Do major international crises encourage doomscrolling? When staying up to date affects mental well-being

Prolonged exposure to news and content related to international conflicts and crises has tangible effects on psychological well-being, generating varying levels of stress and anxiety even in people not directly involved. In this context, the increasingly common practice of doomscrolling – compulsively consuming large streams of content on social networks, struggling to stop – contributes to a vicious cycle of worry and hyper-vigilance.

As reported by the U.S. edition of Wired, during events of so-called high media intensity – including particularly significant and constantly covered wars, such as the ongoing one in the Middle East – those who continuously follow updates, including live editions of major international outlets (equipped to monitor crises in real time, especially in early stages), can in some cases develop greater difficulty tolerating uncertainty and interrupting repetitive and negative thought patterns.

An important aspect of these thought patterns, reinforced precisely by the dynamics typical of social networks, is that it is not necessary to be directly involved in a given crisis to be partially affected: mere exposure to images and narratives of inherently traumatic situations can, in certain individuals – especially younger and more vulnerable ones – trigger intense emotional responses, contributing to a significant increase in stress and anxiety levels. In certain circumstances, this can result in a kind of fatigue, where information overload reduces the ability to process news clearly and amplifies a sense of helplessness.

«Bad news is good news»

At the root of the tendency to compulsively consume content and news related to crisis situations, even geographically distant ones, there is a specific cognitive mechanism: the human brain is naturally wired to prioritize information that signals potential danger. This is a long-recognized evolutionary adaptation: the ability to quickly detect a threat increased survival chances, making selective attention a functional advantage – not only in humans.

This cognitive process is partly amplified by the functioning of social networks: by design, they enhance the perception – more or less explicit – that every update may contain something new or relevant. This uncertainty promotes a compulsive form of news monitoring, mixing with other types of content within the same stream: a mechanism reminiscent of variable reward systems, where stimulus unpredictability reinforces the tendency to almost constantly check for new developments.

How to avoid feeling overwhelmed by negative news

During major international crises, information often reaches readers in a fragmented manner: the most common reaction is to constantly monitor their information channels (increasingly represented by social networks), with the indirect goal of reconstructing an inherently complex situation. However, although seemingly rational, this behavior rarely reduces uncertainty; on the contrary, it fuels a vicious cycle that exposes users almost constantly to emotionally stimulating content, with all the attendant consequences.

To avoid this, it is not necessary to stop consuming news about crises, but to learn to regulate its intake — hence the now fairly popular academic concept of a news diet. Suggested strategies include refraining from continuous updates from social networks, choosing instead one or more reputable outlets and setting specific times of the day to consult them, especially during particularly significant conflicts. Reducing or disabling notifications is another useful measure, as it limits constant checking of updates and protects mental well-being; additionally, some choose to take a break from platforms during particularly intense global moments – without deleting their account, but temporarily logging out, so that the inability to automatically access becomes a deterrent.