A recent study shows that doomscrolling at work causes hidden problems. Doomscrolling is the habit of reading negative news on social media. The research was led by Ian Hughes at Texas A&M University.
Researchers studied workers in the United States and the United Kingdom. They found that employees who doomscroll during work hours think too much about bad news. This leaves their minds busy and lowers their work engagement.
People often check social media because they want to understand difficult situations like wars or pandemics. However, looking at disturbing content makes it hard to focus. Instead of strict phone bans, experts suggest that people set personal boundaries outside of work.
Difficult words
- study — a careful examination of a subject or problem
- employee — a person who works for another person or companyemployees
- engagement — how much attention and interest a person gives to their work
- boundary — a limit that separates one area or activity from anotherboundaries
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why do people often check social media for difficult situations?
- How do you usually try to stay focused when you are working?
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