Doomscrolling: Why We Just Can’t Look Away

guest · Jun 27, 2020

Everything you need to know about 'doomscrolling'
What is 'doomscrolling' or 'doomsurfing'? Is it really bad for you?
June 26, 2020
https://www.livemint.com/mint-loung...-know-about-doomscrolling-11593142867930.html

If you find yourself scrolling on your smartphone every night these days to know more about the covid-19 pandemic, then you are not alone. Users around the world are going from one news update to another, seeking answers to endless questions. Here's a look at five key questions around this phenomenon.
What exactly is it?
It’s a term (a verb) that has been resuscitated by the covid-19 pandemic. If you find yourself aimlessly scrolling from one bit of bad news to another, be it on a website or social media networks, you are essentially “doomscrolling" or “doomsurfing".
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Why is it trending right now?
The Merriam Webster website recently listed “doomscrolling" and “doomsurfing" as words that are increasingly being seen in use but are “yet to meet the criteria for entry" into the dictionary.
[...] it has been one of the most searched terms on the internet globally since the turn of the year.
But why do we keep scrolling?
It’s a combination of the user experience design on websites, social media platforms and the brain’s tendency to prioritize bad news. “
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zapjb · Jun 27, 2020

DoomScroll The Game, the game you're already playing!

guest · Jun 28, 2020

Doomscrolling is slowly eroding your mental health
Checking your phone for an extra two hours every night won’t stop the apocalypse
June 27, 2020
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/06/doomscrolling-is-slowly-eroding-your-mental-health/

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic left a great many people locked down in their homes in early March, the evening ritual has been codifying: Each night ends the way the day began, with an endless scroll through social media in a desperate search for clarity.

To those who have become purveyors of the perverse exercise, like The New York Times’ Kevin Roose, this habit has become known as doomsurfing, or “falling into deep, morbid rabbit holes filled with coronavirus content, agitating myself to the point of physical discomfort, erasing any hope of a good night’s sleep.”
Now, the only thing to binge-watch is the world's collapse into crisis.

There are unlimited seasons, and the promise of some answer, or perhaps even some good news, always feels one click away.
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Doomscrolling will never actually stop the doom itself. Feeling informed can be a salve, but being overwhelmed by tragedy serves no purpose.
Amidst all of the pain, isolation, and destruction of the past six months, it’s not worth it to add on to the strain with two hours of excess Twitter every night. Perhaps now just needs to be the End Times for your timeline.
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guest · Aug 4, 2020

Presenting The Endless Doomscroller
August 4, 2020
https://gizmodo.com/presenting-the-endless-doomscroller-1844608491

I stared down my life, past, present, and future—thanks to The Endless Doomscroller.
You may not call it doomscrolling, but if you own a smartphone, you’ve probably done it. It’s when you turn off the TV news and optimistically escape to bed with a book, then wonder what the case count was in your city yesterday, so you Google the New York Times tracker, and then you notice the latest tweets and get sucked into the app, and then suddenly you realize it’s 3 in the morning.

Grosser told Gizmodo that he published the work in mid-July after finding himself compulsively navigating through bad news late at night during the pandemic.

“But my doomscrolling isn’t just a natural reaction to the news of the day—it’s the predictable outcome of a perfect yet evil marriage between a populace stuck online, social media interfaces designed to game and hold our attention, and the realities of this existential global crisis.”
Grosser said he drew primarily from r/coronavirus, r/politics, Twitter, Facebook, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
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guest · Oct 8, 2021

Tim Cook: We don't want Apple devices to be used for "endless, mindless scrolling"
The Apple CEO believes technology should improve your quality of life
October 8, 2021
https://www.techspot.com/news/91661-tim-cook-dont-want-apple-devices-used-endless.html

In context: Aza Raskin is widely credited for the creation of the infinite scrolling mechanism that's been implemented on social media, and he's been open about how it has regrettably turned into something that keeps people glued to their phones and leads to addictions, distraction, polarization, radicalization, and disinformation. Apple CEO Tim Cook agrees with this notion, and says the company wants people to use its devices for creating and connecting with friends and family.

One of the hotly-debated topics of these past few years is social media and how it has conditioned people into spending hours on end glued to their devices. Apps like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and others are crafted in a way that encourages you to engage with an endless string of content that is algorithmically sorted to fit your preferences or favorite personalities and organizations.
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During an interview with Bustle, Tim Cook expressed his support of Shine -- an app that's designed to help users tackle social stigma around mental health issues, both in their personal life as well as at work.

Cook explained that "we want people to do things with their devices, like the photography exhibit [that he enjoyed earlier that day], or connecting with family and friends with FaceTime. Not endless, mindless scrolling." He's a strong proponent of the idea that "technology should serve humanity and not the other way around."
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guest · Nov 10, 2021

Instagram test reminds you to 'take a break' from non-stop scrolling
You'll still have to exercise some self-discipline.
November 10, 2021
https://www.engadget.com/instagram-take-a-break-feature-test-174615380.html

Instagram is acting on its promise to encourage healthier social media habits. Social network head Adam Mosseri has revealed that Instagram started testing its hinted-at "Take a Break" feature this week. Opt in and the app will remind you to do something else after 10, 20 or 30 minutes, whether it's a to-do list item or just listening to your favorite tune.

You'll see the option in the "coming days" if you're part of the test. Mosseri hoped to launch the feature for everyone in December. He stressed that Instagram would "take feedback" and refine the design, so you might not have to worry if it doesn't function as you'd hoped.
This is still an improvement, though, and may help if you just need a gentle reminder to put down your phone.
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