The Global Conversation on Doomscrolling Continues

I wanted to share some learnings from my recent journey exploring the phenomenon of “doomscrolling.” Earlier this year, I wrote an article for The Conversation examining how social media consumption patterns might affect our collective well-being.

What started as a local exploration has unexpectedly sparked conversations across Australia, New Zealand, and even South Korea, where I recently had the opportunity to discuss these findings on several radio shows.

Did you know the average person scrolls through approximately 90 meters of content daily? That’s roughly equivalent to the height of the Statue of Liberty. This striking finding comes from research examining how digital consumption shapes our perception of reality.

The fascinating paper “Inside the Funhouse Mirror Factory” by Robertson, del Rosario, and Van Bavel offers important insights into how social media can distort our understanding of social norms. Their research suggests that online environments often amplify extreme opinions while moderate voices remain relatively quiet, creating an illusion that society is more divided than it actually is.

Psychologists have found that this “doomscrolling” behaviour isn’t just a harmless habit – it actually impacts our cognitive functions, emotional well-being, and ability to focus. Our brains are wired with a negativity bias that makes us pay more attention to bad news than good, which once helped our ancestors avoid threats but now keeps us in an unnecessary state of high alert when consuming negative content online.

Some approaches experts recommend include:

• Setting specific time limits for news consumption
• Curating your feed to follow reputable sources
• Reading full articles rather than just headlines
• Balancing negative content with uplifting information
• Replacing endless scrolling with constructive action

I’m researching and discussing this phenomenon daily, and I would value hearing about your experiences with social media consumption. Have you developed any strategies for creating healthier digital habits? What approaches have worked for you?