Doomscrolling and Mental Well-Being in Social Media Users: A Serial Mediation through Mindfulness and Secondary Traumatic Stress
Abstract
Considering that large-scale events such as natural disasters, epidemics, and wars affect people all over the world through online news channels, it is inevitable to investigate the impact of following or avoiding negative news on well-being. This study investigated the effect of doomscrolling on mental well-being and the mediating role of mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress in social media users. A total of 400 Turkish adults completed scales to assess doomscrolling, mental well-being, mindfulness, and secondary traumatic stress. The average age of the participants was 29.42 (SD = 8.38; ranged = 18-65). Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the mediating roles of mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress in the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being. Mindfulness and secondary traumatic stress fully mediated the relationship between doomscrolling and mental well-being. The results are discussed in light of existing knowledge of doomscrolling, mental well-being, mindfulness, and secondary traumatic stress. High levels of doomscrolling, which is related to an individual's mental well-being, can predict the individual's distraction from the here and now and fixation on negative news. This situation, in which mindfulness is low, is related to the individual's indirect traumatization and increased secondary traumatic stress symptoms in the face of the negative news he/she follows.
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A study involving 685 participants indicated that the media, especially social networks, can provide support and connection through the dissemination of factual and positive information.
“A study involving 685 participants indicated that the media, especially social networks, can provide support and connection through the dissemination of factual and positive information.”
From Comprehensive review of chronic stress pathways and the efficacy of behavioral stress reduction programs (BSRPs) in managing diseases. (2024) · cites this paper as [144]
Social media can alleviate stress by providing factual and positive information.
“High levels of doomscrolling—the obsessive consumption of negative news—are associated with decreased mindfulness and increased secondary traumatic stress, while social media can alleviate stress by providing factual and positive information.”
From Comprehensive review of chronic stress pathways and the efficacy of behavioral stress reduction programs (BSRPs) in managing diseases. (2024) · cites this paper as [144]
High levels of doomscrolling are associated with decreased mindfulness and increased secondary traumatic stress.
“High levels of doomscrolling—the obsessive consumption of negative news—are associated with decreased mindfulness and increased secondary traumatic stress, while social media can alleviate stress by providing factual and positive information.”
From Comprehensive review of chronic stress pathways and the efficacy of behavioral stress reduction programs (BSRPs) in managing diseases. (2024) · cites this paper as [144]
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“This phenomenon, more popularly known as “doomscrolling”, has been said to fragment attention and reduce one’s ability to focus for continuous periods of time [39].”
Influential
- Authors
- Taskin, S., Yildirim Kurtulus, H., Satici, S. A., & Deniz, M. E.
- Affiliations
- Department of Psychological Counselling Yildiz Technical University Istanbul Türkiye
- Yıldız Technical University (TR)
- Venue
- Journal of Community Psychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2024-03
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 512-524
- ISSN
- 0090-4392 (ISSN-L)
- 1520-6629
- OpenAlex
- W4392347447
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 23 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 5
- FWCI
- 31.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Community Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Yildiz Technical University - AVESIS (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Mindfulness and Compassion Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- doomscrolling, psychological well-being, mindfulness, secondary traumatic stress, social media users, serial mediation, online news
- MeSH terms
- Compassion Fatigue, Adult, Female, Humans, Mental Health, Social Media, Mindfulness
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