You’re lying in bed, phone glowing in the dark, thumb moving automatically as you scroll through an endless stream of bad news. One more post, you tell yourself. Just one more. Before you know it, an hour has passed, your shoulders are tense, and sleep feels impossible. Sound familiar? This modern habit has a name: doomscrolling.
Doomscrolling refers to the compulsive consumption of negative news and content on social media and news websites. While staying informed is important, this behavior can take a serious toll on your mental health. Let’s explore how this common habit affects your well-being and what you can do about it.
Why Do We Doomscroll?
Our brains are wired to pay attention to threats. This evolutionary trait helped our ancestors survive danger, but in the digital age, it works against us. Social media algorithms recognize that negative or provocative content generates more engagement, so they keep feeding us more of what triggers our stress response.
The result? We get trapped in a cycle. Each alarming headline or distressing post triggers a release of cortisol, our body’s stress hormone. This creates a state of hypervigilance where we feel compelled to keep scrolling, convinced that staying informed will somehow help us feel more in control. Ironically, it achieves the opposite effect.
At the same time, social media is designed to take advantage of your brain’s reward system, too. Prolonged consumption of social media content alters dopamine pathways and fosters a dependency that can be similar to substance addiction.
The Mental Health Impact
Research shows that excessive exposure to negative content can contribute to several mental health concerns:
Increased Anxiety: Constant exposure to worst-case scenarios and crisis coverage can make the world feel more dangerous than it actually is. This heightened perception of threat keeps your nervous system in fight-or-flight mode, leading to persistent worry, racing thoughts, and physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat or difficulty breathing.
Depression Symptoms: Spending hours consuming content about suffering, injustice, and disaster can leave you feeling hopeless and powerless. This sense of helplessness is a key factor in depressive symptoms. When your social media feed becomes a constant stream of negativity, it colors how you see the world and your place in it.
Sleep Disruption: Doomscrolling before bed is particularly harmful. The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. More significantly, consuming distressing content right before bed activates your stress response when your body should be winding down. Poor sleep, in turn, worsens mood and makes it harder to regulate emotions the next day.
Decreased Concentration: When your mind is preoccupied with everything that could go wrong, focusing on daily tasks becomes challenging. You might find yourself less productive at work, struggling to complete simple chores, or having difficulty being present with loved ones.
Emotional Exhaustion: Constantly absorbing other people’s trauma and pain, even secondhand through a screen, can lead to what experts call “compassion fatigue.” You may feel emotionally drained, numb, or overwhelmed by the sheer volume of suffering you’re witnessing.
Recognizing the Warning Signs
How do you know if your doomscrolling has crossed the line into harmful territory? Consider these questions:
- Do you automatically reach for your phone when you feel anxious, only to feel worse afterward?
- Does checking the news first thing in the morning set a negative tone for your day?
- Do you find yourself scrolling through bad news late at night when you should be sleeping?
- Has your mood noticeably declined since increasing your social media use?
- Do you feel guilty or anxious when you’re not up-to-date on current events?
- Are you withdrawing from activities you used to enjoy in favor of scrolling?
If you answered yes to several of these questions, it might be time to reassess your relationship with digital content.
Breaking the Cycle of Doomscrolling
The good news is that you can break free from the doomscrolling trap. Here are a few practical strategies to protect your mental health:
Set Time Boundaries: Designate specific times for checking news and stick to them. Use your phone’s screen time features to set limits on news apps and social media. Consider implementing a “no screens after 9 PM” rule to protect your sleep.
Curate Your Feed: Unfollow accounts that consistently post anxiety-inducing content. Seek out sources that provide balanced reporting and solutions-focused stories. Remember, being informed doesn’t mean consuming every piece of negative content available.
Practice Mindful Consumption: Before you open a news app, ask yourself: “Am I looking for information, or am I feeding anxiety?” If it’s the latter, choose a different activity. When you do consume news, do it intentionally rather than compulsively.
Replace the Habit: When you feel the urge to scroll, try alternative activities. Call a friend, take a short walk, practice breathing exercises, or engage in a hobby. Over time, these healthier habits can replace compulsive scrolling.
Create Phone-Free Zones: Keep your bedroom, dining table, and other spaces device-free. This creates physical boundaries that support healthier habits and better sleep.
Engage in Real-World Action: If certain issues concern you, channel that energy into productive action. Volunteer, donate, or advocate for causes you care about. Taking action can reduce feelings of helplessness while making a tangible difference.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you’ve tried to reduce doomscrolling but find yourself unable to stop, or if it’s significantly impacting your daily functioning, professional support can help. A mental health professional can work with you to understand the underlying reasons for this behavior and develop personalized strategies for managing anxiety and compulsive patterns.
At Advantage Mental Health Center, our team understands how modern challenges like doomscrolling can affect your mental well-being. We offer comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and evidence-based treatment plans tailored to your specific needs. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, or stress related to information overload, we’re here to help.
With both virtual and in-person appointments available, including evening hours, we make it convenient for you to get the support you need. Our extended appointment times mean you’ll have space to discuss your concerns without feeling rushed.
Stopping Doomscrolling from Affecting Your Mental Health
Your mental health deserves protection, and that includes protecting yourself from the negative effects of doomscrolling. By setting boundaries with digital content, practicing mindful consumption, and seeking support when needed, you can stay informed without sacrificing your well-being.
Remember, taking breaks from the news doesn’t make you uninformed or uncaring—it makes you someone who values their mental health. If you’re ready to break free from doomscrolling and other patterns affecting your well-being, we’re here to help. Contact us to schedule an appointment and take the first step toward feeling better.
Sources:
De, D., El Jamal, M., Aydemir, E., & Khera, A. (2025). Social Media Algorithms and Teen Addiction: Neurophysiological Impact and Ethical Considerations. Cureus, 17(1), e77145. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.77145
Blades R. (2021). Protecting the brain against bad news. CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 193(12), E428–E429. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.1095928