How to Break the Comparison Cycle + Ways to manage social media habits for better well-being.
Texas Tech University conducted a study examining how long a person may spend scrolling on social media. The author discovered that if a Gen-Z person spends 53 minutes on social media daily, they will watch 742 posts and videos in that time. This assumes that the most someone may spend on social media is just under an hour. Out of the abundance of the content we had just watched, we are only really going to remember one, maybe two videos, if we are lucky (Dolan, TTU).
Mental Effects
Doom-scrolling seems innocent at face value, but once you learn the actual adverse effects of what it could do to a person’s mental health, you will have wanted to stop yesterday. Doom-scrolling can cause a severe lack of productivity and a loss of concentration. It is proven that if you have a pre-diagnosed mental illness, such as depression and anxiety, doom-scrolling will only make it worse (Dolan, TTU).
Studies by The Guardian have shown that doom-scrolling also results in disturbed sleep and physical health problems. Within the survey of 1,100 people, 74% reported having significant mental health challenges, and 61% reported having physical health problems. These percentages comprise those with high social media intake (Cassidy, The Guardian).
Break the Habits
The best way to reduce the amount of doom-scrolling one does is to break the habits. The first thing that you should do is reduce the time you spend on your phone. You can do so by setting time limits on social media apps and stopping the need to have your phone glued to you by your side. Psychologist Susan Albers says curating your social media feed is highly encouraged. When Dr. Albers is saying, she is doing so with the intention that you will unfollow anyone who can potentially cause you and your mental health harm (Cleveland Clinic). This harm could be caused by any comparison from body to life to jobs and everywhere in between. The best thing one could do is step away from the phone and be grateful for the beautiful thing called life happening around you, not around others over a screen.
Conclusion
Doom-scrolling might seem harmless, but it can negatively impact mental and physical health. It can worsen mental health issues, disrupt sleep, and lower productivity. People, especially those with mental health challenges, should be aware of when they are doom-scrolling and take steps to limit their screen time.