Episode 44: The Mind Rot of Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling, also known as doomsurfing, is the term used for persistent and excessive reading of negative news online. The constant bombardment of notifications, social media, and digital content has led to a rise in stress, anxiety, and burnout. The need to “always be on and knowing what is going on” is especially affecting our mental health and relationships. There is emerging recognition that this negative digital world is causing brain rot which is the loss of depth in our thinking ability, contemplation, feelings, and emotions, as well as our relationships in relationships and work. As a new media trauma, doomscrolling has been identified as impacting viewers’ emotional and psychological well-being, self-efficacy, and ability to respond to negative information.