What is doom scrolling? Have you ever found yourself scrolling endlessly through bad news, rage-y clickbait videos or depressing headlines, unable to stop even though it’s making you feel worse? If the answer is yes, then you have experienced doom scrolling—or as it’s known by its other monikers, death scrolling or zombie scrolling.
It’s one of those online habits we know is bad for us, but somehow, we can’t seem to break its hypnotic hold on us. The endless news updates, the celebrity gossip, the negativity, the constant pull of “just one more scroll”; it’s a mental trap that’s hard to escape. Worse, doomscrolling is one of the major causes of brainrot, leaving us emotionally exhausted and mentally foggy.
But why do we doomscroll in the first place? What are the effects of doomscrolling, and most importantly, how can we stop the death scroll? Read on below.
What Is Doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling definition: The compulsive act of scrolling through clickbait content, negative news or upsetting articles and videos, even though doing so leaves you feeling stressed, anxious, or mentally or emotionally drained.
Although the term was created in 2018, it wasn’t until the pandemic that it gained popularity when people couldn’t stop refreshing their feeds for the latest bad news on the pandemic. Doomscrolling isn’t limited to major events like the latest wildfires in LA, it also happens anytime we spiral into consuming content that’s heavy, upsetting, or downright terrifying.
Whether it’s tapping TikTok for doomsday predictions, scrolling Twitter for disaster updates, or refreshing Reddit for drama, doomscrolling traps us in a loop of negativity.
Effects of Doomscrolling
At first, doomscrolling makes you feel like you’re staying up to date on the latest world events. But the more you scroll, the worse you feel. Here’s how it affects you:
- Heightened Anxiety: Constant exposure to bad news puts your brain in fight-or-flight mode, making you feel on edge.
- Mental Exhaustion: Your brain isn’t designed to process endless negativity, leaving you mentally drained.
- Sleep Disruption: Late-night scrolling messes with your sleep patterns, thanks to both blue light and the stress of consuming upsetting content.
- Reduced Focus: Jumping from one alarming headline to another trains your brain to crave quick hits of information, making it harder to concentrate on one thing at a time.
- Bad Mood: Staring at a blue screen all day can put you in a terrible mood, especially if you’ve spent hours upon scrolling social media. It can make you short on patience with people in your life.
- Brainrot: The overstimulation from mindless scrolling contributes to that foggy, burnt-out feeling we call brainrot.
Doomscrolling is an addictive habit that doesn’t just affect your mood; it rewires your brain to crave quick hits of negative dopamine, leaving you stuck in a vicious cycle.
Why Do We Doomscroll?
So, why do we do this to ourselves? It’s not like we enjoy feeling stressed and overwhelmed. But doomscrolling is rooted in human psychology:
- Negativity bias: Our brains are wired to focus on threats as a survival mechanism. This makes bad news more attention-grabbing than good news.
- FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): We don’t want to miss important news updates, especially during crises.
- Instant gratification: The endless scroll is designed to keep us hooked on cheap hits of serotonin, with algorithms feeding us more of what grabs our attention. It quickly alleviates boredom.
- Boredom: Endless scrolling does alleviate boredom, with its quick burst of dopamine as a reward. The problem is that the dopamine rush ends as quickly as it starts, leading you to doom scroll even more looking for that quick dopamine hit again.
Combine these factors with our easy access to smartphones, and it’s no wonder we fall into the doomscrolling trap.
How to Stop Doomscrolling
Breaking free from doomscrolling isn’t easy, but it’s absolutely possible. Here’s how to stop doomscrolling and reclaim your peace of mind:
1. Set Time Limits on Your Apps
Use a built in feature app like Screen Time for Android and iOS, or Digital Wellbeing for Android to time how long you spend on social media or news apps. When the timer runs out, put your phone away and log off any social media sites or online forums like Reddit.
2. Create Phone-Free Zones
Make your bedroom, dining table, or other spaces in your home phone-free zones. Physically remove yourself from your smartphone or tablet by putting it away on a high shelf or leaving it in a different room. This reduces the temptation to zombie scroll.
3. Turn Off Notifications
Disable push notifications on your phone’s settings for news apps, social media, and anything else that alerts you to pick up your phone and click on another headline.
4. Follow Positive Accounts
Try to curate your news or social media feed to prioritize uplifting (cat accounts always make us happy personally) or neutral content. Do unfollow accounts that constantly post negative clickbait news or salacious stories.
5. Replace Scrolling with Positive Habits
Instead of doomscrolling, try activities that refresh your mind, like reading, journaling, or going for a quick 5-10 minute walk. Even something as simple as setting a timer to close your eyes or looking away from a screen for 40 seconds can have a positive impact.
6. Practice Mindfulness
When you catch yourself doomscrolling, pause and ask: “How is this making me feel?” If the simple answer is “Bad,” sometimes that can be enough to motivate you to stop. Or, at least, take a short break from mindless scrolling.
7. Go Offline Before Bed
Stop using your phone at least an hour before sleep to avoid overstimulating your brain with the blue light from your screen. Replace it with a calming bedtime routine, like reading a physical book or magazine or meditating.
8. Stay Informed within Limits
Set an alarm with specific times to check the news—like once in the morning and once in the evening—and stick to them. This way, you stay informed without spiraling into negativity.
9. Use the 5-Minute Rule
When you feel the urge to scroll, give yourself five minutes to check in with yourself, then put your phone down. Being intentional and setting this boundary can help you avoid falling into a doom scrolling hole.
10. Use the Pomodoro Technique
If the 5 minute rule is too restrictive, try the Pomodoro technique for curbing doom scrolling especially if you’re trying to be productive. The Pomodoro technique involves setting a timer for 25 minutes of productivity followed by a 5 to 10 minute break to use social media. Rinse and repeat for the duration of your work day. However, some people find 25 minutes of productivity too short to really dial in before taking a break. If that’s the case, try setting your alarm for 50 minutes of work time with a 10 to 15 minute break for yourself to do whatever you want.
11. Try Crossword Puzzles or Sudoku
One of the best and easiest offline hobbies that will keep you mentally engaged (without cheap addictive boosts of energy) is crossword puzzles. You can buy beginner friendly crossword puzzle books or more complex ones. We suggest starting easy so you don’t give up just as quickly. Try incorporating doing a quick crossword or two during one of the above techniques like Pomodoro. Crossword puzzles come in books of 100 to 10,000 puzzles, or you can try a brain game book that incorporates crossword puzzles within it.
12. Get Comfortable with Silence
One of the best techniques to give up your online addiction and doom scrolling is to do nothing. Close your eyes or stare at a wall if you have to. Learn to be bored and accept that you’re not getting your easy dopamine fix.
13. Delete Social Media Apps
Delete Tiktok, Instagram, and log out of any online socials like Reddit and Facebook if you have to. Now, to combat boredom from the lack of quick dopamine hits, read a book or listen to an audiobook, if you don’t feel like reading. Doodle and make scribbles in a notebook while listening to binaural beats – whatever keeps you from the temptation of endless scrolling. Even if you cave in and take a peek at a funny reel or two, it still counts as a step in the right direction.
14. Get a Dumb Phone
If you’ve tried deleting social media apps but are still doom scrolling every day, try using a “Dumb Phone” – an app that strips your smartphone’s interface into the barest essentials hiding all notifications and distractions. Think old Nokia and flip phone minimalist screens from days of millennial yore.
Or, if you’re really committed to breaking your doom scrolling and brainrot habit for good, why not try an actual dumb phone like the aforementioned Nokia or the fabled Motorola Razr? There’s also other “dumb phone” models like CAT S22 or Kyocera DuraXV which have great durability features and will prevent you from wasting time zombie scrolling on your phone.
If you decide to forgo your smartphone in order to curb your online addiction and opt for a dumb phone for a while (or forever) make sure it’s unlocked and compatible with your service provider. For more info check out this subreddit for all things dumbphone.
15. Seek Professional Help if Needed
If all else fails and doomscrolling and its effects—like anxiety or depressive episodes—are seriously affecting your mental health, don’t hesitate to reach out to a doctor or a therapist for support.
How to Stop Doom Scrolling for Good
Doomscrolling is a habit that feeds into brainrot, leaving us stuck in cycles of negativity and mental fatigue. But the good news is that it’s a habit we can break. By setting boundaries, replacing negative habits with positive ones, and giving your brain the rest it needs, you can free yourself from the endless scroll and regain control over your mental health.
Remember: your peace of mind is worth more than the latest headline.
The best thing to do is nothing tbh. Get used to being bored like its 1995 & theres no cell phones