Doomscrolling: Social Media Research Part 1
“Doomscrolling”, the compulsion to continuously scroll through bad news, was a recently coined phenomenon. There has been extensive research into areas of social media addiction, but due to the many facets of how news is consumed, it is important to explore this further. This project outlined the importance of making design choices within social media platforms that promote social and community building and discourage unhealthy behavior.
Research Methods
Survey
Exploratory data about social media use was collected. This inspired the design of the diary study. 51 people were surveyed.
Diary Study
6 participants reflected each day on their social media usage. They also shared screen time statistics and content they read. Start and end interviews were also conducted.
Analysis & Results
Thematic analysis included the categories: Activity, Content, Doomscrolling, Habit, Self-Estimation, Design, and Platforms. Based on the findings and liturature review there were 9 different design claims.
Results
Nine Design Claims
Platforms are used differently but fulfill the same needs
Everyone relates to doomscrolling differently
Doomscrolling is context dependent
Social interaction can encourage or discourage doomscrolling
Platforms and design should take responsibility for doomscrolling
Make algorithms explicit and transparent
Emphasize location and build community
Content impacts mood and facilitates doomscrolling
Ongoing events have no solution
