What is doomscrolling and why can't we stop? Learn how scrolling through bad news for hours affects mental health, and practical ways to break the habit.
You get into bed at night saying "I'll just look for five minutes and then sleep", and the next thing you know it's past two o'clock; on the screen you have moved from one news story to another, from one image of disaster to another argument. When you put the phone down, you are left with a heavy restlessness, a slight flutter in your heart and the start of a sleepless night. This experience has a name: doomscrolling. In an age full of economic uncertainty, earthquakes, news of war, natural disasters and a constantly flowing news agenda, many of us get caught in this cycle without realising it. In this article we look at what doomscrolling is, why we find it so hard to stop, how it affects our mental health, and what you can do step by step to break the habit.
What Is Doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling is continuing to scroll through negative, worrying or upsetting news and posts for a long time and almost without being able to stop, even though it makes you feel bad. It is not a diagnosis; it describes a pattern of behaviour.
There are a few features that distinguish this behaviour from ordinary news-following:
- Aimlessness: Drifting through the feed instead of looking for specific information
- Lost time: Staying on the screen much longer than planned
- Rising negative emotion: Anxiety, anger, sadness or helplessness growing as you scroll
- Being unable to stop: Carrying on with "just one more" even though it makes you feel bad
Following the news is of course natural and necessary. We want to get information especially during a disaster, an earthquake or an important development. The problem is when the need for information is replaced by a scrolling cycle that cannot be stopped.
Why Is Doomscrolling So Addictive?
"If it makes me feel this bad, why can't I stop?" is an entirely fair question. The answer lies in how our brains work and how digital platforms are designed.
A threat-focused brain: The human brain is programmed to pay attention to danger in order to survive. Negative information attracts more attention than positive information and stays in the mind longer. In psychology this is called negativity bias. When we see bad news, our brain signals "I need to know this, it might be important".
The illusion of control: In times of uncertainty, gathering more information seems to make us feel more prepared. The thought "If I keep track of everything, I won't be caught out by a bad surprise" is one of the hidden reasons we keep scrolling. Yet as the amount of information grows, it is not the sense of control but anxiety that grows.
Infinite-feed design: Most social media and news apps are built on endless feeds and personalised recommendations. Because there is no natural stopping point, it becomes hard to say "enough". Content that gets more reactions, that is, usually more frightening or anger-provoking content, appears more often in the feed.
Intermittent reward: While scrolling, every so often we come across something interesting, funny or soothing. These unpredictable rewards put the brain in an expectation of "if you scroll a bit more, you might find something good".
Escape from emotions: Sometimes scrolling is a way of escaping loneliness, boredom, anxiety or tiredness. Unfortunately, it often makes the very feeling we want to escape even bigger.
The Effects of Doomscrolling on Mental Health
Being exposed to negative content for a long time affects both mind and body. The effects below are common; however, let us remind you that none of them alone amounts to a diagnosis.
Anxiety and a constant state of alertness
Being exposed to news that constantly contains threat keeps the brain's alarm system switched on. A person may find themselves restless, tense for no reason and with a feeling that "something is going to happen". Looking again and again at images of earthquakes, disasters or war can lead to intense stress reactions even in people who did not experience the event directly.
Sleep problems
Scrolling in bed at night makes it harder to fall asleep, both because of screen light and because of the emotional arousal the content creates. As sleep quality drops, anxiety and irritability increase even more the next day. For detailed suggestions on this, you can look at our article on how to overcome insomnia.
Hopelessness and helplessness
The impression that the world is made up only of bad news feeds pessimism about the future. The thought "Everything is going wrong, there's nothing to be done" can over time reduce motivation and the capacity to enjoy things.
Difficulty with attention and concentration
Being fed constantly with short, intense and emotional content can make it harder to focus on a single task for a long time. Reading a book, watching a film or finishing a piece of work may not feel as easy as it used to.
Distance in relationships
A phone held at the dinner table, during a conversation or while playing with children creates a distance in close relationships without anyone noticing. The person is physically there, but their mind is in the news feed.
Imagine you come home in the evening, tired, and pick up your phone thinking "let me switch off for a bit". An hour later you notice you have been going back and forth between the economy, earthquake predictions and an argument video, and that instead of clearing your head it is fuller than before. Very often, doomscrolling is an activity we think of as rest but that actually wears us out even more.
The Intensity of the News Agenda in Turkey and News Fatigue
In Turkey the news agenda is often fast and intense. Economic developments, price rises, discussions of earthquake risk, natural disasters and news of conflicts in the region can follow one after another within the same day. During and after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, many people followed images of the rubble and calls for help for hours and days. At the time this following was also part of solidarity; but many people noticed that even months later, when looking at the news, their body gave the same alarm reaction.
This intensity creates "news fatigue" in some people: not wanting to look at the news, but being afraid of missing something important if they do not. This dilemma pushes a person back and forth between over-following and complete disconnection. What is healthy is to develop, between these two extremes, a habit of conscious and limited news consumption.
It is also worth remembering that bad news does not come only from news apps. Unverified warnings, frightening videos and "forward to everyone" calls shared in family and friend messaging groups feed the same cycle. Muting notifications in these groups, not forwarding content whose accuracy you are not sure of and, where needed, gently asking "Is the source of this clear?" help reduce anxiety for you and for your loved ones.
How Do You Stop Doomscrolling? Step-by-Step Suggestions
The aim is not to cut yourself off from the world but to build a healthy relationship with information. Think of the steps below as small experiments and choose those that suit you.
1. Notice first
For a few days, note when, where and feeling what you start to scroll. Most people notice that certain moments (before bed, as soon as they wake up, on public transport, at work breaks, when alone) are triggers. Your phone's screen time report is also a helpful tool for this awareness.
2. Set a time and a duration for the news
Follow the news once or twice a day, at set times and for a limited length of time. For example, fifteen minutes each at lunchtime and at seven in the evening. Try not to open news apps outside of this time. When there is a truly urgent and important development, the information will reach you somehow anyway.
3. Make the bedroom a screen-free zone
Charge your phone outside the bedroom, or at least put it somewhere you cannot reach from your bed. Using a separate clock for the alarm also stops you diving into the news feed as the first thing in the morning. Aim to spend the last hour before bed screen-free.
4. Create friction
What makes habits easy is that they are easy to reach. Remove news and social media apps from the home screen, turn off notifications, use settings that require logging in to the apps again each time. Even a small difficulty slows automatic behaviour and gives you the chance to think "Do I really want to look?"
5. Choose your sources
Prefer reliable news sources that offer summaries instead of endless feeds. Mute or unfollow accounts that constantly provoke anger and fear. Sources that share unverified claims inflate anxiety unnecessarily.
6. Ask yourself a question while scrolling
When you notice you are scrolling, pause for a moment and ask: "What is this content adding for me right now? Have I learned something, or do I just feel worse?" This question lets you come off autopilot and make a conscious choice.
7. Put something in place of scrolling
Giving up a habit gets easier when you put a new behaviour in its place. Prepare a list of alternatives to do when the urge to scroll comes: a short walk, a few minutes of breathing exercises, making a cup of tea, calling a friend, reading a few pages of a book or listening to music.
8. Balance the negative
It is not only bad things that happen in the world; but feeds mostly show us these. Consciously make room also for content with stories of solidarity, scientific developments, art, nature and humour. In real life, too, try to notice small good moments.
You don't have to know everything. To protect yourself, sometimes turning off the screen and returning to the present moment, to your breath and the people beside you, is the most responsible thing to do.
9. Turn anxiety into action
If a piece of news has affected you deeply, instead of carrying on scrolling, think about whether there is something concrete you can do: donating to a trusted organisation, volunteering, calling someone close to you or reviewing your own preparedness. Action is the antidote to helplessness.
If you are thinking of a fuller break from screens, you can find a realistic and workable plan in our article on digital detox. If you think your screen use in general is getting out of control, our article on screen addiction may also guide you.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Everyone can get lost in negative news from time to time. However, the following situations point to the possibility that support from a mental health professional could be helpful:
- If you cannot cut down on scrolling no matter how hard you try
- If your sleep problems have lasted for weeks
- If you experience constant anxiety, restlessness or panic attacks
- If hopelessness, low mood and lack of motivation have spread to most days
- If clear problems have appeared at work, school or in your relationships
- If you cannot get images of disaster or violence out of your mind and have nightmares
If the feeling of hopelessness has turned into thoughts of ending your life or harming yourself, please do not stay alone; in an emergency call 112 (Turkey's emergency services).
If symptoms of anxiety are making your daily life difficult, getting specialist support in the area of anxiety and panic can be helpful.
How Is Doomscrolling Addressed in Therapy?
In therapy, doomscrolling is addressed not only as a screen habit but together with the emotional needs underneath it.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): The triggers that start the scrolling, the accompanying thoughts ("I must know everything", "If I don't look, something bad will happen") and the short- and long-term consequences of the behaviour are examined together. With this awareness, the chain of behaviour is changed step by step.
Work on tolerating uncertainty: Behind the need to gather information there is often an inability to bear uncertainty. In therapy we work on ways of living more comfortably with uncertainty.
Emotion regulation skills: If scrolling is a way of escaping, you learn healthy ways of coping with the feeling being escaped (loneliness, anxiety, boredom).
Behaviour planning: Realistic goals are set for screen use, alternative activities are planned and progress is followed together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is doomscrolling an addiction?
Doomscrolling is not an official addiction diagnosis; however, it can have addiction-like features such as loss of control, difficulty stopping and continuing despite negative consequences. If the behaviour clearly affects your life, getting support can be helpful.
Is it right not to follow the news at all?
Disconnecting completely is not always necessary, and in some people it can increase anxiety about uncertainty. What is healthier is following the news from reliable sources, at set times and for a limited length of time.
I can't sleep without reading the news on my phone at night. What can I do?
You can try charging your phone outside the bedroom, putting a paper book or a soothing audio recording in its place, and setting an hour of screen-free time before bed. It may feel hard at first, but within a few weeks you may see a difference in your sleep routine.
My children are also constantly exposed to bad news. What should I do?
Limit children's exposure, especially to images of disaster and violence. Talk to them about the news they see in an age-appropriate way and listen to their questions. You can also set an example through your own screen habits; remember that when you are struggling, getting support is always possible.
Bu yazı genel bilgilendirme amaçlıdır; tanı veya tedavi yerine geçmez. Yaşadığınız güçlükler için bir ruh sağlığı uzmanına başvurmanız önerilir. Acil bir durumda lütfen 112'yi arayın.
Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
Eğitimler