I recently read about a new term called "doom-scrolling."
Doom-scrolling is what we have all been doing since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and maybe for far before that. It is the act of going through the news or social media obsessing with the terrible details about atrocities occurring in our world. Often times when people do this they are just looking just for the news that is harmful or negative and ignore the lighter pieces or positive announcements. Which we certainly understand, there really are a lot of bad things happening. We’ve all been guilty of “doom-scrolling” before but recently this behavior feels more frequent.
Getting into the habit of only looking for the bad in current events is dangerous because that same attitude can easily trickle into all other areas of your life. These negative thoughts can move from your perception of the world into your home, your relationships and your place of work faster than you know. I get it though, it is no easy feat to stay positive...amid apocalypse. If this is helpful to you, maybe try to set a limit on how many minutes you can read the news daily or examine what triggers you and try to avoid those subjects.
In an article about doom-scrolling from Wired, the journalist urged people to stop this behavior as "checking your phone for an extra two hours every night won’t stop the apocalypse—but it could stop you from being psychologically prepared for it."
Instead of doom-scrolling today, try to remember to take care of yourself and remain hopeful for a brighter future.