Doomscrolling, the compulsive consumption of large quantities of negative or distressing online news, has emerged as a significant behavioral pattern affecting mental well-being. This phenomenon involves idly browsing through upsetting and anxiety-inducing bad news articles, as well as content like negative comments on social media. The term itself was coined in 2020 on an anonymous social media post and gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was a large-scale necessity to access new and updated information. While the practice became a necessity at the time to stay updated regarding the virus, lockdowns, and the state of the world economy, it often leads to an emotional spiral that leaves individuals feeling exhausted, nervous, and occasionally even hopeless.
Research indicates that doomscrolling can make individuals feel tense, emotionally spent, and out of touch with reality. A study published in PLOS ONE highlights that doomscrolling during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated negative emotions and anxiety. In contrast, exposure to uplifting or kind content had no such adverse effects, underscoring the emotional toll of negative news exposure. Furthermore, a 2024 study involving participants from Iran and the United States found that doomscrolling was associated with existential anxiety. The study authors also noted that doomscrolling was a significant predictor of misanthropy—dislike or distrust of humanity as a whole—among the Iranian participants. Additionally, a 2024 study in Computers in Human Behavior suggested that employees who doomscroll while at work may become less engaged with their professional tasks.
Psychological Mechanisms Underlying Doomscrolling
Understanding why individuals engage in doomscrolling despite its negative effects requires an examination of specific psychological tendencies and environmental factors. The behavior is rarely a simple choice but rather a complex interplay of cognitive biases, emotional needs, and technological design.
Negativity Bias and the Illusion of Control
Human beings possess a natural negativity bias, a psychological tendency where humans are naturally drawn to adverse information. This evolutionary trait, which once helped ancestors survive by prioritizing threats, now drives the consumption of distressing news. Alongside this, the Journalism Studies article attributes doomscrolling to the illusion of control. In times of immense uncertainty, individuals seek excessive information to feel prepared for the unknown. A University of Virginia psychology professor explains that this time has been filled with tremendous uncertainty regarding COVID-19 risk, vaccines, racial justice, the economy, politics, climate, and the health of loved ones. With these unknowns comes a natural desire to resolve the uncertainty, leading individuals to seek information.
While there is a healthy side to this information-seeking that helps individuals know what precautions to take during elevated threat, there is clearly an unhealthy side. This unhealthy side can leave individuals constantly on edge and worried they will miss the critical piece of information that will keep them safe and give them the answers they crave. However, there is no one magic piece of information, news story, or Facebook post that resolves these complex issues.
The Role of FOMO and Social Connection
The doomscrolling habit is also connected with FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). In the hyperconnected world of today, individuals are frequently inundated with the notion that they must be aware of every development, every dispute, and every crisis. This fear that one might miss important information or be out of touch with the most recent advancements drives the habit of constantly scrolling through feeds. For many people, doomscrolling becomes a means to "keep up" with the world, even though it can result in emotional strain and burnout.
Existing Anxiety and Vulnerability
Certain psychological states make individuals more susceptible to this behavior. A 2023 study noted that people who are already experiencing anxiety about the future may be more likely to engage in doomscrolling. This suggests that the behavior acts as a maladaptive coping mechanism or a manifestation of underlying worry, where the search for information becomes a way to manage pre-existing anxious feelings, albeit ultimately exacerbating them.
The Impact of Digital Environments
The architecture of digital platforms plays a substantial role in perpetuating the cycle of doomscrolling. It is not merely an individual failing but a behavior heavily influenced by the design of social media and news delivery systems.
Algorithms and Echo Chambers
Social media algorithms are a primary driver. Engagement is the lifeblood of social media platforms, which make more money from advertising the longer people spend browsing through their feeds. Consequently, social media algorithms are designed to present content that will capture and hold attention. Regretfully, this frequently entails endorsing messages that are emotionally charged, dramatic, or polarizing—those that tend to elicit fear and indignation.
This creates a negative "echo chamber." The more an individual interacts with this kind of information, the more comparable stories are displayed on the platform. It can be challenging to interrupt this vicious cycle, particularly when it seems like a new alarming headline is waiting each time one logs in.
Constant Accessibility and Content Volume
The sheer volume and accessibility of content facilitate the compulsive nature of doomscrolling. Over time, people may have difficulty stepping away from websites and apps that facilitate doomscrolling, such as social media, due to the constant stream of new articles, videos, and audio content about current affairs. The 24-hour news cycle and the rapid-fire nature of social media updates ensure that there is always something new to consume, preventing natural stopping points.
Specific Thematic Focus
Doomscrolling can occur on a broad scale or focus on specific topics. A 2025 study found that there was a significant positive correlation between general doomscrolling and climate change-specific doomscrolling. This indicates that once the behavioral pattern is established, it can easily transfer to specific areas of concern, creating intense, focused anxiety around particular global issues.
Mental and Physical Health Consequences
The consequences of chronic doomscrolling are multifaceted, affecting emotional states, cognitive function, physical health, and even social attitudes.
Emotional and Existential Toll
The most immediate impact is on mental health. Doomscrolling may contribute to a behavioral cycle of consuming and confirming negative news and other information, which may be difficult to break. It may have a negative effect on someone’s mental health and well-being, leading to feelings of sadness, anxiety, or anger. The PLOS ONE study confirmed that it exacerbates negative emotions and anxiety. Furthermore, the 2024 study linked it to existential anxiety, suggesting that heavy consumption of negative news can lead to deep-seated concerns about the meaning and safety of existence itself. The association with misanthropy further highlights how it can erode trust in humanity, potentially leading to social withdrawal or cynicism.
Cognitive Overload and "Popcorn Brain"
On a practical level, the behavior can lead to a state described as "popcorn brain." This happens when individuals spend too much time online. It is described as the real, biological phenomenon of feeling one's brain is popping because of being overstimulated online. This overstimulation makes it hard to engage with the real world, which moves at a much slower pace. The constant switching between alarming headlines and rapid-fire content fragments attention and reduces the capacity for deep processing or calm focus.
Physical Symptoms
While often viewed as a digital or psychological issue, doomscrolling can manifest physically. An article from Harvard Medical School notes that people may also experience physical symptoms due to doomscrolling. Although the specific symptoms are not detailed in the provided source data, the association with high stress and anxiety implies potential outcomes such as muscle tension, disrupted sleep patterns, or increased heart rate.
Impact on Daily Functioning
Beyond the individual's internal state, doomscrolling impacts external functioning. The Computers in Human Behavior study noted reduced engagement with professional tasks among employees who doomscroll at work. This suggests that the cognitive resources depleted by the behavior are unavailable for professional responsibilities, potentially affecting productivity and job satisfaction.
Strategies for Reducing Doomscrolling
Addressing doomscrolling requires a shift from viewing it as a lack of willpower to understanding it as a habit that needs restructuring. The goal is not necessarily abstinence, but rather decreasing reliance and creating a healthier relationship with digital information.
Creating Digital Boundaries
Experts suggest that strategies mainly revolve around creating "digital boundaries that can give your brain and body a chance to recalibrate to normal." These boundaries are essential for interrupting the compulsive cycle. One specific, highly recommended boundary involves sleep hygiene. Experts suggest keeping the phone off the nightstand. While it doesn't mean the phone can't be in the bedroom, keeping it out of easy reach prevents the compulsive grab upon waking. This single change is described as potentially the "biggest game changer" for stress from doomscrolling.
Mindful Information Consumption
Reducing reliance on negative news feeds requires conscious effort. Individuals are encouraged to limit their exposure to upsetting news. This involves actively curating feeds to include more uplifting or kind content, which, as the PLOS ONE study noted, does not carry the same adverse emotional effects. It is about staying informed without sacrificing mental health. As one expert notes, "We need to stay informed, but not at the expense of our mental health."
Self-Compassion and Awareness
Recovery involves awareness of the psychological factors contributing to the habit. Understanding that the behavior is driven by negativity bias, FOMO, and the illusion of control can reduce self-blame. Being kind to oneself is as important as being knowledgeable. It is vital to recognize the emotional overload that leads to feeling "out of touch with reality" and to take active steps to step away.
The Role of Breaks and Balance
Taking breaks is a fundamental strategy. The constant stream of content makes stepping away difficult, but necessary. Finding balance in the digital world involves recognizing when the information-seeking shifts from healthy awareness to unhealthy compulsion. By limiting exposure and taking time away from screens, individuals can preserve their mental tranquility and prevent the emotional exhaustion associated with doomscrolling.
Conclusion
Doomscrolling is a modern behavioral phenomenon deeply rooted in human psychology and amplified by digital technology. It is driven by negativity bias, the desire to resolve uncertainty, FOMO, and the architecture of social media algorithms. While it may have originated as a response to the unprecedented uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, it persists as a threat to mental well-being, contributing to anxiety, existential dread, misanthropy, and cognitive overload. Recognizing these drivers is the first step toward mitigation. By establishing digital boundaries, practicing mindful consumption, and prioritizing mental health over constant information intake, individuals can break the cycle and reclaim their emotional equilibrium.