Using social media and absorbing upsetting news content can create anxiety, but there are ways to prevent constant scrolling - already tried and tested by teens.
Young people feeling struggling to put their phones down and feeling compelled to keep looking at the often depressing content they're digesting, can leave themselves open to multitudes of problems. From sextortion and cyberbullying , to the negative impact on mental health , those who just can't put their phones down need support.
The act of scrolling through social media and absorbing negative news, even when it can cause stress or anxiety, is referred to as ‘doomscrolling’. It might be associated with teens, but we can all be guilty of it.
However, some teenagers share their own solutions to help tackle doomscrolling, recently revealed by The Conversation . Whether you’re looking at managing your child’s screen time, or you want to stop yourself from mindlessly scrolling, they’re worth considering.
5 tips to prevent doomscrolling
- Uninstall an app temporarily, or don’t install it in the first place. 17-year-old Geoffrey says that he hasn’t installed TikTok at all, because “it takes too much time”. Meanwhile, Juliette, also 17, explains that she will temporarily uninstall an app “just long enough for the tension to subside” – ideal if you’re being bombarded with notifications.
- Deactivate notifications. If uninstalling an app seems a little drastic, you can go into your smartphone’s settings and turn off notifications. This way, if there are news alerts or a friend has sent you a news story, which could lead to another half an hour of scrolling, you simply won’t see it until you decide yourself to go on the app.
- Read positive news stories and subscribe to positive media. Negative news stories make the news because they’re rare, and it’s important to remember that and remind your kids if they feel anxious about what’s going on in the world. As an alternative to the depressing news stories, however, there are positive media outlets that focus on more uplifting stories.
- Find a balance. Teenager Melvin says, “The time you spend [on your phone], it makes you real anxious, but it’s also tricky because you can’t cut yourself off from the world either! You need a balance, you know?” Particularly for teenagers, who might rely on their phones to keep in touch with friends, it’s difficult to avoid social media entirely, but making a plan to factor in time to check social media can be effective.
- Support each other. 14-year-old Nicolas highlighted the hypocrisy of the adults in his life, saying, “My stepfather spends an incredible amount of time on Facebook and then he tells me 'Hey oh, take it easy with Snapchat, Nico’.” Meanwhile, Lucy, 16, says, “It’s not just me, or young people, who have to stop with this, parents are no better and they can’t manage things any better than we can". Be a positive role model for your kids in this regard, and they may emulate your behaviour.
In other related news, these are the two things that parents can do to curb tweens' screen time, and here’s how to reduce screen time for kids. We also share 12 tips for keeping your kids safe on social media.
