The Psychological Toll of Doomscrolling: Big Five Personality Traits as Predictors of Mental Health Outcomes
Author’s Name: Sakshi Virendra Varma Designation: Assistant Professor (Department of Commerce) College: B. K. Birla College of Arts, Science and Commerce,(Empowered Autonomous) Kalyan (W), Maharashtra
Co-Author’s Name: Dr. Kirti Virendra Varma Designation: Assistant Professor (Department of Commerce) College: Changu Kana Thakur Arts, Commerce & Science College, New Panvel (Autonomous)
Abstract :Doomscrolling, the act of continuously consuming negative news online, has become a pervasive behavior in the digital age. This study explores the relationship between Big Five personality traits and doomscrolling behavior, with a focus on mental health outcomes. A quantitative correlational design was employed, with a sample of 73 young adults completing a structured questionnaire assessing personality traits, doomscrolling behavior, and mental health outcomes. The results indicate that individuals with higher levels of openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism tend to engage in more doomscrolling behavior. Furthermore, doomscrolling was found to have a negative impact on mental health outcomes, including increased anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. The findings suggest that personality traits play a significant role in shaping doomscrolling behavior and subsequent mental health outcomes. This study contributes to the growing body of research on the psychological effects of doomscrolling and highlights the importance of considering individual differences in personality traits when examining the impact of doomscrolling on mental health. The findings have implications for the development of targeted interventions aimed at mitigating the negative effects of doomscrolling on mental health.
Overall, this study provides insight into the complex relationship between personality traits, doomscrolling behavior, and mental health outcomes, and highlights the need for further research in this area. In the past few years, the concept of "doom-scrolling," which is completely new in the field of mental health research, has gained a great deal of public interest. The phenomenon of enhanced negative affect following excessive exposure to pandemic-related media has been dubbed "doom scrolling."
Keywords: Doomscrolling, Big five Personality traits, Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Mental Health
