It’s a daily habit for many, opening an app, scrolling endlessly and suddenly realizing an hour has passed. Experts say this behavior, known as “doomscrolling,” can have a serious impact on mental health.
“Unfortunately, doomscrolling has become a very common and unhealthy practice in our society,” said Dr. Adam Borland, a clinical psychologist with the Cleveland Clinic.
Doomscrolling refers to the constant consumption of negative or anxiety-provoking content online. While staying informed is important, Borland says too much exposure to distressing headlines and videos can take a toll on emotional well-being.
“People often complain about losing long periods of time scrolling through their phone because it becomes addictive,” Borland said.
According to experts, overexposure to this kind of content can fuel stress, anxiety, low mood, irritability and even cause sleep problems or strain relationships at home and work.
Borland recommends breaking the cycle by practicing mindfulness by focusing on the present moment and being intentional about screen time. He also suggests setting healthy boundaries for when to use devices and monitoring which accounts you follow.
If certain pages or creators constantly make you feel anxious or upset, it might be time to unfollow. Experts also say having a support system and spending time away from screens can help restore balance.
“It’s important for people to remember that they have a choice in all of this,” said Borland. “They have a choice as to how much upsetting content they’re accessing. And when they have that choice, that comes with a sense of control.”
