Doomscrolling, the compulsive act of viewing negative news online, particularly on social media platforms, gained prominence in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This behavior involves spending excessive amounts of time reading negative news without pausing, often driven by a need to fill information gaps. Research indicates that coming across one piece of information may lead to further searching across digital platforms to confirm or build upon initial findings, creating a toxic cycle of consuming and confirming negative news. This cycle can make it challenging to stop and may lead to compulsions. During global or national emergencies, such as natural disasters or health crises, disconnecting from the constant news cycle becomes difficult, often due to worries about missing important announcements or a perceived need to consume as much news as possible to feel in control.
Studies, including a 2021 literature review, highlight that during COVID-19, many people changed their behavior surrounding technology use, shifting toward increased media exposure. This shift has significant implications for mental well-being. A 2024 study evaluated the psychological effects of doomscrolling in the United States and Iran, indicating that media exposure behavior can significantly affect mental health, resulting in existential anxiety and an increased pessimistic view of the world. Furthermore, just a few minutes of exposure to negative pandemic updates can reduce optimism and mood compared to those who consume no news at all. When this becomes a daily habit, it contributes to fatigue and overwhelm.
The psychological effects extend beyond temporary mood changes. Research from Flinders University in Australia, involving 800 university students from the United States and Iran, demonstrates that doomscrolling significantly impacts mental-emotional health and well-being, even altering perceptions of reality. Participants who habitually checked social media, especially negative, upsetting, or traumatic stories, reported changes in how they view other people, their overall sense of safety, and life in general. This behavior is linked to increased suspicion and distrust of others, onsetting a sense of existential despair that life lacks meaning, and worries about existence, life, and death. Such findings suggest that doomscrolling acts as a source of vicarious trauma, where extensive exposure to information and images of traumatic events results in symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including anxiety, depression, anger, distrust, and despair. This dynamic is particularly concerning for individuals with prior trauma, as it may lead to retraumatization and worsening of trauma-based distress.
Physiologically, doomscrolling changes nervous system activity by activating the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system's fight-flight reactions. These reactions occur in response to perceived threats, whether real and present or not, and contribute to a state of heightened anxiety even before picking up a device. Physical manifestations are widespread and include nausea, headaches, muscle tension, neck and shoulder pain, low appetite, difficulty sleeping, and elevated blood pressure. The sedentary nature of prolonged doomscrolling further exacerbates these issues, leading to vast and problematic ripple effects on physical health, sleep, and eating habits. Additionally, doomscrolling is associated with reductions in life satisfaction and harmony, largely due to increased psychological distress from constant exposure to negative news.
Personality traits play a major role in susceptibility to doomscrolling. Individuals high in neuroticism, characterized by a tendency toward emotional instability and worry, and those lower in conscientiousness (self-discipline and impulse control) or agreeableness (cooperativeness and trust) are especially prone. These traits create a difficult combination: strong emotional reactions paired with lower self-regulation and less trust in others, making it harder to break the cycle. Research also indicates that genetically influenced traits partly shape how individuals use online media and how that use affects their mental health.
Addressing doomscrolling requires awareness, acknowledgment, and an intention to change. Cultivating mindfulness, the art of practicing being present with thoughts and feelings, is a foundational strategy. This approach helps divert individuals from the cycle of mindless consumption, which is likened to feeding the mind unhealthy junk food. The side effects of digesting negative content include increased anxiety, sadness, uncertainty, a sense of overwhelm, fear, disappointment, discontentment, anger, feeling disconnected, depression, insomnia, jealousy, difficulties with interpersonal relationships and communication, OCD symptoms, and "Crazymaking," where the mind conflicts with opposing information.
From a therapeutic perspective, understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of doomscrolling informs interventions. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system's stress response underscores the need for techniques that promote parasympathetic activation, such as relaxation and grounding. For individuals experiencing vicarious trauma or retraumatization, trauma-informed care approaches are essential. These may include strategies to process traumatic content and rebuild a sense of safety and control. While the provided sources do not detail specific hypnotherapy protocols or subconscious reprogramming techniques for doomscrolling, the principles of behavioral change and emotional regulation are applicable. Interventions would likely focus on breaking the compulsive cycle, reprogramming the subconscious response to news alerts, and building resilience against existential anxiety.
Therapeutic approaches might incorporate cognitive-behavioral strategies to challenge pessimistic worldviews and existential fears. Mindfulness-based interventions can help clients develop a non-judgmental awareness of their media consumption habits. For those with pre-existing trauma, careful assessment is necessary to avoid exacerbating symptoms through exposure to distressing news. The goal is to restore a sense of agency, improve sleep hygiene, and mitigate physical symptoms associated with chronic stress. By addressing the root causes of the need for constant information and the underlying emotional vulnerabilities, individuals can move toward improved mental and physical well-being.
Conclusion
Doomscrolling is a pervasive behavior with profound negative impacts on mental and physical health, linked to increased anxiety, existential despair, vicarious trauma, and physiological stress responses. Understanding the psychological and neurobiological mechanisms, including the role of personality traits and sympathetic nervous system activation, is crucial for developing effective interventions. Therapeutic strategies should focus on mindfulness, trauma-informed care, and behavioral modification to break the compulsive cycle and restore well-being. Awareness and intentionality are key steps in mitigating the harmful effects of this modern habit.