According to a study relayed by our colleagues from the Guardian, “Doomscrolling” can lead to poor physical and mental health. According to this report, this tendency to constantly read morbid or anxiety-provoking news can trigger a “vicious circle” that disrupts the lives of users.
In May 2022, NordVPN published a study on the morning habits of the French. As a result, looking at your smartphone remains the first reflex of users when they wake up, whether to check their messages, their professional emails, social networks or even the news.
Today and thanks to smartphones, access to information has never been easier. However, this immediate and constant accessibility to news from around the world can have serious consequences for your physical and mental health.
Doomscrolling, a dangerous phenomenon
A study, published in the medical journal Health Communication and relayed by our colleagues from the Guardian, looked at the phenomenon of “Doomscrolling”. Understand, the tendency to “continuously scrolling bad news on his smartphone, even if it is sad, discouraging or depressing”.
It must be recognized that the news, between war in Ukraine, inflation and soaring prices, pandemic and natural disasters linked to global warming, can easily take a toll on morale. According to the report, 16.5% of some 1,100 people surveyed showed signs of news consumption”seriously problematic, who lead to higher levels of stress and anxiety.
Professor Bryan McLaughlin, lead author of the study and researcher at Texas Technological University, assures that the H24 information cycle could lead to a “permanent state of alert” in some people, the world appearing to them as “a dark and dangerous place”.
Also read: Google will study the effect of smartphones on mental health
Constantly reading the news can be harmful to your health
“For these people, a vicious cycle can develop where, instead of disconnecting, they become more drawn in, obsessed with the news and checking for updates around the clock to ease their emotional distress.” he explains.
A total of 27.3% of respondents reported news consumption levels as “moderately problematic”, 27.5% were marginally affected and 28.7% experienced no problems. Nevertheless and among the people most affected by this phenomenon, 74% said they had mental health problems and 61% physical problems.
“We were surprised to find that 17% of study participants suffered from the most severe level. This is worrying and suggests that the problem may be more widespread than we thought. Many people seem to experience significant amounts of anxiety and stress due to their news consumption habits,” concludes the scientist.