Have you ever found yourself ‘going down the ‘rabbit-hole’ of negative news and social media stories? If so, you’re not alone.
Smartphones, unlimited news media with a strong bias for negative stories, and social media algorithms designed to draw us in combine to create a powerful incentive to compulsively read negative news.[1][2][3]
Here’s why we feel that compulsion, and what we can do about it.
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What is 'doomscrolling'?
Doomscrolling is defined by the Oxford University Press as “the action of compulsively scrolling through social media or news feeds which relate bad news” and was one of their Words of the Year for 2020.[4]
What sets doomscrolling apart from healthy news and social media consumption is the fact that it’s compulsive and indiscriminate.[1] People who are doomscrolling often know that they should stop, and even want to stop, but feel compelled to keep reading.
Doomscrolling came to public consciousness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people found themselves spending long periods of time online reading about the negative events going on around them and noticed that this was having a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing.
Why do people doomscroll?
Doomscrolling comes from our desire to understand and cope with the world around us. Like many other self-destructive behaviors, it comes from impulses and strategies that are designed to help keep us safe. In the case of doomscrolling, this is the drive to gather information about potentially dangerous threats. [5]
Because we feel as though we’re keeping ourselves informed, doomscrolling can temporarily increase our feelings of safety and create an illusion that we’re taking control of events around us.
Doomscrolling can also be a response to our confirmation bias. If we feel as though the world is a dangerous place, reading negative news stories reinforces this belief. Although we’re confirming a negative belief, this helps us feel as though the world is understandable and predictable.
For some people, doomscrolling may also come from a feeling that we should ‘bear witness’ to the suffering of others. When we see major tragedies, we’re left feeling powerless and unable to do anything to help. Hearing their stories can feel as though we’re sharing their pain.
Social media and doomscrolling
While doomscrolling can occur with any online content, it’s highly prevalent on social media. The average American spends just under 2.5 hours on social media per day, at least partly due to the algorithms designed to attract and keep attention.[6]
Not all social media use is doomscrolling. Some social media activities, including social browsing, social searching, impression management, and communication were associated with high arousal, high positive valence, and flow state. [7]
Unfortunately, once we start doomscrolling, social media makes it harder to stop. Social media algorithms tailor the content they offer to match what has been viewed before. When we doomscroll, the algorithm presents more and more negative news.[2]
How is doomscrolling linked to mental health?
Unsurprisingly, immersing ourselves in negative news isn’t good for mental health. Here are some of the consequences of doomscrolling.
Doomscrolling and insomnia
Doomscrolling at night has a strong impact on both sleep duration and sleep quality. Current evidence suggests two main ways in which it harms sleep.
Late night doomscrolling delays sleep
Doomscrolling may be a contributory factor in late-night social media use. Approximately 70% of people report using social media in bed and this use is associated with decreased time spent sleeping and increased anxiety the following day.[8]
Social media use and doomscrolling at night seem to impact young people more than older adults.[9] This may be a result of them being especially vulnerable to the effects of blue light on sleep.[10]
Related: Florida Leads Charge on Social Media Ban for Young Teens
Blue light effects on sleep
Mobile phones and other electronic devices primarily emit light from the blue end of the spectrum. During the day, this helps to keep people alert and focused. At night, however, it reduces the production of melatonin, which would normally promote sleepiness. As a result, the use of any devices that emit blue light (smartphones, tablets, laptops, TVs, etc.) should be avoided late at night. [11][12]
Doomscrolling and anxiety
During the COVID pandemic, overconsumption of news information and time spent on smartphones were both linked to depression and anxiety. [13][14]
Doomscrolling activates many of the body’s stress-responses, releasing cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this can lead to increased fear responses and anxiety disorders.[15]
Doomscrolling and depression
Doomscrollng can also create an impression that our world is uncontrollable and full of dangers. In turn, this can lead to feelings of depression and hopelessness.[15] This effect may be greater in those already vulnerable to depression following adverse life events.[16]
The long-term risks of doomscrolling
Doomscrolling exposes us to a large amount of extremely negative content over an extended period of time. This can influence how we see and understand the world around us. For example, if we are constantly reading stories of violence, it is easy to believe that violence is more common than it is.
Constant exposure to negative information and stories can lead to misanthropy, the feeling of disliking or distrusting others.[1] Misanthropic beliefs make it hard to form social connections and can disrupt meaningful relationships, leading to social isolation and loneliness.
Doomscrolling also comes with an opportunity cost. Time spent reading distressing stories online is time that you are unable to devote to fulfilling, enriching, and potentially relaxing activities.
How to stop doomscrolling
Stopping doomscrolling can have a beneficial effect on mental health, but it isn’t easy. The social media algorithms and the uncertain times we live in create a strong temptation to immerse ourselves in negative news. Here are some techniques you can use to avoid doomscrolling.
Increase your awareness
Try to improve your awareness of how your social media and news consumption affects you. Try to stop reading periodically and pay attention to how you feel. After reading a post or article, ask yourself whether you’re feeling better or worse than you did before. If you’re regularly feeling worse, that’s a clear sign of doomscrolling.
It might be helpful to track how much time you spend on different sites. Tracking software can help you identify how much time you’re spending online and where you spend the most time.
Create barriers to doomscrolling and prompts to stop
Social media algorithms try to keep you online for as long as possible. Counteract that by creating prompts to reassess whether you want to keep reading. You can use a timer or ask someone to remind you when it’s time to stop reading for the night. There are also websites that block your access to specific web pages (set by you) for a certain period of time, which can help if you find yourself consistently going to the same platform. In addition, many phones and laptops offer focus assist and ‘do not disturb’ settings that temporarily mute notifications from certain apps or websites.
Take small steps to make it more difficult to doomscroll, especially at times or places where you know it’s likely. If you regularly doomscroll in bed, for example, you might decide to leave your phone on the other side of the room. These steps aren’t about preventing you from going online - they’re giving you the opportunity to decide consciously rather than out of habit.
Another useful strategy to make social media less compelling is to remove notifications and set your phone to greyscale. This has been associated with reductions in time spent on smartphones and a small decrease in anxiety.[17]
Create more positive experiences online and offline
Doomscrolling focuses on the negative content available online but it is possible to create a more positive online environment. Curate your social media by unfollowing or muting people who consistently post negative content.
It’s also helpful to think about what you would like to replace doomscrolling with. If you regularly doomscroll because you’re bored or anxious, try to find alternative strategies to deal with those feelings. Consider taking a walk or reading a book. Alternatively, create a list of uplifting or reassuring content creators.
