This tourism board hopes ‘joyscrolling’ through peaceful shots of Iceland is the antidote to 2020

SAM December 21, 2020

screenshots of natural scenes from the joyscroling website — Swap gloomy news for nature (Picture: Inspired by Iceland)

In 2020 we’ve all fallen victim to doomscrolling.

You know, the endless scrolling we’ve done this year through all the disheartening news updates – something which is wreaking havoc on our mental health.

Well, the Icelandic tourism board has launched a new website which is encouraging people to switch their habit for scrolling through gloomy news and replace it with the more positive act of discovering natural scenery.

An act that it’s dubbing as ‘joyscrolling’ (we see what they did there).

The new site from Inspired by Iceland is made up of a 75-foot-long feed of beautiful natural scenes.

The team came up with this figure after they calculated that the average person scrolls through 74.47 feet on their social media feeds every day.

Anyone visiting the website can discover Icelandic waterfalls, wildlife, the Northern Lights and local cuisine. And at the top of the page it tells a user how far they’ve scrolled through the scenes.

The idea is that people can counteract their doomscrolling and the consequent feelings of negativity by using this website which soothes and calms.

On the website, psychologist Emma Kenny explains the benefits of this joyscrolling. She says: ‘There is collateral beauty everywhere you choose to look, which is why, even when there is a great deal of negativity in the world, it is important to joyscroll.

‘Looking at beautiful scenery, reading positive stories and affirmations, and exposing yourself to life enhancing and meaningful moments can make you feel happier, healthier and more hopeful.’