Doomscrolling
This week at MarineLink…
The term doomscrolling was one of the Oxford English Dictionary's words of the year in 2020.
“the action of constantly scrolling through and reading depressing news on a news site or on social media, especially on a phone”
It rose to prominence during the pandemic, but today’s social, political and economic unrest keeps it current.
The behavior is rooted in the part of the brain often referred to as the lizard brain which promotes self-preservation and drives the fight-or-flight response to danger, fueling the desire to troll for threats.
This week on MarineLink, there has indeed been some threats identified:
The Five Greatest Risks Facing the World in 2025
What Keeps Business Leaders Awake at Night?
Pirates: More Guns, More Hostages
Experts from Harvard say that constantly consuming distressing news can have negative health consequences. One way to avoid excessive doomscrolling is to focus on the good, and MarineLink has also reported on positive developments this week, such as the release of the Galaxy Leader crew as well as cases where people are doing good things for maritime safety:
Four Rescued from Life Raft in Atlantic Ocean
US Coast Guard aircrew, the crew of the Crowley container ship El Coquí and fishermen from the fishing vessel Bonanza rescued four men from a life raft in Atlantic Ocean’s Silver Bank waters north of the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.
NOAA Satellites Helped in Rescue of 411 People in 2024
The same NOAA satellites that followed the moon’s shadow along the path of the Total Solar Eclipse and tracked Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, also helped rescue 411 people from life-threatening situations in the U.S. and its surrounding waters last year.
IACS Introduces Recommendations to Enhance Safety of Surveyors
The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has published guidelines on safety standards for class surveyors work, Rec. 184.
Slow Speed Zone Established in Miami After Accidents
The Captain of the Port for Coast Guard Sector Miami has announced the establishment of a new regulated navigation area for certain waters surrounding Port Miami in response to an increase in vessel traffic and a growing number of incidents.
IHO Member States Adopt S-100 Operational Standards
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) member states have adopted the first set of operational standards within the S-100 framework. The S-100 framework enables the integration of diverse datasets within a single ECDIS to obtain, for example, detailed depth information and dynamic information on water level and currents to enhance situational awareness and decision-making.
Learn more about how to safeguard against the potentially negative effects of doomscrolling here.
