Instead, you’ve gone down the rabbit hole. You’re pouring over every detail of yet another catastrophe, like how the ocean ecosystem will collapse in the next 10 years, or political upheaval, or another untimely celebrity death. This is called doomscrolling — or doomsurfing — and it’s hurting our mental health.

The Connection Between Doomscrolling and Mental Health

The horrible things you’re reading about online might impact you more than you think. Information published in the Applied Research in Quality of Life tells us that there’s a relationship between doomscrolling and social media addiction, neuroticism, psychological distress, and the fear of missing out. It can also lead to decreased conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, life satisfaction, mental well-being, and harmony in life.

And if you struggle with stressful or instrusive thoughts, you might be even more prone to doomscrolling… which will then make your stress worse. It’s a scary cycle.

Why Do We Even Do It?

It’s almost like we’re addicted to bad news, right? In a way, that’s exactly what it is, but there’s a reason for it.

We are indeed drawn to bad news for a couple of reasons. First, consuming that information gives us a sense of control. If we know everything there is to know about something bad, then it can’t surprise or hurt us as much, right?

Second, and as a byproduct of the first reason, doom surfing gives us a sense of control in a world that can oftentimes feel incredibly unpredictable.

So, while the act of doomscrolling might feel unpleasant, we do it (even unconsciously) as a means to have a little more say in the chaos around us.

How to Break the Habit of Doomscrolling

Now that you know more about why we doomscroll, you’ll hopefully be more aware the next time you start doing it. How can you be better about not letting bad news consume you and impact your mental health?

1. Limit Your Time Online

Time blocking means that you divide your day into segments. A lot of people do this with work, personal obligations, and life’s many other responsibilities. You can do the same with your social media/internet usage. For example, maybe you decide that you will only scroll online from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Similarly, you could set a total daily time limit. For instance, perhaps you allow yourself an hour of social media/news time a day. You can hop on your phone at any point throughout the day, as long as you don’t exceed that allotted hour.

This will create a boundary that will ideally prevent you from doomscrolling.

2. Seek Out Trustworthy Sources of Information

Unfortunately, a lot of what we see online exists solely to get you to click. Outrageous headlines, clickbait, and graphic images are all designed to capture your attention because that’s ultimately what makes those websites money. So, these sites will do just about anything to make you stop and look. This often means that they’re not concerned with presenting the truth since the truth isn’t always that exciting or newsworthy.

What this means is that you need to be incredibly diligent about where you spend your time online. Scope out news sources that are as reliable as possible and present multiple sides of the story. Don’t let yourself be tricked by hyperbolic headlines or information provided by anonymous or unnamed sources.

When it comes to where you get your news, it pays to be picky.

3. Counter the Bad With the Good

Imagine spending all day around negative and toxic people. (Maybe you already do.) This would bring you down, right? It would probably make you feel pretty crummy, even if you’re typically an upbeat person.

Filling your life with negative things from the internet is going to have the same outcome!

We’re not telling you to ignore the bad stuff completely. That’s probably not realistic. However, you should make a point of creating time to consume information that makes you feel good. Do you love hopping on YouTube and watching videos of cute puppies learning to howl, good samaritans performing kind deeds, or travel vloggers transporting you to another world?

Be sure to watch more of those, particularly after consuming content that’s left you feeling icky.

Easing Stress:

CBD as the New Champion for Mental Health

Stress feeds doomscrolling, and doomscrolling feeds stress. It’s a catch-22 that will have you in an endless loop of mental deterioration. How can you break the cycle?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is being lauded as a safe and natural way to help encourage stress relief. While research is ongoing, sure enough, some studies have found that CBD might have an anti-stress effect. This can be especially beneficial to help you sleep at night — instead of doomscrolling.

Of course, you’ll want to combine this with healthy lifestyle habits, like eating a nutrient-dense diet (and likely avoiding stimulants like caffeine), moving your body, and incorporating mindfulness practices like meditation or journaling.

Keep in mind that because CBD comes in supplement form, and supplements are not regulated by the FDA, you must do your due diligence when choosing a brand to purchase from. Aim for CBD products made in the USA, where there is transparency in the brand’s ingredients and sourcing methods.

You should also look for a brand that shares its lab reports publicly. This allows you to verify that the products are as high-quality as the brand claims they are.

All of JustCBD’s products are regularly tested to ensure quality and consistency, and all of our lab reports are available on our website. Check out our vast collection of gummies, vapes, oils, and beyond to find the perfect product to soothe your stress and stop doomscrolling dead in its tracks. Ready to get ahead of your mental health? Shop with JustCBD today.