Who is called a doomsurfing addict?
What is bad news addiction? The term bad news addiction has emerged, especially since the Covid-19 process, on the tendency of people to constantly find and read bad, sad, worrying news without being able to control themselves.
The English term doomsurfing or doomscrolling refers to the tendency to keep reading bad news or scrolling to find bad news.
The term bad news addiction has emerged, especially since the Covid-19 process, on the tendency of people to constantly find and read bad, sad, worrying news without being able to control themselves.
Doomscrolling or doomsurfing is the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading large quantities of negative news online. In 2019, a study by the National Academy of Sciences found that doomscrolling can be linked to a decline in mental and physical health.
The word doom in English refers to law or law and then adjudication. Doom also signifies darkness and evil.
Surfing, surfing the Internet; Scrolling means scrolling down.
How does bad news addiction start?
We make a choice when we decide to read, watch or listen to the negative, sad, and worrying broadcasts we are constantly exposed to, from social media to television.
Although this news usually has a short-term emotional effect on us, the negative emotions we accumulate begin to deteriorate our psychological health over time.
The effects of bad news addiction
Studies have shown that following negative news not only increases our stress levels but also changes our mood.
When we can't stop ourselves from listening, watching, or reading negative news, negative news stay in our memory for a longer time compared to positive news and the emotions they create can cause us to experience health problems such as depression and anxiety disorder.
In our world of constant change and uncertainty, doomscrolling, which is associated with keeping a close eye on what's going on with our smartphones, especially on social media, has become more popular with a few articles published in the Los Angeles Times and The Times.
Oxford Dictionary, which chooses one word of the year every year, has included the term 'doomscrolling' in its list of words of the year in its 'words of the unpredictable year 2020' report.
Why do we keep following negative news?
When we feel stressed, hopeless, fearful, or lonely or think the world is dangerous; To confirm this, to prove to ourselves that we are right, we follow the negative news and continue to strengthen our fears and stress.
How can bad news addiction be reduced?
Experts; He says that we should limit the time we spend on social media, stop looking at our smartphones when we wake up and go to bed for a while, and instead of following negative news, it is better to focus on content related to our interests or that will benefit us.
In addition, experts state that we are more inclined to follow negative news when we are tired. Therefore, instead of spending time with our smart devices, especially in the evening; They suggest that we focus on relaxing activities such as exercise, yoga or meditation, and reading.