NEWS CONSUMPTION IN THE DAILY ROUTINE OF DOOMSCROLLERS

Abstract

Changes in the media environment and the situational context have led to many Russians significantly increasing their news consumption in 2022. Some of them could be described as doomscrollers — overly active consumers of negative news, despite the anxiety and anger associated with it. This article examines how such media repertoires fit into routines, relate to other everyday activities, and are localized in time and space. The empirical basis of the study is 47 interviews with doomscrollers conducted from November 20, 2022 to March 30, 2023. The study shows that news consumption can be integrated into doomscrollers' routines in two different ways. It can be (1) spread out throughout the day or (2) occur at a designated time. In the first case, news fills a person’s free time, including when switching between different tasks. Such distributed consumption of information content can occur in unusual contexts: at a party, at an exhibition, in the shower, in a state of strong alcoholic intoxication, etc. In the second case, informants emphasize that they deliberately choose a time and location for viewing news, which allows them to combine several daily activities or consume information content in an environment that is perceived as safer and more comfortable. The author concludes that high news consumption should be classified as problematic not only on the basis of quantitative indicators, but also on the basis of how it fits into the daily routine and correlates with other daily activities. The particular practices of information consumption identified for doomscrollers are likely a consequence of the transition to highchoice media environment and technological developments. It can be assumed that they are also typical for less active news consumers.