252. The psychology of doomscrolling

There is a lot of terrible news out there, so much so that we could spend every hour of every day reading it and still not be done. What's worse is that we can now access that news at any time, any where, any place from our phones and this has lead to a phenomena known as doomscrolling. Doomscrolling may feel comforting, but it leads to more existential anxiety, stress and apathy. It's not great for our mental health. Today we break down: • What are the different types of doomscrolling • Why do anxiety and doomscrolling actually feed off eachother • How social media and the infinite scroll keeps us addicted to negative news • The consequences for our psychology • How to maintain better news and social media hygiene • The best practices for being informed but not overwhelmed For my fellow doomscrollers who can't look away from the end of the world, this episode is for you. PREORDER MY BOOK: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/755841/person-in-progress-by-jemma-sbeg/ Follow Jemma on Instagram: @jemmasbeg Follow the podcast on Instagram: @thatpsychologypodcast For business: psychologyofyour20s@gmail.com The Psychology of your 20s is not a substitute for professional mental health help. If you are struggling, distressed or require personalised advice, please reach out to your doctor.

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