In this guest blog I am sharing the wisdom of Brad Whitehorn, Associate Director at CLSR Inc. I hope you find this blog helpful.
Doom scrolling is supposed to be mindless; we end up doing it after a long day as a way to escape our own realities. You open your phone for just a minute, and suddenly you’re seven videos deep into a series on urban beekeeping, someone’s hot take on productivity hacks that never seem to work, and a breaking news story from a country you didn’t know existed. It feels completely passive and almost hypnotic, but even when you think you’re scrolling aimlessly, your personality is very much awake. You probably don’t realize it, but certain questions pop up automatically in your mind… and not just the Inquiring Greens! Each of us has a kind of mental reflex, a default setting that decides what’s interesting, what’s meaningful, what’s useful, and what’s worth trying.
For some people, scrolling quickly shifts into reflection mode. The Authentic Blue mind reads a story and starts to wonder, “How will this affect people?” or “What’s really going on underneath this?” A short clip about someone quitting their job turns into an internal dialogue about purpose, values, and whether modern work culture lines up with what actually matters. Even memes can spark reflection; Authentic Blues can’t resist asking, “Why does this feel so relatable?” or “What can we learn from this?” Their feed becomes less about content and more about connection. That instinct to look for meaning has its upsides and limits. The gift is depth and insight; the caution is emotional overload when the algorithm keeps serving up heavy content.
For others, scrolling turns into a hunt for answers to anything and everything almost immediately. The Inquiring Green brain can’t help itself. A strange headline pops up and the first question is, “Is that actually true?” Then it’s, “What’s the source?” Followed closely by, “What’s the counterargument?” One post becomes six open tabs. A quick scroll morphs into a deep dive down a rabbit hole or two. Even a random life hack video triggers, “Why does that work?” or “Is there an even better way to do this?” Doom scrolling doesn’t stay passive for long for Inquiring Greens; it becomes a puzzle to solve. That urge to investigate everything has its perks and pitfalls. The upside is critical thinking; the caution? It’s now midnight, and congratulations, you’ve just done an unofficial PhD in random internet topics.
Then there’s some who scroll and start organizing the chaos. The Organized Gold brain doesn’t love randomness, even when pretending to relax. It sees a video on productivity and immediately thinks, “Would that actually work in real life?” A financial advice post triggers, “What’s the step-by-step plan?” A breaking news alert sparks, “What do I need to do with this information?” Even while scrolling, Organized Golds are mentally sorting: useful, not useful, credible, questionable, practical, and unrealistic. They can’t help asking, “What’s the takeaway?” or “What’s the responsible next step?” That urge to make sense of chaos has its benefits and limits. The strength here is practicality; the thing to watch out for is turning downtime into another efficiency project.
And then there’s the Resourceful Orange experience, which is a bit more like digital channel surfing with curiosity fully engaged. A cooking video? “I could try that.” A travel reel? “Could I pull that off this weekend?” A new gadget? “What happens if you push it further?” Resourceful Oranges can’t resist asking, “What if?” and “Could I do that differently?” The scroll becomes a launchpad for action. They save posts, send links, and try the hack five minutes later. That curiosity and impulse to experience new things comes with bonuses and pitfalls. The strength is adaptability and experimentation; the risk is abandoning one idea halfway through because the next intriguing possibility just appeared.
Same phone, same apps, entirely different internal dialogue. What’s interesting is that doom scrolling exposes what already has your attention in everyday life. If you naturally look for meaning, your feed becomes a values conversation. If you look for patterns and proof, it becomes a research rabbit hole. If you’re wired for structure, you’re scanning for usable systems. If you’re driven by action, you’re spotting opportunities to try something new. You may think you’re just passing time, but your personality is wide awake, deciding what you linger on, what you question, what you save, and what you swipe away without a second thought.
Doom scrolling might feel random, but it really isn’t. It’s your personality asking the same questions it always asks… just faster and with better Wi-Fi.
Retrieved from https://personalitydimensions.com/doom-scrolling/
Certified Personality Dimensions Facilitator Tammy Adams, loves to problem solve, inspire and motivate others who are ready and committed to change. Tammy has spent over 30 years in the field of education and as a Certified Life/Executive Coach Tammy teaches individuals to challenge and conquer their limiting beliefs and insecurities to create the life of their choosing. As a Grief Recovery Method Specialist Tammy understands that unresolved grief can limit an individual’s capacity for happiness and is gifted at supporting individuals through the pain and isolation cause by an emotional loss, of any kind, to a place of happiness they believed no longer existed. A Tammy client testimonial, “Tammy helped me unpack the baggage and put a smile on my face in the process. It’s a rare quality for someone to fully listen without judgement yet still steer you in the right direction.”
To learn more about Intuitive Understanding please visit www.tadams.ca or contact Tammy by email at tdadams@rogers.com