Doom Scrolling and Existential Anxiety among Young Adults: Unlocking the Gendered Perspective

Abstract

With growing usage of digital media and increasing global crises, the continuous exposure to negative content heightens the challenge to find a sense of meaning. The present study aimed to investigate the moderating role of gender between the relationship of doom scrolling and existential anxiety among young adults. A cross-sectional study was carried out with a convenient sample of 176 participants aged 20–35 years, collected through convenient sampling. Results of moderation analysis showed that doom scrolling and gender were found to be significant positive predictors of existential anxiety. The interaction effect of doom scrolling and gender was also found to be significant, indicating that the nature of the relationship between doom scrolling and existential anxiety becomes positive for men. These insights could inform gender-sensitive interventions aimed at mitigating the concerns related to existential anxiety.

JEL Classification Codes: I12, I23, I31, D91