Doomscrolling vs Bloomscrolling: Nowadays, as soon as we get our smartphones in our hands, we start scrolling through reels and news. But do you know that watching negative news can cause serious mental illness. It’s called doomscrolling. However, now a new trend of bloomscrolling has come on social media which is showing the path to mental peace.
Social media has become an important part of our lives but the way we use it determines our mental health. Nowadays the word Doomscrolling is much discussed. This is a habit in which a person keeps reading war, epidemic, crime or sad news for hours. According to the information, this habit is gradually making the person a victim of problems like anxiety, stress and insomnia.
Doom means doom or destruction. When we consciously or unconsciously scroll through only negative news on social media, our brain goes into fight or flight mode. This increases the level of cortisol (stress hormone) in the body. This problem is especially visible among Gen-Z and youth because they spend a large part of the day on screens. By continuously watching negative content, a person starts feeling unsafe in the world, which is also called mean world syndrome.
Young man using social media on mobile (Ms. Freepik)
Unlike doomscrolling, now the trend of bloomscrolling is becoming increasingly popular. Bloom means to blossom. Bloomscrolling is the practice in which you intentionally view positive, inspirational, and relaxing content in your feed. This includes nature photos, cute animal videos, motivational quotes or gardening videos. This habit helps in releasing happy hormones like dopamine and serotonin in the brain which instantly refreshes the mood.
If you can improve your mental health by controlling your digital diet. Some easy steps can be taken for this.
Set an app timer in your phone so that you do not use social media more than a fixed time.
Immediately remove pages or accounts that spread only sensational and negative news from your feed.
Stop using the phone at least an hour before sleeping. Doomscrolling in the dark of night ruins sleep quality the most.
Intentionally follow accounts that teach you something new or bring you joy.
Technology is not bad but our attitude towards using it determines our health. Next time you scroll, ask yourself whether this news is giving you doom (stress) or bloom (relaxation).
