Psychologist warned about the depressing causes of "autumn scrolling" of social networks

The phenomenon of "autumn scrolling" is a consequence of the combination of several powerful psychological mechanisms. Elena Shpagina, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Institute of Management Technologies of RTU MIREA, told about this on Monday, November 17.

According to the psychologist, November in central Russia is a time when a natural shortage of sunlight and a reduction in daylight objectively affect the psychophysiological state, which can provoke the so—called seasonal blues, or a subclinical form of seasonal affective disorder.

"Against this background, social networks are turning from a communication tool into a powerful catalyst for negative experiences," the specialist warned in a conversation with Lenta.Ru .

Shpagina explained that in November, our own reality is gray outside the window and rain, and at the same time, algorithms continue to show glossy pictures from other people's lives.

"There is a cognitive dissonance: our life does not correspond to the "average" bright content that we see. We unconsciously begin to compare our routine with the culminating moments of others' lives, which naturally generates feelings of inferiority, longing and the conviction that our lives are passing by," the expert said.

The psychologist added that social media algorithms, set up to hold attention, quickly pick up on the fact that in a state of mild melancholy, our brain involuntarily searches the information stream for something that corresponds to its current mood, and begins to slip sad posts, news about crises, discussions about how bad everything is.

"We find ourselves in an echo chamber of our own anguish, where the content is not diversified, but, on the contrary, strenuously mirrors and aggravates our condition," she said.

To get rid of these effects, the psychologist advised conscious management of your digital consumption: clean your feed from accounts that cause envy or feelings of inadequacy, and subscribe to resources that carry a neutral or positive charge. It is also possible to replace surrogate impressions in social networks with real ones, she concluded.

Why we feel sad in autumn: a scientific explanation of seasonal apathy and ways to overcome it

Earlier, on November 5, Popular Science magazine reported that with the onset of winter and the shortening of daylight hours, many people are faced with a violation of energy, mood and daily routine. This condition is called winter blues and, in a more pronounced form, seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Although the exact cause is unclear, it is believed that this is due to a lack of natural light, a violation of biorhythms and a decrease in serotonin levels. Low light levels contribute to a decrease in serotonin, while melatonin levels remain elevated during the day. This leads to increased drowsiness and fatigue.

Informal communication helps to combat the autumn decline of strength. In addition, relationships with superiors, good lighting, and for everything to bloom and smell are important — there should be plants in the office, according to the website. kp.ru . According to psychologist Marina Krapivnaya, during such periods it is important not to overexert yourself with additional activity, but to gently maintain your tone through light, movement and contact with other people.

On November 12, Lev Perezhogin, a psychotherapist, told NSN in an interview that the autumn blues are not exclusively a Russian feature, but are inherent in the majority of the world's population. He stressed that setting short-term goals helps to cope with the autumn decline in strength and maintain working capacity. 360.ru .

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