Authors: Alok Pratap Singh, Jashan Sood, Rituraj Saraf

Abstract

In today’s world where every geopolitical conflict and economic uncertainty reaches smartphones within seconds, staying informed has become easier than ever-but disengaging has become increasingly difficult. With constant updates surrounding Operation Sindhoor to growing debates on artificial intelligence and job displacement, young people today are exposed to an unprecedented stream of information that demands constant attention. Although social media and digital platforms have led to increases in the level of awareness and connectivity across society, they have also led to the creation of the phenomenon known as doomscrolling, which describes the compulsively consuming of negative or distressing online content. The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics, causes, and effects of doomscrolling behaviours among members of Generation Z (Gen. Z), who were born into a digitally-connected world where smartphones, social networks, and readily-available real-time flows of information originate from different locations around the globe. The study uses relevant contemporary case studies and examines how people’s engagement with social media has been influenced by uncertainty-driven digital engagement and how this has changed their patterns of information consumption and impacted their overall well-being.

Keywords: Doomscrolling, Generation Z, Wellbeing, Digital Addiction, Digital Dissociation, Psychological distress.