Doomscrolling and Your Brain: Why You Can’t Look Away (and How to Stop)

You open your phone to check one notification. Ten minutes later, you’re still scrolling—headline after headline, crisis after crisis, bad news stacked on top of more bad news. You feel tense, drained, maybe even anxious, but you keep going.

That’s doomscrolling—and your brain plays a bigger role in it than you might think.

What Is Doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling is the habit of continuously consuming negative or distressing news online, even when it makes you feel worse. It surged during global crises like the pandemic, but it didn’t disappear when the news cycle slowed. Social media, 24/7 news, and algorithms designed to keep your attention have made doomscrolling a near-daily experience for many people.

It’s not a lack of willpower. It’s biology.

What Doomscrolling Does to Your Brain:

Your Brain Is Wired for Threat

The human brain evolved to prioritize danger. When you see alarming headlines, your amygdala—the brain’s threat detector—activates. It signals: Pay attention. This could be important for survival. Each new piece of bad news feels like something you must know, even if it doesn’t directly affect you.

The Stress Response Gets Stuck “On”

Repeated exposure to negative news keeps your body in a low-grade stress response. Cortisol (the stress hormone) stays elevated, which can lead to:

• Anxiety and irritability

• Trouble sleeping

• Difficulty concentrating

• Emotional exhaustion

Your brain doesn’t get the signal that the threat has passed—because it hasn’t stopped seeing threats.

The Dopamine Trap

Doomscrolling isn’t just stressful; it’s also addictive. Every scroll brings uncertainty: Will the next post be worse? Will it explain more?That unpredictability triggers dopamine, the brain chemical linked to reward and motivation.

So even though the content feels bad, your brain keeps chasing the next piece of information.

Why Doomscrolling Feels So Hard to Stop

• Illusion of control: Knowing more feels like being prepared—even when it isn’t.

• Social pressure: You don’t want to seem uninformed.

• Algorithm design: Platforms push emotionally charged content because it keeps you engaged.

The Mental Health Impact

Over time, doomscrolling can:

• Increase anxiety and depressive symptoms

• Distort your perception of the world as more dangerous than it is

• Reduce emotional resilience

• Crowd out moments of rest and joy

How to Break the Doomscrolling Cycle (Gently)

This isn’t about quitting news forever. It’s about protecting your brain.

Create Friction

• Remove news apps from your home screen

• Log out of social media so it’s less automatic

• Set app time limits—not as punishment, but as a pause button

Set News Windows

Choose specific times to check the news (for example, once in the morning). Avoid it before bed—your brain needs safety signals to sleep.

Regulate Your Nervous System

After consuming heavy content, do something grounding:

• Take a few slow breaths

• Step outside

• Stretch or move your body

Replace, Don’t Just Remove

If you stop doomscrolling without replacing it, your brain will crave stimulation. Try:

• Podcasts or music

• Reading

• Low-stakes games

• Creative activities

A Compassionate Reminder

Doomscrolling doesn’t mean you’re weak, dramatic, or addicted to negativity. It means you’re human—living in a world where distressing information is constant and easily accessible. The goal isn’t to be perfectly informed or perfectly calm. The goal is balance.

Your brain deserves moments of rest just as much as it deserves information.

Sometimes, the most mentally healthy choice is to put the phone down—and let your nervous system breathe.