How do I know if I’m doomscrolling?
We’ll be the first to say it: We get it. In today’s socioeconomic and political landscape, it can sometimes feel impossible not to be inundated with breaking news. With consistent access to social media, doomscrolling — AKA, the act of consistently absorbing negative news — is all too easy. But with a little extra help and a toolkit of distractions, you can manage your time spent digesting headlines.
H2: What is doomscrolling?
Anyone can end up doomscrolling, regardless of what apps or websites they use. It doesn’t matter what a person’s age, political alignment, or beliefs are — it simply means that you’re engaging in the compulsive process of looking at negative news stories.
If you’re using an app like Instagram or TikTok, it can sometimes be attributed to your algorithm, which will frequently show you more posts on the same subject matter you pay attention to. For example, if you watch one video about an upcoming election, you’re likely to continue receiving videos about the same topic, creating a cycle that’s tough to break.
Doomscrolling can also be done on news apps or websites. This can happen when you’re reading an article and end up clicking on relevant posts, establishing a similar cycle. At first, it can feel like you’re informing yourself on current events, but when feelings like anxiety, worry, nervousness, sadness, or anger start to creep in, you may be doing more harm to your mental health than you realize.
H2: Symptoms of doomscrolling
Everyone can be affected by doomscrolling differently, so symptoms may present themselves in several ways. Some of the most common symptoms include:
- Anxiety, fear, and worry about the news
- Feeling overwhelmed by the news or current events
- Paranoia
- Difficulty concentrating and constantly wanting to check your phone
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Headaches or pain in the shoulders, back, or neck
- Elevated blood pressure
While keeping up to date with current events can feel productive, doomscrolling starts to happen when you feel somewhat overwhelmed or out of control with how much you’re absorbing.
H2: How to stop doomscrolling
H3: Set boundaries
Maybe it sounds easier said than done, but to limit your time spent doomscrolling, boundaries are necessary. You can change settings on your phone to manage the time spent on certain apps or even delete them entirely. If you have notifications on for news outlets, turn them off, or change them to only include two to three topics you’re most concerned about.
If you find yourself having a hard time respecting these boundaries, lean on a trusted loved one to keep you accountable. This can look like:
- Asking a friend to check in about how much time you’ve spent reading the news
- Spending time with a roommate so they can gently remind you if you pick up your phone
- Designating time you’d usually spend scrolling to walking your dog, visiting relatives, or going on a date with your partner
H3: Use your community
Tons of community-based resources have popped up in the past few years. Engaging with your local community in person or online is a great way to keep yourself busy and connected. You can:
- Find a sports team or activity group to join, like a book club or a running group
- Volunteer with a non-profit or community support group
- Find a support group with similar interests or struggles
- Find solace in group therapy [CM link]
H3: Talk to a professional
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to go through a major life event to start attending therapy. You can go for any old reason, whether it be daily stressors, difficulty managing your time, or help with doomscrolling.
We have mental health professionals who work around your schedule — that means our offices are open until 9 p.m., 7 days a week. We also offer virtual, in-person, or hybrid scheduling so you can make appointments based on what works best for you.
Politics can be a touchy subject for some, but we ensure that all of our professionals approach the subject with sensitivity. Our highest priority is providing a safe space for all members of the community, regardless of race, gender, nationality, or age.
Talk to a mental health professional about doomscrolling
H2: Are there dangers to doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling itself isn’t too dangerous, but over time, it can have negative impacts on your mental and physical health. You’re essentially spending time feeling worry, panic, or anger over the state of the world — which is normal, but only to an extent! Too much of anything can be harmful to your health, and spending excessive hours consuming worrisome current events, news outlets, or social media can all fall into that bucket.
H2: Takeaway
There’s nothing wrong with keeping up with breaking news, but when you fall into a pit of compulsively scrolling through negative stories, videos, and posts, it easily transitions to doomscrolling. Through community resources, mental health help, and healthy boundary setting, you can work to limit your consumption of online news — and there’s nothing wrong with doing so.
