FROM CURIOSITY TO COMPULSION: THE DOOMSCROLL ERA

Pradakshina Sarmah

Doomscrolling is when you spend a lot of time online consuming negative news. You may feel like you have to- like you just can’t tear yourself away from all the horrible headlines.

While you doomscroll, you may also tell yourself that you’re just doing it to stay informed about what’s going on in the world. But there’s something deeper at play.

“When we’re depressed, we often look for information that can confirm how we feel,” Dr. Albers shares “Doomscrolling operates with the same mindset: If you’re feeling negative, then reading negative news only reconfirms how you feel.”

And once you do it a few times, it can easily become a habit, locking you into a loop of feeling bad and then reading the news to confirm that you should be feeling bad.

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If you’re continuously scrolling, it becomes a mindless habit,” Dr Albers adds. “A lot of times, you might not even be aware you’re doing it.But it becomes a spontaneous habit.Once you have a spare moment, you pick up your phone and start scrolling without even really being aware of it.”

Although anyone can fall into the habit of doomscrolling, it can also be a function of obsessive-compulsivedisorder (OCD), a mental health condition that causes you to perform repetitive behavior.

In this scenario, your brain continues to loop around on a particular topic, similar to endless scrolling,” Dr. Albers explain “The behavior isn’t really about findingnews; it’s about trying to reduce your anxiety.”

Why doomscrolling is so harmful?

Doomscrolling can trap people in a cycle of negativity ─ something that can greatly impact your mental health. Research has linked consuming negative news to an excess increases’ depression and anxiety, as well as feelings of fear, stress and emotional traumas. When we constantly consume distressing news, our brains tend to focus more on threats and problems, which reinforces anxious or depressive thought patterns.

Studies show that this kind of repetitive exposure to negative content can heighten stress hormones, increase feelings of helplessness, and even distort our perception of reality by making the world seem more dangerous than it actually is. Over time, that can erode resilience and make it harder to maintain a balanced outlook.

One way to counteract this is to practice intentional media consumption ─ setting boundaries on when and how you check the news, mixing in positive or uplifting content, and prioritizing offline activities that restore your mental state. Even small changes, like limiting news checks to twice a day or following accounts that share hopeful stories, can help break the cycle.

Some of the potential effects of doomscrolling can be summarized as follows:

May worsen mental health issues “If you’re prone to anxiety,depression or sadness,doomscrolling can be like stepping into quicksand,” Dr. Albers illustrates. “The negativity can pull you under quickly. It can even lead to panic attacks.”
May lead to insomniaIn one study,70% of participants acknowledged checking social media from bed, and the more time they spent doing so, the more likely they were to have trouble falling asleep. “When you’reanxious, it’s hard to turn your mind off to go to sleep,” Dr. Albers points out.
Can contribute to “Crazymaking” This term describes situations that manipulate your perception of reality─ or even your sense of your own sanity. When it comes to doomscrolling, it works like this: You see information from one media outlet that says one thing, but the verynext source you scroll past gives completely conflicting information. “Your mind doesn’t know how to reconcile the two,” Dr. Albers says

Mental Hangover: This phenomenon, described by neuroscientists, occurs due to dopamine spikes from constant updates, followed by feelings of inadequacy and, eventually, a “mental hangover” of low-grade anxiety and FOMO.
Comparison Trap: Doomscrolling can involve scrolling through curated, often negative, content or social comparisons that diminish self-worth and trigger the fear of missing out on a better or different reality.

There’s another big downside to simply being online so much.

“Burying your nose in a phone can actually exacerbate feelings of disconnection and loneliness,” Dr. Albers relays. “Too much time on any media or social media sites, whether the news is bad or not, has been linked with feelings of depression.”

She explains that on a biological level, you’re feeding your brain a continual stream of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. Overtime, high levels of cortisol exhaust your brain and body, leading to inflammation that can cause a variety of mental and physical health issues.

Practical Strategies to Break Doomscrolling

Set time limits: Use app timers or your phone’s digital wellbeing tools to restrict how long you spend on social media or news apps.
Schedule news check-ins: Decide on specific times (e.g., morning and evening) to catch up on news, instead of constantly refreshing.
Curate your feed: Follow accounts that share positive, educational, or uplifting content to balance out negativity.
Practice mindful scrolling: Before opening an app, ask yourself why you’re doing it ─ are you seeking information, or just filling time?
Replace the habit: Swap scrolling with another quick activity, like reading a few pages of a book, journaling, or stretching.
Use physical cues: Keep your phone away from your bed or desk to reduce the impulse to check it constantly.
Engage offline: Spend time outdoors, with friends, or engage on hobbies that give you a sense of accomplishment and joy.
Notice your triggers: Pay attention to what kind of content makes you spiral, and mute or unfollow sources that fuel anxiety.

These strategies aren’t about avoiding reality but about protecting your mental space so you can engage with the world in a healthier, more balanced way.

Doomscrolling is not just a bad habit – it measurably affects teenagers and young adults’ mental health and cognition. Small, consistent changes – bedtime screen rules, notification management, and healthier evening routines – produce rapid benefits and reduce the risk of long-term problems. Initiating awareness and intentional action can break this cycle. By setting boundaries on media consumption, practicing mindfulness, curbing negative thoughts, and engaging in positive offline activities, you can protect your mental space and regain balance.

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