There cell phone free day is an opportunity to ask questions about our habits vis-à-vis screens and the evolution of our practices.
When some can no longer do without their Iphone or their smartphone and worry about being separated from it (we talk about nomophobia), others spend their days reflexively and addictively scrolling.
THE doomscrolling can reveal valuable insights into your condition, and even be harmful to your mental health in the long run.
What is doomscrolling?
It’s a habit we all have. Check the news on your phone screen has become a general reflex. Especially in recent years with the health crisis or before during tragic periods of attacks. Moreover, this habit was designated by the English term doomscrolling which emerged on the social network Twitter in 2018. During confinement, the need for information increased, and sometimes became a habit bordering on frenzy . At the origin of this thirst for information, the concerns related to the future concerning the epidemic of coronavirus and its consequences. Doomscrolling involves not only scrolling the news feed, but also dwelling on images and comments from netizens. “This habit implies that there is no end to this process. We scroll, we swallow information in quantity, without limits. The Internet user who acts like this thinks that if he stops, he will miss essential information“, analyzes Michaël Stora.
Nocturnal awakenings, morning anxieties…
And this unlimited consumption is not without consequences for our health. First, it causes sleep disturbances. Anxiogenic news that one consults in bed necessarily alters the quality of the night. We will suffer from insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, we will be more prone to nocturnal awakenings. You can also wake up in the morning with a feeling of anxiety. But good sleep remains a pillar of health in the same way as food or physical activity. “Checking the news feeds before bed keeps the brain alert. It’s hard to fall asleep in these conditions”, alert the specialist.
Depressive and anxiety disorders
Doomscrolling also promotes anxiety and feelings of loneliness. Indeed, by dint of concentrating on a screen, we can forget your surroundings and withdraw into yourself. And the more we read dramatic or tragic information, the more we project ourselves and we develop the idea that this could happen to us. The negative effects on concentration are not to be overlooked. Gathering a lot of information all the time makes us much more distracted and less inclined to pay attention to other things over a long period of time.
“In some cases, doomscrolling can reveal the existence of a hidden depression. Especially for people who love to read news stories”, says the psychoanalyst.
Can doomscrolling be cured?
So many elements that make it essential to study the issue and try to put a stop to this habit. For this, there is no miracle cure. First, you have to be aware of the phenomenon to assess the time you spend there. Once this inventory has been made, a detoxification treatment is necessary. We imposes a time limit and we determine the times of the day that we will devote to it: not before going to bed for example. Finally, last reflex, we find occupations so as not to fuel the temptations. If we are bored in transport, we download a good novel on an e-reader for example. One track among many others to dig to avoid the risks of altering your mental health in the long run.
Thanks to Michaël Stora author of “Hyperconnexion”, published by Larousse editions.
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