Lesson: Doomscrolling
New words are often born out of necessity. The COVID-19 pandemic made many previously obscure terms household words. Terms such as social distancing, PPE (personal protective equipment) and, of course, doomscrolling – the tendency to continue to scroll or surf through bad news even when you know you’ve had enough – have become commonly used in daily conversation. This tendency doesn’t seem to be discussed as much in Japan as it is overseas. Perhaps that’s because the pandemic is not as harsh here, or it may be that the Japanese are less inclined to discuss their feelings with others. Either way, in this lesson, we’ll discuss doomscrolling, the reasons for doing it, its effects, and how to stop it. Take it easy, don’t overdose on negative news, and we’ll talk soon.
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Example Article
Each conversation topic is based on a theme. In order to help students acquire a basic understanding of that topic, four media articles are provided for them to read. I will never test you on the articles, but I strongly suggest you book lessons far enough in advance to give yourself enough time to properly prepare. The better prepared you are, the more benefit you will receive from our conversations.
Below is an example article for this conversation topic.