A New Term for the Habit of Consuming Negative News:
What Is "Doomscrolling"?
The smartphone usage rate in South Korea was extremely high, reaching 98% as of 2024. According to the "2024 Smartphone Overdependence Survey" released by the National Information Society Agency, 22.9% of smartphone users were found to be at risk of overdependence.
The main types of content consumed via smartphones are diverse, including movies, TV, videos, social media, games, messengers, shopping, and educational materials. These types of content not only provide interesting and entertaining information but also include provocative or negative information, which can affect users' emotions and cognition.
As consuming information through smartphones has become a daily routine, a new term, "doomscrolling," has recently emerged to describe the unconscious and repetitive consumption of negative news or content.
Doomscrolling is a compound word of "doom" and "scrolling," referring to the act of endlessly scrolling through and consuming negative information such as disasters, epidemics, wars, or economic crises.
Addictive content makes it difficult to stop scrolling, and the psychological tendency to relieve anxiety by seeking new information, combined with curiosity about information, further triggers doomscrolling.
Yoo Youngsun, head of the Department of Psychiatry at Daedong Hospital, stated, "Smartphones are useful tools in modern society, but excessive use and information overload can be harmful to mental health." Yoo added, "When exposed to new information, the brain releases dopamine, resulting in temporary satisfaction or interest. However, if such stimulation is repeated and excessive, the brain's reward system can become overactivated, which may actually lead to anxiety disorders. Therefore, caution is needed."
Yoo continued, "Excessive exposure to negative news, such as through doomscrolling, can lead to an overly pessimistic view of reality, and may also result in mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, as well as sleep disorders. Therefore, it is extremely important to regulate both the quantity and quality of information consumed via smartphones."
Anxiety is a normal emotion that anyone can experience, typically arising in situations of stress, pain, danger, or unexpected circumstances. It manifests as psychological reactions such as discomfort, vague fear, tension, and depression, as well as physical reactions including heart palpitations, muscle tension, rapid breathing, increased sweating, digestive problems, and headaches.
These reactions are generally self-defensive responses to prepare for or adapt to danger. However, if anxiety persists to the extent that it interferes with daily life or if emotional control becomes difficult, an anxiety disorder may be suspected. In such cases, diagnosis and treatment by a psychiatrist are essential.
The causes of anxiety disorders are complex, and they are classified into generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, and panic disorder.
Signs that may indicate an anxiety disorder include: ▲feeling anxious or nervous without a specific reason ▲excessive worry about unlikely dangerous situations ▲imagining only the worst-case scenarios ▲worrying excessively about trivial matters ▲believing that people around you will not help or will be of no help ▲experiencing acute symptoms such as heart attacks or suffocation without any identifiable medical cause. If these situations are repeated, an anxiety disorder should be considered.
Doomscrolling is not just a simple habit; it is a dangerous way of consuming information that can negatively impact mental health, making conscious regulation and self-management habits crucial for users.
It is recommended to limit social media use to within 30 minutes a day and focus on consuming news from reliable sources and positive content. In addition to online activities, engaging in exercise or offline hobbies is encouraged. If anxiety or depression persists, it is important to seek consultation with a psychiatrist.
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