I'm a Psychologist—Doomscrolling Has a Devastating Impact

Doomscrolling—or doomsurfing—is the excessive consumption of news-related information online. Doomscrollers can find themselves spending hours and hours of their time reading the news online, watching news channels or consuming short-form videos and/or posts on social media.

Over the last few years, there have been numerous tragic and unprecedented global news stories and events that have brought uncertainty and anxiety to many.

Doomscrollers have constant access to difficult and upsetting news stories because they look for them, in an attempt to gain more knowledge and feel more in control.

Although we can scroll for positive news too, thanks to the online algorithms, when we're scrolling we're more likely to come across the latter.

I had a client with three young children, who believed that she had to keep abreast of the details of the Middle East conflict. This meant that once her children were finally in bed, she would find herself scrolling for hours in an attempt to stay up-to-date and knowledgeable on what is happening.

She believed that to be a conscientious and caring human, it is something she had to do. However, not only was she finding herself feeling low and anxious because she was spending her only free time in the day doomscrolling, she was also struggling to switch off and go to sleep.

She found herself feeling tired, irritable and more stressed and was feeling guilty at being snappier and less patient with her children. The consequence of her hours of late-night doom scrolling was not only affecting her, but inevitably had a knock on affect on her children too.

She's not alone. Many clients report difficulty concentrating, brain fog, low self-esteem, feeling tired, unproductive, anxious and depressed as a result of spending too much time online, consuming negative news content.

I've also worked with many teenagers who fell into hours of doom scrolling after school, as a respite—and way of drowning out—the stress they experienced at school and the negative, self-attacking thoughts they were having about themselves as a result.

The way we feel is largely a result of the thoughts and images that go through our minds and if we're spending large amounts of time watching difficult, fearsome and tragic stories at the expense of more relaxing activities, it can have a devastating effect on the way we feel.

Furthermore, the news is often skewed towards focusing on the worst of human nature, at the expense of examples of the best. Difficult feelings can therefore remain with us for days, influencing the way we feel, our relationships with others and productivity even when we've stopped scrolling.

How you feel when you're using—or just finished using—your phone or watching the news is a good indicator on whether you need to curb the amount of time you spend scrolling.

Does watching the news or scrolling on social media leave you feeling anxious, restless and on edge? Does it leave you feeling down, hopeless and helpless? If so, it's likely that the time spent catching up on the news is excessive and potentially damaging for you.

If your desire to stay abreast of what's happening in the world is greater than your desire to look after the way you feel and your mental health, then doom scrolling is also likely an issue.

Consuming news only when you have the head and emotional space to deal with it is a healthier way to stay connected to what's going on in the wider-world whilst also looking after yourself.

Doomscrolling can feel compulsive, and even addictive, and there are lots of genuine reasons it feels this way. Perhaps, at first, it helps you feel safer and more in control, or it may be a good way to switch off and have a five-minute downtime—that turns into 35.

With the introduction of the "infinite scroll", online platforms are now also designed to make it really easy for us to keep scrolling without having to click through pages, making content more accessible and easier to mindlessly scroll. Headlines are also designed to install fear and entice us to read "just one more" story.

It can help to keep this in mind as it's important to see what we're up against when trying to make changes. Here are some practical tips that can help take better care of your mental health when it comes to using your phone and dealing with current news:

Remember that you don't always need to be aware of everything going on in the wider world, especially if you don't have any control over what's happening and they're impacting on the way you feel.

If you're already feeling anxious, low or stressed, it's likely that doom scrolling will only exacerbate these feelings. You can always tune back in once you're feeling better in yourself, stronger and in a better place.

Be aware of how much time you're spending catching up on the outside world and set yourself time limits to ensure that you don't spend longer than you can manage online without it starting to affect how you feel.

You can set yourself a timer or, if you tend to find yourself scrolling without having meant to, becoming more intentional when you open your phone and only going to the pages you've planned to.

If this feels hard to do, delete news or social media apps from your phone, use a lock box, or switch the wifi off at the wall to help create the boundaries you need around your phone use. Keeping your phone out of your bedroom at night can also help to reduce temptation.

If we wanted to, we could have access to difficult and upsetting information 24/7 and, as we know, the tendency is often to seek more information which perpetuates feelings of sadness and hopelessness, making it hard to end the scroll.

Unfollowing pages or people online that share content that you find difficult can help you manage your phone use and stay out of the doom scrolling loop. Undertaking a digital detox, and completely switching off from your TV, phone and computer can also be a wonderful way to break the doom scrolling habit.

Whilst longer detoxes can have the biggest impact, they aren't always easy or possible. Putting your phone away for a few hours a day and doing something nurturing and relaxing like taking a walk, meeting a friend, having a bath or reading a book can help create healthier habits that leave you feeling relaxed enough to be more mindful about how you're using your phone.

If you're finding that, despite your best intentions, you can't curb the doom scrolling habit and it's affecting your mental health or quality of life then reach out to your GP or a therapist who can help you to do just that.

Navit Schechter is a CBT therapist, mental health writer and parent. She has worked both in the NHS and in private practice, supporting parents and families for over 20 years.

Navit is the founder of Conscious & Calm where she helps parents use CBT strategies to feel less stressed and anxious, become more present and raise happier and more connected kids. Conscious & Calm was awarded GHP's Parent & Child Mental health experts of the year UK in 2023.

All views expressed are the author's own.

As told to Carine Harb.

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