Doom Scrolling Is Quietly Damaging Your Closest Relationships, Therapist Warns

Is doom scrolling a problem with any of your relationships?  Rejuv Medical Licensed Therapist Liz Reihm joined me on WJON to discuss.

Doom Scrolling

Reihm says phones were intended to connect us but in some cases excessive phone use is disconnecting us.  She believes due to the amount of uses a phone now has, it has created many interpersonal disconnections with people that are our closest friends or family.  Reihm says doom scrolling can often times give people immediate stimulation, but if done for long periods of time, can have negative effects.  She believes the anticipation of the next video is what is driving people to doom scroll for hours.

Being Present

Four people out to dinner at the restaurant all looking at their phone instead of being present with each other.  Reihm says this type of thing is common.  She believes people can be disconnected despite being physically present with other people.  Reihm says just having your phone visible at dinner is a distraction for 38% of people, even if they aren't currently using it.

Building Relationships

Reihm says relationships are built through attention and shared experiences and not just being physically present with another person.  She believes giving another person attention and emotional presence builds relationships and connections.  Reihm says non verbal cues are over 80% of communication, which is why eye contact and body language, when communicating with another person is so important.

How to Get Better

To improve relationships, Reihm suggests removing the phone from the room for a period of time.  She says the desire to pick it up goes away.  Reihm says having phone free meals, walks or before bed can make a big difference in reestablishing relationships.

If you'd like to listen to my 4-part conversation with Liz Reihm, click below.