Why Is It Hard To Stop Doomscrolling?

Introduction

Countless times I have caught myself doomscrolling far too long and I have to stop myself. Many teens fall victim to doomscrolling. I have wondered about how some teens are able to stop themselves from scrolling and while others choose to let it consume them. More importantly, why does doomscrolling occur in the first place?

What Is Doomscrolling? To begin with, we need to understand what doomscrolling means. According to Harvard Health Publishing, doomscrolling is when we are “constantly consuming distressing news.” An example given in the article is waking up and picking up your phone to scroll through the news. For instance, types of news such as climate change, crime, politics, pandemics, etc., may cause an individual to doomscroll. Imagine a scenario when you open your phone and begin reading about how Alaska’s ice keeps melting. From there you click on another article and end up in a cycle.

Doomscrolling Vs Our Brain

Our brain’s emotion center, called the limbic system, gets activated when we see alarming videos. Videos that alarm us compel our brain to keep scrolling as a protective response. Next, our reward circuit is turned on. This triggers a release of dopamine, responsible for reward and motivation, making it harder to stop scrolling. Furthermore, a feedback loop is created. This loop starts with viewing negative information, receiving a reward, and seeking more. It is easy to get trapped in this loop and that is why so many of us can doomscroll for hours.

Conclusion

We tend to underestimate the negative effects of our phones and doomscrolling is a clear example of one. In summary, doomscrolling involves our limbic system, reward circuit, and feedback loop. My only advice to you all is to break the cycle of doomscrolling and do something for yourself instead that will actually make you feel good. Remember you are not alone.

Works Cited

Bock, Sara. “Doomscrolling Again? Expert Explains Why We’re Wired for Worry.” Today, today.ucsd.edu/story/doomscrolling-again-expert-explains-why-were-wired-for-worry. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Salamon, Maureen. “Doomscrolling Dangers.” Harvard Health, 1 Sept. 2024, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/doomscrolling-dangers.