College students today are more impacted than ever by the internet and social media. Scrolling on a phone has taken on a whole new meaning and brought with it are a variety of effects. To help college students avoid the cycle of doomscrolling, here are some activities that can be done at Wright State University.
Dangers of doomscrolling
In today's day in age, the world is largely focused on the phones they carry around with them each day. With that device comes social media, the culprit of what is consuming people’s time. The act of mindlessly scrolling on social media has become so popular that this act has recently been given a title: doomscrolling.
While doomscrolling can affect everyone, the current generation of college students are most at risk. Being raised with access to the internet and social media sooner than the generations before them, today's teens and young adults are predominantly affected by this vicious cycle. Doomscrolling has been known to have many negative effects on an individual's health.
“When people doomscroll, it is reported that it can increase or create: anxiety, sadness, uncertainly, a sense of overwhelm, fear, disappointment, discontentment, anger, feeling disconnected, depression, insomnia, jealousy, difficulties with interpersonal relationships and communication, OCD symptoms and 'Crazymaking' (your mind conflicting with opposing information),” University of Colorado Denver article on doomscrolling read.
WSU offers activities and resources that students can utilize to combat the doomscrolling cycle.
Create a pre-class morning routine
“Looking at our phones first thing in the morning deprives us of the time to prepare mentally for the day. The never-ending dump of information leaves us vulnerable to emotional triggers and can create feelings of dread or being overwhelmed,” a Fielding Graduate University article on the negative effects of morning phone usage read.
Avoid beginning your day negatively with a simple morning routine.
Some strong morning routine items would be making your bed, waking up a few minutes earlier to take your time, making breakfast, preparing for your first class or working on a hobby such as reading or journaling.
Create a study group
As WSU reaches the halfway point of the semester, some students may begin to feel a bit of a slump.
Doomscrolling has become a very popular way for students to procrastinate getting work done. One way to stop this from happening is to study with a friend or in a group.
Not only do study groups allow participants to spend quality time with friends, but studying with people can also help keep you accountable by making sure everyone stays on task.
There are many study spots available at WSU that you can utilize to make the most of your time. One of the most popular is the Dunbar Library, as they have seating options for studying with multiple people. Students can rent out study rooms for a more secluded place for group studying.
Utilize resources
WSU has many resources catered towards student success. Oftentimes, students get so busy that they forget to utilize these resources.
Avoid doomscrolling by making an appointment that will provide benefit. Whether that be with an academic advisor, a peer academic coach, a tutor in the success center or the counseling and wellness center, each of these is a way to help refocus on goals.
The people behind these resources want to see students succeed.
Victoria Kunc, a Peer Academic Coach at WSU, has had many instances where students will tell her that their phone and doomscrolling are a big roadblock to their success. When asked if she had any tips to avoid the cycle, she replied with a useful study tip.
“I recommend the Pomodoro technique, which is breaking free time into intervals of the student's choice. The recommended technique is 25 minutes of studying with all distractions put away. After the 25 minutes, the students can take five-to-ten-minute break, then repeat. This helps reduce doomscrolling by setting time constraints,” Kunc said.
Utilize office hours
Office hours are a way to show initiative towards schoolwork and getting to know your professors. Phones and doomscrolling can be a big distraction during classes and lectures, which can lead to students missing information and not grasping concepts.
Attend office hours of professors. Office hours are one on one and in a closer-knit setting than a large classroom, making it much harder to be distracted on a device. This way, one can learn the information, build a relationship and ultimately be successful in the class.
Get involved
Avoid doomscrolling by getting involved on campus. WSU has countless clubs and programs to join. Many of which have internships and paid opportunities.
Campus organizations and clubs are listed on the campus Engage page, along with several events that the campus holds.
In addition to her study tip, Kunc also remarked on the importance of interactions with others at settings like campus events.
“If students tell me that all they like to do is doomscroll, I encourage them to find a hobby, join a club or attend an event. The first step to decreasing time spent in the virtual world is to actually interact with the real world,” Kunc said.
WSU holds a plethora of different events each week. All of which can appeal to many different audiences. Events are not only a great use of time, but they also allow students to meet new people and oftentimes come with perks such as free food, take-home items or prizes and games.
When you catch yourself in a cycle of doomscrolling, remember there are many more effective and positive uses of your time here on campus.
