With social media becoming a much-needed addition to our daily lives, the term, "doomscrolling" – the practice of spending excessive time-consuming negative information or content that makes one feel sad, anxious, or angry through social media – has gained popularity. This is concerning, mostly due to the negative implications of doomscrolling which include mental fatigue, reduced sleep, and an overall degradation of your well-being.

However, with so much going on across the world – from wars to a general sense of feeling unsafe when stepping outside our houses – can we really afford to not stay updated with what's happening around us? Even if staying up-to-date with these occurrences takes a toll on our mental health, can we turn a blind eye to it when the world is burning? What's our minor inconvenience, in a bubble of privilege, to the suffering of Palestine, Syria, Congo, and so many other places and people?

When thought about through the state of the world, doomscrolling becomes a necessary alternative. However, we can take steps to make the process less overwhelming while being responsible in our quest to be educated.

Knowing when to pay attention and when to ignore

It is important to recognise which things are worth your attention and which are not when doomscrolling. Some individuals will continue to instigate chaos simply to remain a part of the conversation while others are content in their cocoon of delusion devoid of accountability.

While we cannot fully prevent it, we can, at least, curtail it by refusing to engage with their content. It will definitely be a difficult feat because unsolicited opinions are available in abundance.

Ignoring the comment sections

Social media comment sections are frequently a grey area. Of course, we are curious to know the perspective of others. The occasional comments echoing compassion and open-mindedness are validating. They instil a renewed faith in humanity, even when it is the bare minimum.

However, in several cases, comments only divulge the indulgence of ignorant people.

The sheer hatred and wilful unconsciousness take up residence in our minds. Surrounded by consistent despair, our mind continues to cling to the whispers of the same tune.

Turning to print media for your daily dose of information

While no one can understate the notable role of social media and, in turn, doomscrolling, we cannot deny that social media, fraught with misinformation, distractions, and often surface-level information, is not without problems. Print media, thereby, can fill in the blanks, through its nuanced and verified information. Even when it was predicted to become obsolete, print media has stood the test of time due to its validity and well-presented thorough content.

Moreover, acquiring information through this channel enables users to grasp the full picture of a particular story. Through this, instead of resorting to instantaneous panic, they can actually gauge the extent of their reaction. In order to hold onto our sanity, media literacy is essential.

This isn't to say that print media can serve as an alternative to doomscrolling, but rather a complement. Besides, given its nature, print media offers limited information at a time, unlike social media or online forums where you're constantly bombarded with new information every hour, a lot of which is often unverified and panic-inducing.

In the modern era, life is a constant battle between clinging to a shred of hope for the world we live in and trying to be a well-informed, functional person. Therefore, partake in doomscrolling if you must, but do so responsibly.

Anica Bushra Rahmaan is a student of Economics at Brac University. Reach her at anicarahmaan@gmail.com