Experts have warned that your social media scrolling habits may impact your relationships as more people choose to doomscroll than be intimate with eachother, but there are ways you can kick the habit
Doomscrolling is taking over – and it’s affecting your sex life according to experts. Sometimes laying in bed, scrolling on TikTok and finding yourself in a deep dive can be a nice way to switch off, but it might be causing harm to your relationship.
Doomscrolling is the act of spending an excessive amount of time on social media scrolling through overwhelmingly negative content. A recent study by technology manufacturer OnePlus found that one in ten Brits are preferring to scroll on their phones, rather than have sex with their partner.
While nearly half (43%) admit the anti-social habit has been the reason for arguments in their relationships. It comes after a woman claimed ‘I regret marrying an older man, one part of our history has given me the ick’.
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The distraction could be one of the biggest ways to pull couples apart. According to Behavioural Psychologist, Dr Linda Papadopoulos, she warns that with constant scrolling “people aren’t just wasting time, they’re losing the opportunity to connect with what really matters”.
While it might feel like doomscrolling helps you to stay informed, research shows that this habit often results in considerable psychological distress. This ultimately leads to lower mental wellbeing, poorer life satisfaction, and reduced engagement at work.
The study further found that 54% of people fall into the habit of doomscrolling in bed – and robbing themselves of much needed rest and peace of mind, which resulted in 44% losing track of time and 17% struggling to sleep. What’s more, the research from OnePlus delved into the nation’s doomscrolling habits, and found that the brain-draining content we all fall victim to was from negative news (32%), to reality TV drama (32%) and rabbit-hole conspiracy theories (26%).
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According to Dr Papadopoulos, we instinctively reach for our phones to “soothe uncertainty” but the constant stream of negative information “heightens our stress levels”. She added: “Over half of those surveyed said they wish they had more hours in the day, yet those hours are quietly being swallowed by an endless scroll. This isn’t a question of willpower or laziness, it’s a reflection of how our brains are wired to seek out threat, novelty, and stimulation.”
So if you feel like your scrolling habit is taking over your social life and relationships, you can make a conscious decision to change it you can replace it with a habit that’s more fulfilling. According to Dr Emma Palmer-Cooper, a Chartered Research Psychologist, having an after-work hobby is linked to better wellbeing and may play a part in reducing work-related stress.
Creative activities in particular are known to encourage a sense of personal fulfilment through developing new skills. Personal fulfilment is important for emotional resilience. Also take time to spend with your partner without your phones to enjoy each others’ company.
“Some of the most beneficial hobbies to try in order to break your doomscrolling habit are those that encourage mindfulness. Doing a hobby mindfully simply means paying attention to what you’re doing and being in the moment – whether that’s colouring, knitting or sewing.”
She noted that activities such as colouring, knitting, sewing and crochet are a good place to start as they involve repetitive, soothing movements along with a sense of achievement.
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