If we compare the times of five or six years ago, when people came home from work and engaged in favorite activities such as dancing, singing, or cooking, the situation has changed. Modern Gen Z culture has led to fewer people pursuing their hobbies and passions at home, and more people engaging in 'doomscrolling.'
'Doomscrolling' refers to endlessly scrolling through negative content. This means constantly viewing news or social media feeds containing anxious, stressful, or negative information, even knowing that it worsens one's mood.
Unconsciously, we begin consuming large amounts of negative news, and this starts affecting our daily lives. The main reason for this is the continuous scrolling through Reels on Instagram, where we consume what the feed offers us.
Sometimes we spend the entire night scrolling through the feed without noticing until we receive a notification about data usage limits. Even after that, we cannot fall asleep, feeling regret over the wasted data. Watching Reels is acceptable if it's just a way to pass the time, but as soon as we start watching Reels while doing important tasks, our work begins to suffer.
Excessive scrolling affects productivity: we cannot concentrate on tasks and do not find time for our hobbies or passions. However, the question arises: how to break the 'doomscrolling' cycle?
Firstly, it affects sleep. Watching Reels was acceptable as a short break during work, but now many people look at Instagram and Facebook before bed. This seriously disrupts sleep because constant screen exposure reduces melatonin levels (the sleep hormone) and increases cortisol levels (the stress hormone).
Secondly, there is a waste of time. The 'just one more Reel' cycle invisibly leads to lost hours. We keep watching Reels and wasting time.
Thirdly, it causes mental exhaustion. Constant scrolling reduces the ability to focus on anything for long, as our attention span shrinks to a few seconds. Furthermore, it leads to increased irritability.
The first step is to keep the phone away from the bed. Instead of placing the phone next to the pillow, it should be charged away from the sleeping area. This helps break the habit of picking up the phone every few minutes to watch Reels. It is not necessary to keep the phone near for an alarm clock; it is better to use a separate alarm or another device.
The second tip is the '10-minute rule.' Since completely giving up Reels seems difficult, it is better to set a time limit for watching them. For example, set a timer for 10 minutes and stop watching as soon as the time runs out.
The third point is incorporating reading books or hobbies into free time. As soon as free time appears, we automatically grab our phones and start scrolling through Reels. Although this is convenient, it is problematic in the long run. Therefore, priorities should be set in free time, and one should engage in their hobbies.
To get rid of 'doomscrolling,' it is not necessary to completely give up the phone, but it is necessary to pay a little more attention to other aspects of life.