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Doomscrolling

Scrolling on and on through bad or upsetting news and posts on a phone or computer, often for longer than you meant to and in a way that's hard to stop.

What It Means

Doomscrolling means reading one piece of bad news after another on a phone or computer. The Cambridge Dictionary describes it as spending a lot of time on a screen taking in negative news, and Oxford Learner's Dictionaries adds that the scrolling is continuous and compulsive, through upsetting or worrying storiesUser storyA short description of something a product should do, written from the point of view of the person who needs it, often in the form "As a, I want, so that." See more and posts. Merriam-Webster lists both the verb, doomscroll, and the noun.

Try It: Is Your Scrolling Turning Into Doomscrolling?

Think about the last week. Tick each one that fits you most days. This is a quick look at a habit, and it isn't a diagnosis.

Ticked0
Out of6

One or none. Your scrolling sounds mostly under your control.

How People Say It

  • "I was up till two doomscrolling again."
  • "Put the phone down, you're doomscrolling."
  • "I had to mute the news app, I couldn't stop reading."

The Breakdown

Signs it's doomscrolling rather than keeping up

  • You've read the same story several times from different accounts.
  • You keep going after you've stopped learning anything new.
  • You feel worse when you stop than when you started.
  • It eats into sleep, meals or time with people.

Quick self-check. Run the six questions in the tool above. They're Buhata's own and make no clinical claim, but four or more ticks most days is a good reason to change something.

Ways to step away. These are Buhata's suggestions:

  1. Pick one or two set times a day to check the news, and leave it alone in between.
  2. Turn off breaking-news alerts so headlines don't pull you back in.
  3. Put the phone away at least 30 minutes before bed, which the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and CDC advise for sleep anyway.
  4. Keep the phone out of reach when you first wake up.

A way to start the conversation. If you share a home, ask for backup: "I keep reading the news in bed. Can we both put our phones on the kitchen charger at ten?"

Where It Comes From

Merriam-Webster wrote about doomscrolling and its close cousin doomsurfing in its "Words We're Watching" feature, and the dictionary now has full entries for doomscroll and doomscrolling.

Good to Know

Staying informed is reasonable; the trouble starts when reading turns into a loop that leaves you worried and short on sleep. AASM and CDC both advise switching screens off at least 30 minutes before bed. When the news leaves you anxious or low most days for weeks, talk to a doctor or a licensed mental health professional. If you're thinking about suicide or are in crisis, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). Call 911 in an emergency.

FAQ

What does doomscrolling mean?

Reading bad or upsetting news and posts one after another on a phone or computer, usually for a long stretch. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries describes the scrolling as continuous and compulsive.

Is doomscrolling bad for you?

The dictionaries define it without weighing its effects. Scrolling in bed does work against advice from AASM and CDC to stop screens at least 30 minutes before sleep, and if news leaves you anxious or low for weeks, it's worth talking to a doctor.

How do I stop doomscrolling?

Set a fixed time to check the news, turn off breaking-news alerts and keep the phone out of the bedroom at night. Buhata's suggestion is to start with one small limit and add another once it sticks.

Do It in Buhata

Reminders and Focus

Set a Reminder in Buhata for your evening stop time, and run a Focus countdown when you do check the news so the session has an end.

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Related Terms and Categories

  • Digital detox

    A set period when you stop using, or deliberately cut back on, smartphones, computers and other digital devices, usually to rest and lower stress.

  • Screen time for adults

    The hours an adult spends looking at phones, computers, TVs and other screens, for work and for leisure, counted across a day or a week.

  • Dopamine detox

    A popular name for a break from quick-reward habits like scrolling, though Cleveland Clinic notes it doesn't lower or clear dopamine from the brain.

  • Wind-down routine

    A set of calm, screen-free activities in the last part of the evening that helps you shift from being awake to falling asleep.

Wellbeing and habits

Sources

Cambridge Dictionary, "doomscrolling"; Oxford Learner's Dictionaries, "doomscrolling"; Merriam-Webster, "doomscrolling" and "doomscroll"; Merriam-Webster, "Doomsurfing and Doomscrolling" (Words We're Watching); American Academy of Sleep Medicine and CDC guidance on screens before bed, as on Buhata's wind-down routine page; 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Last updated .