Leila Alabed Week 9 - Scrolling to Our Doom

In recent times, social media has become a powerful force in shaping peoples' opinions across the globe. Platforms such as Instagram, Meta, X, Tiktok and so on have grown from simply being a hub for relatable and comedic content--they now entail political takes backed by misinformation, ever changing trends which fuel overconsumption, all while harboring the inability for an original thought to ever be formed by their users. 


And yet, we can’t seem to get enough of it.


Social media platforms are designed to be addictive, which is what poses them as such a threat to our society. The term “doomscrolling” has been picked up by many platformers on social media lately, and it is defined as the excessive amount of time spent consuming large quantities of negative media; so it is, essentially, scrolling to one’s doom. Research shows that doomscrolling can lead to several psychological issues, including depression due to the brain’s lack of naturally produced dopamine, as well as high levels of anxiety.


You would think that this fact alone would be enough to drive a person off social media forever, however, these platforms have a lot more control and power over our minds than we think. See, addictive algorithms are scientific as well, and they operate in four aspects: variable rewards, social validation, personalization, and instant gratification.


Variable rewards refers to the unpredictability of the content. The variety of the possible types of videos that might pop-up on one’s screen triggers a release of dopamine due to the brain’s excitement and anticipation. The brain then begins to crave more content, which is why you continue to scroll.




Social validation is something we can simply never escape, as it isn’t just an online problem. Though, social media does amplify our desire to be liked; comments, likes, shares, reposts are all ways in which social approval is granted to us while also leaving us craving for more attention.


Algorithms are built to analyze users’ behavioral patterns on our apps, which is what makes our feed so personalized. It feels great! When all the content you're viewing is tailored to you, it's like living in a bubble where everything goes just how you want it to, naturally making one want to consume more. Everything feels familiar and welcoming…until you realize that you don’t have any privacy and social media is stalking your every move.


Putting all else aside, the one aspect of addicting algorithms that is sure to have its users practically racing back to the app would be instant gratification. Social media nowadays is most commonly in the form of quick, no-attention-span-required media. Instant gratification is that fast, yet constant, jolly feeling that makes social media impossible to resist. It's like binging on a whole family-sized pack of Skittles, feels great in the moment, not so great after you’re puking up a rainbow.

Comments

  1. Anika SahaniJanuary 22, 2025 at 6:00 PM

    Hi Leila! I found your scientific explanation of doomscrolling to be quite interesting and informative. This topic is quite relevant to many high schoolers, as it sucks up a lot of time we could spend on literally anything else. This is especially true for me as I find myself feeling absolutely horrible after doomscrolling for a while, as your Skittles analogy so cleverly summarized. If I consume media in any other way, even if it is rewatching a movie or T.V. show for the hundredth time, I at least feel like I did something with my time. If I doomscroll for the amount of time I could have watched an episode of a T.V. show, though, I feel as though that chunk of time just disappeared. I also really appreciate the way that you looked at this topic from many different angles, from a psychological approach to the sheer creepiness of realizing why it is that your algorithm knows you so well.

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  2. Jacob WangJanuary 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM

    Hi Leila. I like how you considerd the power that our technology has over us. After the recent TikTok ban, I was shocked at how many people were taking this extremely seriously. Although I can understand the fear of those who make their living off of social media, it was really surprising to see that this singular app has such a large impact on people's lives. Another power that social media can have over people is social pressure though. I remember a long time ago I fell into a rabbit hole and read a bunch of articles on dumb social media trends that got people killed or seriously injured. To me, the scariest part of the "doomscrolling" phenomenon you mentioned is that I dont realize it's going on. If I am scrolling and I realize, I can usually just drag myself away. The challenge for me is that sometimes tons of time slips away without even noticing.

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