Doomscrolling and Emotional Regulation

Have you ever noticed yourself doomscrolling for a few hours and becoming more anxious? Have you ever scrolled and tossed your phone aside because the content was dissatisfying compared to what you’re used to?

It may only take a minute or two for us to decide if what we’re watching is interesting enough for us to stay. However, platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook have short form videos that mean even if you stay to watch a video, the video may only be thirty seconds or shorter.

Unawares, we may causing our own emotional dysregulation by watching fast paced content to fight boredom. Next time you’re watching, pay attention to the emotions you feel as you watch. Take control of your emotions and your time by making proactive decisions about what you watch. Believe it or not, those ‘how to make $500,000 dollars in only two hours a day’ may be more anxiety inducing than you think. There’s nothing wrong with aiming high, but there’s nothing more effective than using your time proactively and wisely for reaching your goals.