Doomscrolling fueling existential crisis in readers, leading to “secondary PTSD”

While media is largely run on the “if it bleeds, it leads” principle, a new study finds that doomscrolling through endless bad news on social media is shaping people's perceptions of the meaning of life.

Positive or neutral news in the media industry is often disregarded as no news at all. On the contrary, negative news, which triggers emotions of anger, fear, disgust, or sadness, ensures greater readership, higher ratings, and more clicks.

Negative news is more triggering for evolutionary reasons. Bad news increases alertness, which has been an essential trait for survival throughout history. However, media content has the power to shape audiences' minds and implant specific assumptions, tendencies, and attitudes.

Scientists have warned that so-called doomscrolling, or continuous scrolling through negative or distressing news on social media or news websites, is affecting readers' mental health.

A study published in the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior Reports says that constant exposure to bad news is causing second-hand posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSD).

Exposure to traumatic events through doomscrolling can fuel anxiety and negative moods, which, in turn, can undermine life's meaning. Anxiety and depression have been associated with a lower perception of meaning in life.

While there is proof that challenging life events have the potential to shatter a person’s belief system and ultimately threaten mental health, constant exposure to negative news through doomscrolling works similarly. It might become a reminder that humankind is imperfect and there’s no justice in the world.

The researchers studied 800 university students who were active social media users from Iran (University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran) and the United States (University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Missouri).

The results showed that doomscrolling was associated with existential anxiety in both Iranian and American samples. Doomscrollers experience higher levels of stress following the consumption of negative news, which fuels their existential concerns, potentially leading to secondary PTSD.

For Iranian students, doomscrolling was also associated with misanthropy or a profound sense of hatred and distrust towards humankind.