This chapter explores how excessive consumption of sad or negative information through doomscrolling can disrupt sleep patterns, increase anxiety and depression, affect concentration, and shrink brain areas. It also discusses the role of empathy in experiencing these effects and delves into whether it is a cause or a result of mental health issues.
If you’ve made a resolution to spend less time on your phone this year, help is at hand. The Guardian has launched a new newsletter, Reclaim your brain. Its co-writer and expert coach Catherine Price tells Madeleine Finlay how her own excessive phone use inspired her to investigate the science behind our relationships with our devices, and what we know about how to break the cycle. And Prof Barbara Sahakian of Cambridge University explains why many of us are drawn to looking at bad news on our phones, and what it’s doing to us. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod