ReThinking How to stop doom scrolling — and have a better experience online with Jay Van Bavel
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Sep 10, 2024 Jay Van Bavel, an award-winning professor of psychology and neural science at NYU, dives into the psychology behind doom scrolling. He explains why negative news grabs our attention and how social media algorithms amplify this effect. Van Bavel offers strategies to promote positive online experiences and discusses the importance of finding common ground to combat division. He shares insights on bridging generational divides and the nuances of patriotism versus nationalism, all while emphasizing the need for inclusivity and cooperation.
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Doom Scrolling and Negativity Bias
- News interwoven with social media creates an attention economy.
- Negativity bias and threat avoidance drive engagement, resulting in a depressing doom cycle.
Evolutionary Basis of Negativity Bias
- Negativity bias is observed in children and primates, suggesting evolutionary roots.
- One negative reaction can trigger fear, highlighting a preparedness to learn about danger.
Upworthy's Headline Experiment
- Upworthy A/B tested headlines, revealing that negative ones generated more engagement.
- The same news story with a negative headline consistently outperformed positive ones.
