Wired Word Lesson of the Week
Topic for Sunday, October 4, 2026:
Choose 'Bloomscrolling' for Better Health, Say Researchers: We will look at the cultural trend of "doomscrolling" and consumption of vast amounts of violent content through movies and television to consider how the things we watch shape us, for good or ill.Â
In the News
Award-winning author Pamela Hill Nettleton recently wrote an article posing the question, "Why do we voluntarily expose ourselves to violent stories on screen?" For millennia, humans have told ghost stories around campfires, visited haunted houses on Halloween, watched horror movies, and read scary fairy tales about witches and ogres in dark woods to little children at bedtime that gave them nightmares.
Nettleton wonders why are we so willing to subject ourselves to so many scenes of torture, seemingly so fascinated and entertained by violence to the point of psychological addiction. "We venerate hurting and killing one another, and we eat popcorn while we view it. We scare ourselves into believing that the world really is terrifying, that danger lurks around every corner, and that we should trust almost no one," she says. When we consume so much violence, we can minimize and become numb to it, eventually normalizing it as "just the way things are."
George Gerbner, early researcher into media violence, discovered that the more violent entertainment people consume, the more they believe that the world is a scary place. He testified before Congress in 1981 that "fearful people are more dependent, more easily manipulated and controlled, more susceptible" -- leading them to be more open to oppressive governmental policies that promised security and protection to ease their fear.
Gary Slutkin, a physician and former director of interventions for the World Health Organization, writes that violence "is an acquired illness. And contagious. ... In other words, we catch violence by primarily seeing it. ... there are now over one hundred studies showing that exposure to violence makes people more likely to be violent."
Nettleton asserts that so many violent stories are "a distortion of who we are and certainly a corruption of who we are called to be. We have other stories to tell one another -- about understanding and healing, learning from mistakes, pursuing restorative justice, growing and deepening in our own humanity. ... we could choose to venerate complex, redemptive, intriguing, realistic, heartbreaking, uplifting stories in which no one is slaughtered, raped, or shot."
Niloufar Nekou, marriage and family therapist and chief clinical officer at Care Predictor, suggests that rather than mindlessly doomscrolling through whatever anxiety-heightening content shows up on your feed, we might practice "bloomscrolling," which is "the conscious act of seeking out uplifting, beautiful, or inspiring content to protect your peace, lift your mood, and cultivate digital wellness."
Becoming the curator of what you place in the museum of your mind's eye restores your sense of agency as you intentionally select inspiring art, music and dance clips, heartwarming stories of human acts of kindness, beautiful nature or funny animal videos, educational material and other content that brings you feelings of joy, peace and thankfulness.
Sanam Hafeez, PsyD, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, says bloomscrolling "does not mean pretending that bad things are not happening or completely avoiding the news. It is more about creating a healthier balance so that everything you see online is not making you feel anxious, angry, or overwhelmed."
Bloomscrolling allows you to indulge your natural curiosity about the world, which helps build empathy and reminds you that positive things are still happening in the world alongside the negative, Hafeez adds.
Emma Dunwoody, a behavioral expert and business/life coach, suggests creating device-free zones at bedtime and during meals. "The goal is to make your phone work for you, not against you, [and] create space for intentionality."
Setting a time limit for on-screen time or putting your device aside once you've achieved the morale or mood boost you need can help, Hafeez said. Then find ways to reconnect with humans in the real world, which is the only "real cure for constant digital overload," according to Nekou.
Quynh Mai, CEO of Qulture and a leading expert on Gen Z cultural trends, commented that "Every generation, especially Gen Z, is growing nostalgic for a time when life seemed a lot simpler, when people were able to connect with each other, nature, or even spend time on their own, lost in their thoughts." Some people are increasingly seeking ways to unplug from 24/7 digital stimulation in favor of offline experiences as a way to lower stress and improve mental and physical health.
Some companies now offer digital detox retreats in which guests surrender their devices and participate in screen-free experiences in dining, nature, travel to new environments, contemplative activities, or spa treatments.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Violent Media Distorts Our Perception of God's Good World. U.S. Catholic
The Silent Way Your Phone is Sabotaging Your Mind -- and How to Fight Back. Yahoo
The End of Violence: Eliminating the World's Most Dangerous Epidemic. Gary Slutkin, M.D.