Doomscrolling at work hurts more than productivity—it lingers in your mind
Doomscrolling at work wastes time, but the real cost is what happens after
New research from Texas A&M University finds that employees who doomscroll at work are less engaged, not just because of lost time, but because they ruminate on negative news. Across two studies in the U.S. and U.K., Dr. Ian Hughes and colleagues showed that this rumination reduces work engagement, especially among those high in neuroticism. Hughes advises against strict bans, suggesting instead to confine doomscrolling to one physical location, like a comfy chair at home.
Doomscrolling is a sort of double-edged sword in that it is, at its core, an information-seeking behavior, but it's an information-seeking behavior that exposes people repeatedly to distressing or otherwise negative information.
- podgietaru
I must say, I've been engaged in a doomscrolling cycle for quite a while now. And have had periods where I've done it almost religiously. It is addictive. And the effects linger a lot longer than the period of scrolling.
There is a thing I generally believe about neural pathways. That the road we most travel is the one we'll keep going back too. And doom scrolling makes me walk down those paths. To the point that it impairs and guides my thinking even after I stop.
And I have stopped. I have had periods where I have blocked Reddit, HN, LinkedIn. I will find myself walking those paths regardless. And then, after a time, I start seeking out the doom again because it's comforting in it's discomfort.
It's probably the worst moment in recent history for this. The constant barrage of information whether it comes from AI, climate disasters, politics or any of the other myriad things that are occurring right now. It feels impossible to break from that cycle. I'm trying.
I want to be present and live in the moment. But it's hard to feel powerless. And Doomscrolling, while it absolutely doesn't bring power, brings a comforting illusion of it. I am aware of it, so I am at least a little in control.
- Alifatisk
”The effects of consuming negative news during the workday can linger in employees' minds long after they stop scrolling.”
Doomscroll doesn’t necessarily have to be about negative news. I don’t have any social medias but I’ve seen my friends feed, they are pure brainrot.
- GPerson
This really feels like something out of Orwell with some millennial era lingo tossed in.