Transcribe your podcast
[00:00:00]

Hello and welcome to this podcast from the BBC World Service, please let us know what you think and tell other people about us on social media. Podcasts from the BBC World Service are supported by advertising.

[00:00:13]

This is a download from BBC Learning English to find out more. Visit our website. Hello and welcome to the English we speak I'm Safet. And Rob, could we have your attention, please? Oh, sorry if I was just looking at the news on my smartphone, now is not the time to be looking at the news.

[00:00:37]

We're presenting a program.

[00:00:39]

I know, but there's so much news to look at and it's all very, very depressing.

[00:00:46]

Yes, there has been a lot of depressing news recently, but you seem addicted to it.

[00:00:52]

Oh, look at this. Did you know we're all going to die someday? Enough doom scrolling Rob. What's that? Doom scrolling describes continuously scrolling through endless bad news stories on your smartphone app, on social media or on the Internet. It happens a lot during the coronavirus pandemic. And you are obsessed, Rob. You just can't stop reading information that depresses you.

[00:01:20]

OK, OK, I'll try and find some more positive news while we hear some examples.

[00:01:26]

I mean, I've been doing scrolling too much and read so much information about coronavirus that I can't sleep at night. Stop scrolling if you read too much bad news, you'll get depressed. My brother does too much doom surfing. He loves to tell us the latest gloom and doom in the world, so we stop listening to him.

[00:01:50]

Mean this is the English. We speak from BBC, learn English, and we're talking about doom scrolling, also called doom surfing. That's endlessly looking at depressing news stories on your smartphone app, on social media or the Internet. I think it's time we had some good news stories, Rob.

[00:02:12]

Yes. And I think I've got one. Look, kitten that went missing has been found sweet.

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And look at this.

[00:02:21]

New research says Biscuit's don't make you fat. Oh, look at this story.

[00:02:26]

OK, Rob, is there a word for endlessly looking at good news stories?

[00:02:32]

Oh, um, joy scrolling. Happy scrolling. Well, it's good to see you smiling again.

[00:02:39]

Well, we all need something to smile about after the events of this year. I agree. Bye bye.

[00:02:46]

Bye.