Anywhere and everywhere you look, there are people staring down at their phones. Whether they’re texting, calling, or scrolling through social media, everyone’s holding a cellphone.
Hours of our lives are being spent on our phones, and we are becoming increasingly more desensitized to their enormous effects. I have found myself spending hours doing nothing but watching videos on TikTok.
According to an article published by Cleveland Clinic, doomscrolling is defined as the compulsive use of technology and the irresistible urge to scroll and consume news on social media. Despite social media’s benefits, such as the ability to connect with people around the world, the addictive nature of these platforms can have distressing consequences.
When you get stuck in the wormhole of doomscrolling, the dangers of social media can suffocate you. As social media has become more prevalent in adolescents’ lives, it has led to more negative consequences. Excessive social media use has been linked to mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. Furthermore, according to Yale Medicine, high social media usage has been proven to affect body image, eating disorders, cyberbullying, and poor sleep quality. Although social media can be beneficial in experiencing the world, it can be extremely detrimental to mental health when used excessively.Â
Social media’s addictive nature furthers the phenomenon of doomscrolling. More specifically, social media releases dopamine into the brain when something exciting happens, therefore associating social media with a reward. Due to the way these platforms are designed, they cause dopamine to be released often as a result of the endless amount of entertainment. The more our dopamine levels rise, the more addictive these platforms become.
For example, every 15 seconds, when a new video is watched, you become more addicted to it, which is why users are left trapped. This doomscrolling wormhole can be extremely difficult to get out of, especially with so many things pulling users back in. Social media is designed to keep its users constantly scrolling, with nonstop feeds of captivating and engaging content.Â
Nowadays, it is very common for people to have long hours of screen time on their phones. The average American spends more than seven hours on their phone daily, with Gen Z averaging nine hours. The data also states that people spend an average of 40% of their time awake on screens.
To paint a picture, seven hours of screen time equals 210 hours a month, and 2,555 hours a year, which means you are spending 106 full days on your phone a year. While seven hours of screen time doesn’t seem that bad, putting it into perspective of how much time that is a year, is absolutely insane to visualize. Screen time turning into days being wasted is crazy.
After realizing how detrimental screen time and excessive social media use can be, we have to find effective ways to limit screen time, so we don’t waste our lives. Most sources start off by saying to set screen time limits on your phone and turn off notifications to avoid distractions. Other tips are to move your phone from your line of sight and create screen-free times while at home. Another tip is to set specific times during the day and an amount of time you can go on social media, so that you engage intentionally. This can be helpful to avoid doomscrolling in the morning when you first wake up or right before you go to sleep. These specific times can allow you to remain in the know while still getting more sleep and engaging in fulfilling activities. Lastly, finding different hobbies to occupy your time can help greatly lower your screen time.
Being stuck in a doomscrolling wormhole can be detrimental to your mental health, but there are lots of tips to help lower your screen time and stop doomscrolling!
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