Effects of Spam on Mental Health

Spam Calls. A word that seldom arouses any positive emotions in the person who hears it. A word amongst others of its kind, such as spam texts, scam calls and phishing SMS’s, that seem to flood subreddits, Twitter threads and other social media discourse. If you’re receiving a bulk of spam everyday, remember you’re not alone.

Spammy, spammier, spammiest

First Orion, a call protection agency, reveals that spam calls have been increasing exponentially each year, accounting for over 50% of phone calls in 2019. According to mental health professionals, if you’re already feeling emotionally taxed, receiving spam calls can be psychologically triggering. What used to be a call history filled with aunts and uncles, friends and colleagues, and the local delivery guy, is now swamped with telemarketers selling credit cards and insurance salesmen and telecallers posing as bank employees, trying their best to earn an easy paycheck.

Spam on my mind

Melanie Shapiro, a certified psychotherapist, explains that receiving a spam call does not just annoy you, it can also set off a series of chemical reactions in your brain that can be quite dangerous. She further states that if someone is already struggling with feelings of emptiness, loneliness, anxiety and depression, spam calls can only add to the distress by triggering the central nervous system and sending out panic signals.

Bearing deeper consequences

Money and Mental Health Policy Institute found in a 2020 study that people with mental health problems are three times more likely than the rest of the population to have fallen victim to an online scam. 61% of the surveyed online scam victims had experienced a mental health problem. Online scams can have far-reaching negative effects on victims’ lives. These scams can be financially damaging and devastating for those with mental health problems, who are more likely to be living on a low income.

Beyond financial impact, online scams can also have a traumatic impact on the victim’s mental well-being. The same study observes that 40% of all online scam victims have felt stressed as a result of the scam in question. Many of them feel embarrassed and ashamed of having fallen prey to the scam, possibly even spiraling into a long-lasting impact on their confidence while using the internet for routine activities.

Pulling the blinds on spam

What are the options one has to avoid spam calls and messages, and keep one’s sanity intact? Most ‘experts’ on the matter would suggest subscribing to your network operator’s Do Not Disturb (DND) service. However, a LocalCircles poll conducted in 2018 found that more than half the participants whose DND was activated were still receiving regular marketing calls, and 29% of them received upto 10 unsolicited messages every week.

How Doosra can lend a helping hand

Doosra provides you with a virtual secondary number that can be used on your existing phone. You can share your Doosra number at all the typical businesses such as e-commerce sites, food delivery apps, government portals and banks, without a worry. Doosra only allows calls and messages that you authorize to receive on your number and auto-blocks the rest. This puts you in the driver’s seat with more control over your privacy, so you can breathe easier, eliminate the vicious cycle of blocking spammers and focus on your work, hobbies and loved ones.