Doomscrolling refers to the compulsive act of scrolling through negative or distressing online news, social media, or content that is often for extended periods and despite increased anxiety, hopelessness, or emotional exhaustion. While it typically arises during crises (such as pandemics, political unrest, or climate events), doomscrolling can become a chronic habit tied to information overload, digital addiction, and emotional regulation difficulties. This behavior is particularly relevant in the context of mobile technology, media algorithms, and neuropsychological responses to threat-based content.
Doomscrolling
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|---|---|
| Category | Digital Behavior, Mental Health |
| Common Triggers | Crisis events, insomnia, social isolation, political unrest |
| Neural Systems Affected | Reward pathways, amygdala, prefrontal cortex |
| Behavioral Symptoms | Scrolling compulsion, anxiety loops, emotional numbing, sleep disruption |
| Linked Phenomena | Digital fatigue, catastrophizing, emotional dysregulation, media addiction |
| Sources: McLaughlin & Nesi (2020), APA (2021), Shabahang (2024) | |
Other Names
crisis scrolling, negative news bingeing, doom surfing, anxiety scrolling, media spiraling, distress feed consumption
History
Coined During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The term “doom surfing” gained popularity in 2020 as users reported compulsively checking distressing updates about the pandemic, politics, and social unrest. It entered public discourse as mental health professionals raised concerns about its impact on anxiety, mood, and sleep.
Digital Attention and Media Economics
Media scholars noted that doomscrolling reflects broader trends in attention economies where emotionally charged content drives engagement. Fear-based headlines and algorithmic amplification intensified this behavioral loop.
Present-Day Research and Digital Wellness
By the mid-2020s, doomscrolling became a focus in studies of screen time, algorithmic exposure, and emotional self-regulation. It remains a key concept in digital hygiene discourse and tech-related therapy practices.
Biology
Brain Systems Reacting to Crisis Content
Doomscrolling activates the brain’s fear-processing system, particularly the amygdala. Constant exposure to threatening or alarming content keeps the body in a low-grade state of fight-or-flight, raising cortisol and suppressing recovery functions.
Dopamine and Compulsion to Keep Scrolling
Despite its distressing effects, doomscrolling can trigger dopamine release—especially when new, urgent information appears. This creates a reinforcement loop, similar to behavioral addiction, where the user feels compelled to “stay informed” to reduce uncertainty.
Disrupted Circadian and Emotional Regulation
Nighttime doomscrolling delays melatonin production and contributes to insomnia. The cumulative result is poor emotional recovery and increased daytime reactivity.
Psychology
Why People Doomscroll Despite Distress
Doom surfing often arises from an anxious need to reduce uncertainty. When something feels out of control, the brain craves new information as a form of perceived agency. Ironically, the more one scrolls, the more overwhelmed and helpless they may feel.
Anxiety Loops and Cognitive Distortion
This behavior reinforces catastrophic thinking, selective attention to threat, and feelings of powerlessness. It can also lead to emotional numbing or compassion fatigue, particularly in users frequently exposed to graphic or traumatic content.
Doomscrolling and Emotional Neglect
Some individuals use doom surfing to dissociate from internal discomfort or relational distress. Rather than confront emotional needs, they turn to external noise that mirrors or distracts from inner chaos.
Sociology
Social Amplification of Crisis
Doomscrolling reflects collective responses to uncertainty. Sociologists link it to moral panic cycles, group fear contagion, and political polarization. Social media platforms accelerate these effects through visibility metrics, trending content, and rage baiting.
Media Algorithms and Emotional Exploitation
Algorithmic design rewards sensationalism. Even when users intend to disengage, the design of infinite scroll and push alerts keeps them emotionally activated. Doomscrolling is thus both an individual coping strategy and a systemic output.
Relationship Impact
Doomscrolling and Emotional Availability
Partners who engage in excessive doomscrolling may become emotionally preoccupied, withdrawn, or irritable. This can reduce attunement and limit meaningful connection, especially during already stressful periods.
Reinforcing Helplessness in Couples
In romantic relationships, doomscrolling can become a shared behavior that amplifies pessimism. Without intentional emotional repair, couples may spiral into disconnection or avoidant coping strategies.
Cultural Impact
Memes, Jokes, and Emotional Exhaustion
Doomscrolling became a cultural meme during 2020–2022, with online jokes masking widespread burnout. As a cultural phenomenon, it highlights the blurring of humor, trauma, and attention in digital life.
Pop Psychology and Digital Boundaries
The concept has fueled mainstream discourse on digital detoxing, algorithmic awareness, and the importance of “curating your feed.” While not a clinical term, it reflects real patterns of emotional dysregulation and information overconsumption.
Key Debates
Information-Seeking vs. Avoidance
Is doomscrolling a form of proactive awareness or emotional avoidance? Critics debate whether staying informed through distressing content is helpful or simply retraumatizing.
Platform Responsibility vs. Personal Control
Some scholars argue that individual users can’t fully self-regulate anxiety scrolling due to the addictive design of social media platforms. Others emphasize the need for digital hygiene and emotional boundaries.
Media Depictions
Television Series
- Bo Burnham: Inside (2021): Captures the claustrophobic digital feedback loop of consuming and performing online content during lockdown.
Literature
- Stolen Focus by Johann Hari: Explores how attention, anxiety scrolling, and digital design affect mental clarity.
- The Shallows by Nicholas Carr: Discusses the neurological and cultural consequences of constant information access.
Visual Art
Contemporary artists have explored anxiety scrolling through glitch aesthetics, infinite loops, and mixed-media works depicting scrolling thumbs, text fatigue, and fragmented attention spans.
Research Landscape
Current research on doomscrolling spans affective neuroscience, media studies, and behavioral psychology. Studies explore its links to anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, political behavior, and the long-term effects of emotional overexposure.
Publications
- Facial emotion based smartphone addiction detection and prevention using deep learning and video based learning
- Story-linked item design in tablet-based assessment for preschool children: Insights from testing
- Development of standard job classification codes for building a job-exposure matrix for police officers
- Algorithmic fandom: how generative AI is reshaping sports marketing, fan engagement, and the integrity of sport
- Nutrition-related needs and considerations in the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) population: Current gaps and future directions in research
FAQs
What is doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling is the habit of continually reading negative or distressing online content, often late into the night or beyond healthy limits.
Why do I doomscroll even though it makes me anxious?
The brain seeks control through information. Even distressing content can feel temporarily relieving if it reduces uncertainty.
Is doomscrolling a mental health disorder?
No. It’s not a clinical diagnosis, but it’s associated with symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and emotional burnout.
How can I stop doomscrolling?
Set time limits, use app blockers, curate your feed for emotional regulation, and replace the habit with grounding routines.
Can doomscrolling affect relationships?
Yes. It can reduce emotional presence and increase irritability or pessimism, especially if used to avoid conflict or co-regulation.
