Are you scrolling endlessly? Here's why it's affecting your well-being and mental health

The consequences of this phenomenon on mental and emotional health are indeed beginning to be well documented, as confirmed by Professor Craig N. Sawchuk, professor of psychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester (United States). "Doomscrolling affects mental and emotional health by initiating and amplifying negative emotional states such as depression, anxiety, anger, disgust, etc." The explanation: "The brain automatically tends to pay attention to threat and novelty. Which is exactly what social media offers..." In his eyes, the first steps often appear paved with good intentions: "we simply want to keep up to date with current events, entertainment, influences, etc., according to our own interests."

This content, fueled by social media algorithms, aims to keep our brains "on alert for an extended period." Craig N. Sawchuk adds, "The longer we are exposed to this negative content, the more our mood can decline. We can feel emotionally depressed, anxious, irritated, tense, worried." Not to mention that this time spent interferes with other activities that he describes as "healthier" for our bodies and our mental health: such as talking with loved ones, playing a game, walking outdoors, or simply sleeping.

How to get out of it?

The psychologist insists: "it's important to be aware of how all this works," to better prevent harmful effects. So, before you launch yourself on social networks, he recommends "conducting a brief assessment of your current mood: 0 = negative, 5 = neutral, 10 = positive." Then repeat this assessment after 15 minutes of doomscrolling—by setting a timer... Do you notice after a while that your mood is declining? "Change the content to something lighter or... close the application and switch to a positive activity: call a friend, go outside...", recommends Professor Sawchuk.

And to know how your state of mind is evolving, it's very simple, according to him: "ask yourself if you feel better or worse after spending time scrolling." And also, "take a step back sometimes to see if you have recently stopped or slowed down activities, like practicing physical activity for example." If so, also ask your loved ones what they think. And he concludes: "the goal is to give ourselves a little space to be able to make changes that can improve our mood and our functioning."

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