How your phone might be feeding your anxiety
Have you ever picked up your phone to check one thing, only to look up thirty minutes or an hour later and realise you have been scrolling through bad news, arguments, disasters and disturbing stories? You are not alone. The post How your phone might be feeding your anxiety appeared first on Ghana Business News .
Engrossed in your phone, you may find yourself scrolling through distressing news, arguments, disasters, and unsettling stories without realizing the passage of time. This behavior, known as doomscrolling, involves repeatedly consuming negative or unpleasant online content, even when it exacerbates your feelings of distress. The more you engage, the more negative material platforms may present to you, creating a challenging cycle to break.
Signs of doomscrolling may be subtle, such as telling yourself "just one more post" and then losing track of time, or experiencing discomfort when separating from your device. If scrolling impacts your mood, concentration, sleep, or daily activities, it might be time to reevaluate your online habits. Doomscrolling's effects extend beyond online time.
Constant exposure to fearful, angry, or negative information can heighten stress and anxiety, making the world seem more perilous than it truly is. It can also leave you mentally fatigued and distracted from personal pursuits. Social media feeds are not a complete representation of reality. Algorithms, the instructions guiding apps in content selection based on user activity and interests, often prioritize attention-grabbing and emotionally charged stories.
If you suspect you are trapped in this cycle, start small. Establish designated times for social media use and employ a timer if needed. Upon noticing a repeated pattern of negative content consumption, put the phone down and engage in offline activities for a few minutes. You can also unfollow or mute accounts that consistently present distressing content, replacing them with educational, uplifting, or genuinely useful sources.
Most importantly, question your scrolling intentions before diving in: "Am I seeking information, or am I simply consuming more because I cannot stop?" To prevent doomscrolling from becoming a habit, turn off unnecessary notifications, avoid leaving social media apps open continuously, and establish phone-free periods, especially before bedtime.
Instead of instinctively reaching for your phone when bored, consider alternative activities like reading, conversing with others, listening to music, exercising, taking a walk, or pursuing a hobby. If following a significant news event, select a reliable source and check it at specific intervals instead of incessantly refreshing your feed.
While staying informed is crucial, being informed does not equate to being online constantly. Media and Information Literacy entails recognizing not only what information to consume but also when to disengage from it. Your attention is a precious resource, so deliberate about where you allocate it. The objective is not to disregard global events but rather to remain informed without allowing an endless stream of negative content to dominate your day.
Written by urgent.news from Ghana Business News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
