By Passant Hisham

KUWAIT: In an attempt to connect with worldwide issues, one can easily become fully immersed in an infinite loop of scrolling through negative news on social media. It might take hours to snap back to reality and realize that you’ve been engulfed in this behavior, scrolling through the phone in your hand. This draining and potentially addictive behavior is known as doomscrolling, indulging in bad news from around the globe through photos, videos or articles on digital platforms.

It’s crucial not to overlook that the root cause of this act is our natural inclination to constantly seek out risks and threats in our environment, regardless of how depressing it makes us feel. The continuous act of reading and scrolling is an attempt to stay more alert to our surroundings, hoping that more information will help make sense of the traumatic events happening globally.

Dr Ayesha Kamal, a clinical psychologist in Kuwait, explained this phenomenon in an interview with Kuwait Times. Dr Kamal pointed to the Zionist-Hamas conflict, currently dominating our focus, explaining that the urge to connect with the war’s victims triggers the incessant search for such news. This practice stems from the fear that by turning off our phones, we might be perceived as turning our backs on those suffering, closing our hearts to their plight.

Staying informed about global events is informative and healthy, but we must be aware of the potential negative consequences. Dr Kamal emphasizes that even though we consume this news through screens, it can give us a near-to-real-life sense of urgency, as if we are present in the situations these people face.

By looking into these victims’ faces, seeing how they suffer when losing their relatives, we can get a sense of familiarity with their pain. Through the innocent crying of children and the tears frozen in their eyes, we can see a reflection of a pain that we’ve once witnessed before happening to us or to someone whom we are very closely attached to. This emotional human link is what makes us relate to them very strongly, despite how distant they are from us. The constant influx of negative information can feel overwhelming, and the emotional impact — feelings of hopelessness, tragedy, loss, and sorrow — stays with us even after disconnecting from social media, affecting our daily lives and altering our sense of reality, making us think that there’s nothing good in the world.

Dr Kamal acknowledges that overcoming doomscrolling is easier said than done and shares tips to help. She suggests overcoming the sense of guilt by realizing that living our lives normally doesn’t diminish the importance of global issues. Instead of intensively scrolling to feel others’ suffering, she encourages turning those feelings into something helpful and productive, such as supporting causes through donations. “It’s about trying to step back and saying, okay I do feel guilty, I do feel helpless. Let me do something with that feeling,” she said.

Taking a break from the news is essential, and people should find peace in the idea that they can live their lives normally while remaining compassionate. Stepping away for a while doesn’t mean forgetting; it’s about having faith in our human instinct and trusting that empathy persists. Dr Kamal encourages practicing mindfulness, staying anchored in the moment during daily life duties, similar to being present while consuming the news.