alt Hacker NewsI must say, I've been engaged in a doomscrolling cycle for quite a while now. And have had periods where I've done it almost religiously. It is addictive. And the effects linger a lot longer than the period of scrolling.
There is a thing I generally believe about neural pathways. That the road we most travel is the one we'll keep going back too. And doom scrolling makes me walk down those paths. To the point that it impairs and guides my thinking even after I stop.
And I have stopped. I have had periods where I have blocked Reddit, HN, LinkedIn. I will find myself walking those paths regardless. And then, after a time, I start seeking out the doom again because it's comforting in it's discomfort.
It's probably the worst moment in recent history for this. The constant barrage of information whether it comes from AI, climate disasters, politics or any of the other myriad things that are occurring right now. It feels impossible to break from that cycle. I'm trying.
I want to be present and live in the moment. But it's hard to feel powerless. And Doomscrolling, while it absolutely doesn't bring power, brings a comforting illusion of it. I am aware of it, so I am at least a little in control.
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> I have had periods where I have blocked Reddit
This alone has helped me immensely. Avoiding the latest ragebait that spills over into other subs from r/mildlyinfuriating alone has reduced my stress level.
To counter myself: I've also had periods where I'm doing two things that really help.
I've been reading a lot (a lot.) of fiction recently. That kind of escapism is fantastic. I love being able to form the images in my head of the books I am reading.
I've been learning another language, and have become proficient enough to read fiction in that other language. I'm nowhere near at a fantastic level, but being able to read in another language, and have those images form is amazing. So far the biggest books I've read in Dutch are Dunger Crawler Carl (which I am now reading the sequels in English.) and Project Hail Mary, which felt cool due to the themes of translating other languages.
I recommend both as a way to try to escape the loop.