Input = Output

I’ve been thinking a lot about some changes I need to start making in my life. One of the largest issues I’m faced with, and many others are faced with too, is the intake of media. I spend so much time mindlessly scrolling or watching shows, that it affects my mood and ability to connect with people. Why is that?

If we look at an article by Psychology Today called “The Dangers of Doomscrolling,” we can identify the effects that media has on our brains from a psychological standpoint. The constant negative stimulation (because let’s be real, we are drawn to negative news and TV shows) causes over stimulation in our amygdala (which controls the fight or flight responses in our brain), cutting back on the time the prefrontal cortex should be stimulated (the part of our brain that helps us think critically). So, in this alone, we are diminishing our “decision-making and impulse control” abilities. But it doesn’t just stop there. The neuroplasticity (the ability for our brains to change and develop) becomes affected. Author Susan B Trachman M.D. of this Psychology Today article writes that “doom scrolling can condition your brain to expect and find negative news, which ingrains the cycle.” The feedback loops that are already occurring within our brains due to the neuroplastic structure is feeding our brains negative news which in turn makes us crave negative news and affects our outlook and output on the world around us.

Reading this article confirmed something I’ve known and avoided: that my input affects my output. I’ve noticed a shift as technology has grown and its prominence has taken over our everyday lives. I sit at a screen all day every day because that’s what a lot of work environment’s look like nowadays. I truly miss the face-to-face world we once encountered. But since we have entered this new era, there are some things I can control when it comes to media and what I choose to consume.

Rather than doomscrolling or watching things that make my amygdala work in overtime, I can choose positive forms of media and/or a break from media altogether.

When we trigger the fight or flight response of our amygdala, stress and adrenaline hormones flood our body and with them come high emotions. If we’re constantly causing our body to go through this stressful wave of emotions, then we’re constantly creating an upward battle of fear. Our fight or flight response is only meant to be evoked when we’re experiencing a life-or-death situation (or a highly perceived one). We weren’t meant to face this level of fear every day.

Philippians 4:8 ties this all together as Paul writes, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” God tells us to think about things that are good rather than focusing on things that will lead to hurt. We have a choice; we can choose what we input into our minds. Because our input directly affects our output through feedback loops and through the effect our environment has on our mindset, we really need to start focusing on what we’re allowing into our minds. Ask yourself: Is this form of media helping or hurting me?

When we take in positives such as affirmations and reading the Bible, we trigger our prefrontal cortex and decrease the amygdala’s function. And on a perversive note, when we surround ourselves with positives, even stemming from our own thoughts, we are more likely to put out positives and have a positive outlook (mindset).

Think about the correlations in your personal life. Make the choice to create better habits so that you can build new feedback loops in your mind. Want to get back into reading? Want to put down your device? Want to start feeling less frustrated and irritable? It all starts with your input.

“The Dangers of Doom Scrolling.” Psychology Today, 2024.