A study revealed the dangers of “doom scrolling“, a mental state where a person “turns off” their brain and scrolls through a social media timeline for hours on end.
Also known as “zombie scrolling“, this practice involves “turning off” the brain to allow for the absorption of large amounts of stimuli without having to think much.
This effect is particularly observed in TikTok users and other apps with short videos, such as Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts.
To make matters worse, TikTok, in particular, has an “auto scroll” feature, which automatically scrolls the videos down without the user having to lift a finger.
This phenomenon became the subject of a new study by The Newport Institute, which revealed the health impacts of the practice, which can affect your sleep even if phone use occurred many hours before bedtime.
Additionally, “doom scrolling” can also have a negative impact on your brain, something known online as “brain rot“.
“Brain rot” was described as “a state of mental confusion and cognitive decline that results from excessive screen engagement” by The Newport Institute.
This doesn’t even take into account the impact on mental health, as highlighted by Dr. Don Grant, National Consultant for Healthy Device Management at Newport.
“For young people, the impact of what they see on social media can be extremely disruptive, and the more they do it, the more impacted they will be,” he said.
“Scrolling the screen doesn’t just mean watching something — emotions are tied to it, and it’s personal,” added the expert, explaining that “doom scrolling” prevents people from experiencing real-life things.
Other signs of health to watch out for, according to him, include eye fatigue, difficulty focusing, and a feeling of emotional disconnection from the world around them.
Photo and video: Unsplash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
