The Psychology of Doom scrolling: Why We Can’t Stop Consuming Bad News

Introduction

You pick up your phone to check the news “just for a minute.” Maybe you want a quick update on the economy, the weather, or what’s trending online. But an hour later, you’re still there—scrolling through alarming headlines, depressing statistics, and endless negative stories. Your coffee is cold, your to-do list is untouched, and your mood has taken a nosedive.

This modern habit has a name: doomscrolling. The word became popular during the early days of the pandemic when people spent hours glued to their screens, desperately searching for the latest updates. But even though the lockdowns ended, doomscrolling stuck around. It has quietly become a part of daily life for millions of people. The real question is: why can’t we stop, and what is it doing to us?

What is Doomscrolling?

At its core, doomscrolling is the act of endlessly scrolling through bad news, often without realizing how much time has passed. It’s not the same as casually catching up on current events. Instead, it’s a compulsive cycle: you read one story, then another, and another, until you feel weighed down by negativity.

The irony is that people rarely feel better after doomscrolling. Instead of relief or reassurance, it usually leaves us stressed, anxious, or even hopeless. Yet we keep coming back. Psychologists say this loop is partly due to human nature—we are wired to pay more attention to threats than to positive information. In ancient times, this instinct helped us survive. Today, it keeps us locked onto the glow of a screen.

The Brain’s Role in Doomscrolling

So why does doomscrolling feel so hard to resist? The answer lies in how our brains process stress and reward.

When we encounter frightening or upsetting news, our body releases cortisol, the stress hormone. In small bursts, cortisol is useful: it sharpens our attention and prepares us to react to danger. But when we expose ourselves to negative news for hours, cortisol levels stay elevated. That constant stress response takes a toll on both mind and body.

At the same time, doomscrolling activates the brain’s reward system. Each new headline or update provides a small dose of novelty, which triggers dopamine—the chemical associated with pleasure and motivation. Even though the content is negative, the act of scrolling gives us tiny bursts of reward, enough to keep us hooked. The combination of stress and dopamine makes doomscrolling surprisingly addictive.

The Impact on Mental Health

The short-term effects of doomscrolling might seem harmless—maybe you feel anxious or lose sleep for a night or two. But over time, the habit can have deeper consequences.

Increased Anxiety and Depression: Research shows that people who consume large amounts of negative news report higher levels of anxiety, sadness, and hopelessness.

Poor Sleep: Many people doomscroll late at night, which overstimulates the brain and makes it harder to wind down. The blue light from screens also interferes with melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.

Reduced Focus and Productivity: Constant exposure to breaking news trains the brain to jump from one crisis to another. This makes it difficult to concentrate on daily tasks, work, or even conversations.

Physical Health Effects: Chronic stress from high cortisol levels has been linked to headaches, digestive issues, weakened immunity, and even heart problems.

In other words, doomscrolling doesn’t just drain your mood—it affects your overall health.

Why We Keep Doing It

If doomscrolling feels so bad, why do we keep coming back? The answer is complex.

For one, humans crave certainty. When the world feels unpredictable, many of us turn to information as a way to feel in control. By scrolling through the latest updates, we believe we’re preparing ourselves for whatever comes next. In reality, most of the information we consume doesn’t actually help us take meaningful action—it only adds to the sense of overwhelm.

Social media also plays a role. Platforms are designed to keep us engaged, and negative stories tend to spread faster than positive ones. Algorithms pick up on this and serve us more of what holds our attention, which often means bad news. The result is a feedback loop: we click on negativity, the platforms feed us more of it, and we spiral further into the cycle.

How to Break the Cycle

The good news is that doomscrolling isn’t permanent. With some awareness and small changes, you can regain control over your scrolling habits. Here are a few strategies:

Set Time Limits – Use app timers or alarms to cap your scrolling at a certain number of minutes per day. Even reducing your news consumption slightly can lower stress.

Curate Your Feed – Follow accounts or subscribe to newsletters that focus on solutions, uplifting stories, or balanced reporting.

Schedule News Checks – Instead of checking updates throughout the day, dedicate one or two specific times (morning and evening, for example). This keeps you informed without overwhelming your brain.

Replace the Habit – When you feel the urge to scroll, swap it for another activity: read a book, go for a walk, or call a friend.

Practice Mindfulness – Pay attention to how your body feels while scrolling. If your heart races, your chest feels tight, or your mind starts racing, it’s a signal to stop.

These strategies don’t require you to ignore the news altogether. Instead, they help you create healthier boundaries around your information intake.

Finding Balance in the Digital Age

Staying informed is important. We live in a fast-changing world, and being aware of current events helps us make good decisions. But when awareness turns into obsession, our mental health pays the price. Doomscrolling is a perfect example of how our survival instincts can clash with modern technology.

The solution isn’t to shut ourselves off from the world but to strike a balance. By setting limits, curating what we consume, and being mindful of how scrolling affects us, we can stay informed without feeling crushed by negativity.

In the end, the world is bigger than the headlines on your screen. Breaking free from doomscrolling doesn’t mean ignoring reality—it means protecting your well-being so that you can face reality with clarity, strength, and calm.