Catastrophizing: Our Digital Addiction
Have you ever found yourself spiraling into a vortex of worst-case scenarios over something as trivial as a curt text message? If so, you might be a catastrophizer, suffering from a cognitive distortion that leads us to imagine the worst possible outcomes, even when they are highly unlikely. It's a mental habit that, unfortunately, is not very rare.
The other day, I caught myself doing it: catastrophizing. But it wasn’t the first time. Every now and then, I find myself engaging in this dangerous pastime. Someone didn’t say “hello” to me? They must hate me. They will never want to talk to me again. They are plotting against me. An email to a business connection went unanswered? I must have been blacklisted from the industry.
Fortunately, I am usually able to analyze my own thinking and refocus on the facts that I KNOW versus the ones I IMAGINE. That’s how I catch myself in this act of catastrophizing and ground myself in reality.
Several factors contribute to this tendency. One of my partners had a habit of catastrophizing as a way of centering himself. When a catastrophe always seemed imminent, so was my empathy. I’d take care of his panic and put my own concerns, which seemed less important in comparison, on the back burner. Whether he was conscious of it or not, the subtle message over time was that whenever he’d catastrophize, it would shift attention and empathy to him, as well as act as a “get out of jail” card of sorts. This reinforced his commitment to catastrophizing since it was rewarded. Whether intentional or not, it became an act of manipulation.
My own tendency to catastrophize is directed more inward. It reflects a certain insecurity and self-pity, reinforcing my own negative self-talk.
Catastrophizing is also thought of as a survival mechanism rooted in evolutionary biology. For a caveman (or woman), a mere rustle in the bushes could signal a predator ready to strike. Thus, we are wired to detect and anticipate threats, increasing our chances of survival. So perhaps many of us are just genetically predisposed to this temperament. While getting eaten alive is not a reality for most of us, the ancient wiring still kicks in under certain circumstances.
We are also afflicted with the ‘negativity bias,’ which means that our minds place higher value on negatives than positives or neutral occurrences.
Social media, I suspect, plays a significant role in amplifying and promoting catastrophizing. We are constantly bombarded with negative news about wars, political challenges, societal upheavals, and other threats. This kind of content is heavily incentivized, and the flow of this highly selective information is constant. We are far more exposed to negative information than positive, amplifying our fears and anxieties—making us feel like we are under constant threat.
This leads us to catastrophize more.
Adding to this are factors like economic instability, fears about climate change, and armed conflict. Large-scale issues that we have little to no control over contribute to the natural end result of all the little thoughts and panics adding up in a crescendo.
And we are addicted to this.
Too often, those who catastrophize publicly are rewarded for it, especially podcast hosts, media outlets, and influencers. Outrage and doomsaying sells. In the age of increased division, this is even more amplified and promoted. Eg. “If Kamala Harris wins, our border will be invaded by drug dealers and terrorists, the economy will plummet, and all of our kids will be trans-ed.” “If Trump wins, he will eliminate all future elections and throw non-whites into prison.” “We are going to live under communism soon.” “We are going to live in a Handmaid’s Tale if the conservatives win.” Making people afraid of worst case scenarios ensures that they vote for “their” guy.
When the catastrophizing we see aligns with ours, we feel acknowledged in our fears, real or imagined. And so, the fear mongering contagion spreads.
The more often we see something, the more likely we are to believe it (see: “7 Reasons Why We Believe Lies”).
The algorithms play a role in this too. For example, Facebook’s algorithm fostered a preference for rage, weighing an angry emoji at five times the amount of a like and other more positive emojis. This practice was in place for three years, amplifying content more likely to be toxic or misleading.
But even without the effects of algorithms, our own tendency to prioritize and believe the “bad” over the “good” plays a significant role. In the free marketplace of ideas, rage bait is a category leader.
So how do we free ourselves from the grips of catastrophizing?
Most importantly we should question our own thoughts when we catch ourselves spiraling. Ask yourself: What are the facts? Are there truly concrete facts supporting your worst-case scenario, or are you jumping to conclusions? What other explanations exist given these facts? So why choose the worst?
It’s tough, but curating our exposure to incoming data is critical. If we are consistently participating in a cycle of negativity, this can and will affect our minds. Seek balance. While we cannot bury our heads in the sand and hide from darker realities, we should seek positive and neutral content to supplement. The world has both darkness and light.
Voicing your fears to others can sometimes help you find another perspective, particularly when it’s someone you trust to be honest and direct with you. You’ll benefit from their more detached perspective. Sharing with one or two friends is very different from doing the same on social media, which will often attract others who’ll only reinforce your catastrophizing.
Catastrophizing about things that are beyond our control serves no purpose. It doesn’t improve our situation nor our mindset. Instead, focus on the things that can directly improve your situation—even the smallest things, like going for a long walk with your dog or getting your paperwork done, will help empower you.
We need to take charge of our own minds, and not allow the seeds of fear to run rampant and define our thoughts, spiraling into chaos and away from reality.
As always, the trick is to keep breathing—and look for the light in the darkness.
☕️ By popular request, you can also support my work by making a one-off donation via Buy Me a Coffee.
Order my book, No Apologies: How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage―Lessons for the Silenced Majority —speaking up today is more important than ever.
NOTE TO READERS:
Thank you for keeping me company. Although I try to make many posts public and available for free access, to ensure sustainability and future growth—if you can—please consider becoming a paid subscriber. The more paid subscribers I have, the more time I’ll have to work on new essays.
In addition to supporting my work, it will also give you access to an archive of member-only posts. And if you’re already a paid subscriber, THANK YOU!
The catastrophe discourse, fuelled by both media companies and political and religious agendas (as fear of threats make people prioritise security and immediate needs rather than engaging in elite-challenging activities and expanding more liberties and freedoms) works exceptionally well as it taps into the main task of our brains: to keep us safe and alive.
This is so well said and I never thought of this as a category. Thank you, for giving me the understanding and now to take it apart and fix that pattern. <3