It’s an all too familiar scenario. After a long day you sit down to relax and check your social media feeds. The next thing you know, an hour has gone by, and you’re stuck in an endless loop of bad news.
Welcome to the world of doomscrolling, and if it feels more distressing than ever, you’re not alone.
What is doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling is the compulsive, repetitive consumption of negative media, primarily through electronic devices. Greenwich Hospital Clinical Psychologist Gregory Berlin, PhD, explains that doomscrolling really started to ramp up when COVID first hit. People were stuck inside their homes, searching for the latest updates.
Doomscrolling is associated with increased depression and anxiety. It can also negatively impact sleep, especially since people are more vulnerable to doomscrolling at night, when the brain is depleted.
Why can’t I stop doomscrolling?
If doomscrolling makes us feel bad, why is it so hard to stop?
“Our brains are really peculiar in that we actually seek out negative information rather than positive,” said Dr. Berlin. “Part of this comes from our evolutionary brain. If we feel there is a threat, the surest way to stay safe is to identify and locate that. Doomscrolling, in particular, preys on this evolutionary mindset, because we are hoping that somewhere we are going to find the glimmer that maybe things aren’t so bad.”
No one is immune from this behavior. If you have a phone, you may find yourself doomscrolling. Those who are prone to rumination, obsessive thinking and worry are especially at risk.
Anxiety is more than normal worry. If you aren’t sure if you are experiencing anxiety caused by doomscrolling, ask yourself these questions:
- Can I stop worrying or obsessing?
- Is it hard to meaningfully engage with work, family or hobbies?
- Am I having to take sick days because of worry?
Dr. Berlin says if anxious feelings are starting to impact your wellbeing, reach out to someone for help. A general practitioner, psychiatrist or mental health professional can make referrals for therapy or discuss medication options.
How can I stop doomscrolling?
“In psychotherapy, there's this concept of stimulus control. The idea is the more barriers or limits you can put between yourself and the thing that's hard to disengage from, the better,” said Dr. Berlin. “It's not an issue of willpower. You're going to engage with it unknowingly.”
Therefore, put physical limits on your phone. You can put it on airplane mode, set a timer or rely on a screentime app that sets limits on social media use. Then find alternatives to fill that void.
“Ask yourself, what did I do before smartphones? What did I like to do before these phones took away my attention? It isn't a question of reinventing yourself. This is a question of connecting with things that you've always loved to do that you just haven't done in a long time. It could be music. It could be puzzles. It could be reading for fun,” said Dr. Berlin.
That doesn’t mean you can’t stay informed or up to date. Just think about what is important to you and set some boundaries. Perhaps it’s only giving yourself 30 minutes at lunch to catch up on the news. Once that time frame is up, it’s time to focus on other things.
If you see something that you feel passionate about, find ways to act in real life.
“If you’re feeling this sense of doom after scrolling, ask yourself, how can I get involved? How can I be an agent of change in my community?” said Dr. Berlin. “What can I do with this energy? Because that energy can be a motivator for you to do something that might make you feel more positive.”
