Basic Concept of Doomscrolling

Basic Concept of Doomscrolling:

Doomscrolling is the habit of endlessly consuming negative news and social media content, often without realizing how much time has passed or how drained we feel afterward. It usually begins with something small, such as clicking on a post, watching one video, or reading a few articles, but it quickly turns into hours of scrolling that leave us feeling anxious, powerless, or overwhelmed. Psychology explains doomscrolling as a behavior driven by both curiosity and fear, which makes it difficult to stop once it starts. Recognizing this pattern is the first step toward breaking it, and with simple strategies, it is possible to regain control and replace endless scrolling with healthier choices. In the rest of this article, we will explore the basic concept of doomscrolling.

What Is Doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling refers to the repetitive act of consuming negative or distressing news content online to the point where it begins to harm a person’s emotional wellbeing. At first, the behavior seems rational. Many people believe that by reading just one more article or watching one more video, they will gain closure or feel more in control of a troubling situation. In reality, the opposite usually occurs. Instead of relief, individuals often end up feeling powerless, overwhelmed, and emotionally exhausted.

The rise of the term “doomscrolling” can be traced back to major global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest, natural disasters, and the widespread experiences of social distancing. These situations highlighted the role of digital media in shaping how people engage with crises and brought the term into common use (Türk-Kurtça & Kocatürk, 2025). Studies reveal that about one in six individuals, or approximately 16.5 percent, show signs of problematic news consumption that significantly affects stress levels, anxiety, and overall mental health (McLaughlin, 2023).

The pandemic years provide a striking example. During the initial lockdown period, digital news consumption increased by nearly 35 percent, while social media use spiked by close to 47 percent (Güme, 2024). These numbers reflect the reality of people being confined to their homes, searching for updates and a sense of certainty in an uncertain world. Smartphones and other devices quickly became the primary gateway to information and connection.

Experiential research helps explain why doomscrolling persists. Sharma and colleagues (2022) found that the habit is strongly linked to passive social media use, heightened anxiety, reduced self-control, and even certain personality traits that make individuals more vulnerable to compulsive scrolling. In other words, it is not simply about seeking information; it is also about how personal tendencies interact with online environments.

Interestingly, demographic patterns have also emerged. Doomscrolling appears to be more common among men, younger adults, and those who are politically engaged. However, research makes it clear that this behavior is not limited to a specific group. It can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, class, or cultural background (Sekhon, 2024).

Understanding why we fall into this cycle requires a closer look at psychological mechanisms, particularly negativity bias and the discomfort caused by uncertainty. These factors play a central role in keeping people locked in the endless loop of scrolling through distressing content.

The Psychology Behind Doomscrolling:

Why do people continue doomscrolling even when they know it heightens stress, worsens mood, or leaves them feeling drained? The answer lies in the way human brains are naturally wired. A combination of psychological habits, survival instincts, and cognitive biases makes it difficult to turn away from negative information, particularly during times of heightened uncertainty. When individuals feel anxious, overwhelmed, or out of control, scrolling through endless streams of news and social media content can feel like a way to regain stability, even if it ultimately produces the opposite effect.

In periods of collective crisis, such as a pandemic, a natural disaster, or widespread political unrest, the human drive to seek out information becomes even stronger. People instinctively turn to news and digital platforms in an attempt to make sense of unfolding events, gain clarity, or feel more prepared for possible outcomes (Güme, 2024; Kaye & Johnson, 2024; Sekhon, 2024; Türk-Kurtça & Kocatürk, 2025). This drive is deeply rooted in survival mechanisms: knowing more about a threat is assumed to increase one’s ability to respond effectively. Yet in practice, doomscrolling rarely delivers a sense of preparedness or comfort. Instead, it often deepens feelings of helplessness and contributes to emotional exhaustion.

The Role of Negativity and Uncertainty: One of the most powerful forces behind doomscrolling is the phenomenon of negativity bias. This bias refers to the brain’s natural tendency to give greater weight and attention to negative information compared to positive news (Sekhon, 2024). From an evolutionary perspective, being alert to threats and dangers increased the chances of survival. In modern times, however, this same tendency makes individuals disproportionately drawn to alarming news headlines, tragic stories, and distressing social media updates.

News organizations and digital platforms often amplify this effect by emphasizing dramatic, sensational, or emotionally charged content. In doing so, they capitalize on human negativity bias, ensuring that alarming stories attract clicks, shares, and longer viewing times (Güme, 2024). Once exposed to this type of content, people frequently continue searching for more information in the hope of finding clarity, reassurance, or a sense of closure. However, this rarely occurs.

Instead, repeated exposure to distressing stories can lead to a heightened state of anxiety, sadness, and even a distorted perception of reality. Researchers describe this as “scary world syndrome,” in which constant engagement with negative content makes the world appear far more threatening than it truly is (Türk-Kurtça & Kocatürk, 2025). This cycle demonstrates how doomscrolling is not simply a matter of poor self-control, but rather a reflection of how human psychology interacts with modern media environments.

The Impact of Doomscrolling on Mental Health:

Doomscrolling is closely tied to rising levels of anxiety, and the relationship between the two has been well documented. Many individuals turn to constant scrolling as a way to regain a sense of control over uncertain situations. However, this coping attempt often backfires. Instead of feeling reassured, people become trapped in a cycle of worry that grows stronger with each piece of negative news they consume (Kaya & Griffiths, 2024; Türk-Kurtça & Kocatürk, 2025).

For those who are particularly sensitive to uncertainty, doomscrolling feels almost irresistible, yet it rarely delivers comfort. The effects can be even more damaging at night. Consuming distressing information before bed has been shown to interfere with sleep quality, increase anxiety levels the following day, and produce physical symptoms of stress such as restlessness and difficulty relaxing (Sharma et al., 2022; Sekhon, 2024). Over time, this cycle not only erodes mental wellbeing but also disrupts the body’s natural rhythms, compounding feelings of unease and fatigue.

The negative consequences of doomscrolling extend beyond anxiety and poor sleep. Research has linked the behavior to changes in mood and emotional stability. People who engage in frequent doomscrolling often experience heightened sadness, irritability, and hopelessness, and in some cases, symptoms consistent with depression (Price et al., 2022; Satici et al., 2022; Shabahang et al., 2024). Rather than offering relief, exposure to continuous streams of distressing content reinforces negative emotions and deepens the sense of despair.

Another key impact lies in how doomscrolling affects attention and cognitive functioning. What may begin as a search for information often leaves individuals mentally foggy, emotionally drained, and less able to concentrate on important tasks. The repetitive exposure to threatening or upsetting material can also trigger rumination, where the mind replays the same worries long after the scrolling session ends. This lingering mental loop further fuels feelings of helplessness and exhaustion (Hughes et al., 2024).

Ultimately, while doomscrolling may appear to provide momentary control or understanding, it frequently undermines both mental and physical health. Instead of relief, it leaves individuals overwhelmed, anxious, and disconnected from the very stability they were seeking.

How to Stop Doomscrolling (Notice When It’s Happening):

The first and most important step in breaking free from doomscrolling is awareness. Many people engage in this behavior automatically, without realizing how much time they are spending online or how much it is affecting their mood. Developing the ability to pause and recognize what is happening creates a small but powerful opportunity for change. For instance, you might catch yourself thinking, “I am feeling anxious right now, and I am searching for answers online.” That moment of recognition disrupts the automatic flow of scrolling and opens the door to making a more intentional choice.

Without awareness, doomscrolling can easily spiral out of control. People often lose track of time while scrolling, believing they are just catching up on the news or browsing briefly, when in reality hours have passed. This tendency to underestimate the time spent online makes it harder to notice the negative impact on emotional wellbeing. As a result, the cycle of distress and compulsive scrolling continues to reinforce itself, deepening feelings of anxiety and stress (Dominguez-Rodriguez, 2025; Rodrigues, 2022).

Becoming aware of the habit does not require a complete overhaul of behavior right away. Instead, it begins with small acts of noticing. Recognizing that your scrolling is driven by worry, boredom, or a need for reassurance is a first step toward regaining control. Once that awareness is established, it becomes easier to set limits, redirect attention, and gradually replace doomscrolling with healthier coping strategies.

4 Proactive Tips to Kick the Doomscrolling Habit:

Being intentional about how much time you spend online, especially with news and social media, is one of the most effective ways to reduce doomscrolling. By setting clear boundaries and using simple tools, you can take back control of your attention and protect your mental health. The following strategies provide practical ways to limit the habit and replace it with healthier digital behaviors.

1. Set Limits: A powerful first step in reducing doomscrolling is setting boundaries on how often and how long you consume news. Instead of refreshing your feed multiple times throughout the day, try checking the news only once or limiting yourself to a short summary at the end of the day. Restricting news consumption to just 10 to 15 minutes can be enough to stay informed without falling into a cycle of stress and information overload.

For many people, relying on willpower alone is not enough. In such cases, time management and app-blocking tools can provide crucial support. Apps like Forest use gamification by rewarding you with a growing virtual tree whenever you stay off your phone during a focus session. Freedom allows you to block distracting websites and apps across multiple devices, while StayFocused works directly in your browser to reduce online distractions. Mobile tools like Opal or built-in screen time settings also add an extra layer of accountability, making it easier to resist the temptation of endless scrolling. These digital tools work by creating intentional pauses and reinforcing healthier patterns of device use.

2. Turn Off Notifications: Another highly effective way to cut back on doomscrolling is to disable notifications for news and social media apps. Constant alerts pull attention back to the phone and often introduce upsetting content at unexpected times. Turning off these notifications can reduce impulsive checking and help people feel more in control of when they engage with online content (Güme, 2024; Sharma et al., 2020).

By choosing when to seek out information instead of being pulled in by alerts, individuals can protect themselves from unnecessary stress. This practice allows for greater intentionality, reducing anxiety and helping people maintain emotional balance (Mannell & Meese, 2022). Many describe it as an act of protecting their peace, since fewer notifications mean fewer unwanted interruptions and less exposure to negative content.

3. Avoid Specific Sources: Not all news sources affect people in the same way. Some formats, such as live blogs or sensationalized reporting, can make anxiety worse by overwhelming readers with rapid and distressing updates. An effective strategy is to unfollow or mute news organizations and journalists that consistently share content that triggers distress. Research shows that many people actively unfollow or disengage from sources that contribute to poor mental health, as a way to preserve emotional wellbeing (Mannell & Meese, 2022; Sharma et al., 2020).

These studies also suggest that people are not doomscrolling because they enjoy consuming negative content. In fact, many participants reported a desire to reduce their intake of distressing stories. As awareness of the harms of doomscrolling grows, individuals often choose to replace negative sources with uplifting or neutral content. Shifting attention to funny videos, calming images, or positive news can help balance the emotional toll that comes from constant exposure to crises (Güme, 2024; Sekhon, 2024).

4. Create Digital Barriers: One of the most deliberate strategies for breaking the doomscrolling cycle is to create digital barriers. This can mean deleting or hiding social media and news apps, silencing notifications, or adjusting device settings to limit exposure to emotionally draining content. These barriers work by reducing opportunities for mindless scrolling and protecting mental health from the negative effects of constant information overload (Mannell & Meese, 2022; Güme, 2024; Sekhon, 2024).

Research shows that intentional news avoidance is becoming increasingly common. A global survey found that 36 percent of people now actively steer clear of the news altogether (Newman et al., 2023). The strategies they use include avoiding television news, skipping over news-heavy social media accounts (53 percent), silencing alerts or checking updates less frequently (52 percent), and deliberately avoiding topics that worsen their mood (32 percent; Newman et al., 2023). These findings demonstrate that digital boundaries are not a sign of ignorance, but rather a conscious choice to maintain mental and emotional wellbeing.

Together, these four strategies highlight the importance of intentionality in digital habits. By setting limits, turning off notifications, avoiding triggering sources, and creating digital barriers, individuals can break the cycle of doomscrolling and replace it with healthier ways of engaging with technology.

Balance What You Take In:

One effective way to counter the effects of doomscrolling is to be intentional about the type of information you consume. Many people are now choosing to turn to official and reliable sources, such as government websites or formal press briefings, to stay informed. These sources provide facts without the emotional framing or bias that often characterizes social media and sensationalized reporting, making them a more stable and less distressing option for news consumption (Mannell & Meese, 2022).

At the same time, there is a growing interest in solution-focused and positive news as a way to balance the flood of heavy or distressing headlines. Surveys show that audiences increasingly seek out stories that highlight constructive responses, recovery efforts, or uplifting developments rather than focusing solely on problems and crises (Newman et al., 2023). By incorporating this kind of content into your daily media diet, you can reduce the emotional weight of negative news while still staying connected to current events.

Another helpful strategy is to actively follow accounts and platforms that share positive, encouraging, or humorous content. Research indicates that turning attention to good news, coping tips, or lighthearted stories can improve mood and offset the emotional toll of negative information (Güme, 2024; Sharma et al., 2022). Dedicated platforms such as The Happy Newspaper and The Good News Network provide regular streams of uplifting stories, offering a welcome alternative to the endless cycle of distressing updates that dominate mainstream feeds.

With a few intentional choices, it is possible to shape your digital environment into one that supports rather than undermines mental health. By mixing reliable official sources with positive and calming content, you can create a healthier balance that keeps you informed while also protecting your emotional wellbeing.

Ground Yourself in the Present:

Mindfulness offers a powerful way to break free from the cycle of doomscrolling by helping you reconnect with the present moment. Practices such as deep breathing, meditation, or simply paying attention to your surroundings can reduce stress and interrupt the urge to keep scrolling endlessly. By grounding yourself in what is happening right now, you create space to step away from distressing content and regain a sense of calm (Aguvaveedi, 2025).

Research shows that low levels of mindfulness are associated with greater emotional reactivity and an increased tendency to fixate on upsetting news. In some cases, this fixation can even lead to symptoms similar to secondary trauma, where individuals feel emotionally affected by events they did not personally experience but repeatedly consumed through media exposure (Taskin et al., 2024). By contrast, practicing mindfulness regularly strengthens emotional regulation and lessens feelings of overwhelm. This makes it easier to control how you engage with digital content and to resist the pull of negative media (Aguvaveedi, 2025).

When the constant flow of headlines feels like too much, simple grounding practices can serve as a reset. Techniques such as the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, which uses all five senses to shift focus away from stress, can bring you back into the present. Similarly, box breathing, a technique where each inhale, hold, exhale, and pause is timed evenly, helps calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety (Bentley et al., 2023; Jones, 2024; Luo et al., 2025). These methods not only break the cycle of worry but also restore a sense of control over your state of mind.

Even small actions like stepping outside for fresh air, feeling the warmth of the sun, or noticing the sounds around you can create meaningful moments of grounding. These practices do not require much time or effort, but they can serve as powerful resets whenever feelings of anxiety, fatigue, or emotional overload take hold. By turning to mindfulness and grounding techniques, it becomes possible to manage the urge to doomscroll and replace it with healthier, more stabilizing habits.

In conclusion, Doomscrolling is a habit that many people fall into, often without realizing how much it impacts their mental and emotional wellbeing. It is natural for the human brain to focus on potential threats, which makes negative news especially hard to ignore. Yet while this instinct is deeply ingrained, it does not mean you are powerless against it. By becoming aware of when doomscrolling is happening and taking small, intentional steps, you can begin to break free from the cycle.

Practical strategies such as limiting screen time, turning off notifications, avoiding sources that heighten distress, and introducing digital boundaries can all reduce the urge to scroll endlessly. Balancing heavy news with positive or calming content provides perspective and helps restore emotional balance. Grounding techniques like mindful breathing, the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise, or simply stepping outside remind you to return to the present and care for your wellbeing.

Breaking the cycle of doomscrolling does not happen all at once, but each small change makes a difference. By creating healthier digital habits, you can protect your mental health, feel more grounded, and engage with the world in a way that is informed without being overwhelming. In the end, it is about finding balance, giving yourself permission to step back, and making space for hope and resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

What is doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling is the habit of endlessly consuming negative news online, often to the point where it significantly impacts emotional wellbeing. It usually starts with a desire to stay informed but can quickly lead to feelings of anxiety, helplessness, and overwhelm.

Is doomscrolling linked to anxiety or depression?

Research shows that doomscrolling is strongly linked to anxiety and depression, often worsening symptoms by reinforcing worry and negative thinking (Satici et al., 2022; Taskin et al., 2024). People may turn to negative news to feel more in control during crises, but it usually increases distress instead (Sharma et al., 2022; Sekhon, 2024).

Why is doomscrolling so addictive?

The cycle of doomscrolling is addictive because uncertainty fuels anxiety, and scrolling feels like a way to regain control. Negativity bias adds fuel to the fire, pulling our focus toward the scariest stuff.

Why do people doomscroll even when it makes them anxious?

Human brains are wired to focus on potential threats, a tendency known as negativity bias. During times of uncertainty, this makes it hard to look away from distressing content. People often believe that reading one more article or watching one more video will help them feel more in control, but it usually reinforces anxiety instead.

Who is most affected by doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background. Research indicates it may be more common in younger adults, men, and people who are politically engaged, but the behavior is widespread across different demographics.

How can I tell if I’m doomscrolling too much?

If you often feel anxious, numb, or overwhelmed after scrolling through bad news and find it hard to stop even when it’s affecting your sleep, mood, or daily life, it may be a sign that doomscrolling is doing more harm than good. If this sounds familiar, it might be time to check in with yourself and consider some gentle changes to support your mental health.

How does doomscrolling affect mental health?

It is closely linked to anxiety, depression, irritability, and sleep disturbances. Excessive exposure to negative news can increase emotional reactivity, reduce focus, and contribute to rumination, leaving individuals feeling mentally and emotionally drained.

What are some ways to stop doomscrolling?

Practical strategies include setting limits on screen time, turning off notifications, avoiding sources that increase stress, and using apps that block distracting content. Balancing heavy news with positive, uplifting content and practicing mindfulness or grounding techniques can also help break the cycle.

Can mindfulness really help with doomscrolling?

Yes. Mindfulness practices, such as deep breathing, meditation, or sensory grounding exercises like the 5-4-3-2-1 method, help redirect attention to the present, reduce anxiety, and improve emotional regulation, making it easier to control how you engage with digital content.

Is it okay to avoid the news altogether?

Yes, intentional news avoidance can be a healthy choice for protecting mental wellbeing. Many people limit exposure to distressing content or follow only reliable and positive sources to stay informed without becoming overwhelmed.

Where can I find positive news or uplifting content?

Platforms such as The Happy Newspaper and The Good News Network share constructive stories, coping tips, and humor. Following accounts or websites that focus on solution-oriented or uplifting content can help balance exposure to negative news.

How long does it take to break the doomscrolling habit?

It varies by individual. Small, consistent steps such as limiting screen time, creating digital boundaries, and practicing mindfulness can gradually transform how you interact with news. Over time, these habits can significantly reduce the urge to doomscroll and improve emotional wellbeing.

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