As someone who grew up with the internet, it has been hard to set boundaries around screen time. I grab my phone instinctively—waiting for my coffee order or in a crowded elevator—as one or two minutes of stillness is apparently impossible. And that in itself concerns me.
It’s when I’m winding down to sleep, telling myself I can open TikTok or Instagram (my go-tos) for a bit, and suddenly two hours pass by, that I admit I’m practicing a harmful habit. This is “doomscrolling,” spending excessive time scrolling through social media content, typically negative news, that usually makes the person feel anxious, sad, or angry.
Nearly 1 in 3 Americans (31%) who use social media said they doomscroll, with younger generations at the forefront of this behavior (46% of millennials and 53% of Gen Z respondents), according to a 2024 Morning Consult survey.
Although everyone is susceptible to doomscrolling, according to Harvard Medical School Professor Dr. Richard Mollica, women and people with a history of trauma are also particularly vulnerable to doomscrolling.
While “doomscrolling” at night does not seem to affect everyone’s sleep the same way, significant research shows that it can greatly impact people’s emotional and physical health.
The repetitive consumption of negative content can “activate the body’s stress response,” which leads to elevated levels of anxiety and other mental health conditions. In the past decade, studies have linked the rise of social media use and doomscrolling to an increase in anxiety among young adults across the country.
Digital screens also emit blue light, which can delay the secretion of melatonin (a natural hormone that is important for sleep). Aside from poor sleep quality, blue wavelengths are also associated with other health problems, including mental health issues and increased risk of some cancers.
Set boundaries with your devices.
Charge your device across the room at night. Move that phone away from you. Give yourself a few minutes before bed (put a timer if needed) to check or respond to any messages. Then charge your phone, iPad, etc. across the room for the evening. This prevents instinctively reaching for your device. (And if you have an alarm for the morning, that’s even better—now you have to get up in the morning to turn it off.)
Instead, keep something like a book, comic, or journal by your bed if you can’t sleep. Or play an audiobook, podcast, or white noise from across the room to sleep.
Limit your screen time during the day. Be intentional about your social media time, and set a timer for how long you can scroll. Find times in your routine when it’s appropriate to use your phone, but you’re not tempted or able to spend more than 10-15 minutes on it.
You can also set daily limits on certain apps on your devices. For Apple products, you can use the “Screen Time” feature in settings. On Android, you can turn on the “Digital Wellbeing” feature. There are also separate apps that do this—I personally enjoy “Focus Friend” by Hank Green; I use it daily.
And one in doubt, temporarily (or permanently) delete an app from your phone. You can also hide an app from your home screen so you’re less inclined to instinctively click on it.
Find healthier ways to stay informed.
Read your local paper if you have one! Newspapers are a timeless way to stay up to date. To me, there’s something special about the feel of a new issue with a cup of coffee in the morning or tea before bed. When you grab your local paper, you’re simultaneously engaging with and supporting your immediate community—something we need more of.
Long-form digital content. When it comes to digital media, there are plenty of ways to effectively inform yourself on current events—and this is through longer form content.
Use social media as a starting point to discover timely events or issues that interest you. Make a note of these topics, and search for in-depth content that focuses on them: YouTube video essays, documentaries, podcasts, Substacks, etc.
Replace “doomscrolling” with conversations.
In a time of endless digital content and large social media presences, there is a lack of genuine connection between people.
A few times a week, my father and I call each other about some event in the news or an article that we’ve read, and we discuss it. There is something more meaningful and cathartic when you can talk through current events with the people around you.
Although political conversations have become so taboo in recent years, the only way we can have productive, open-minded conversations is through gentle practice.
If I have the energy to engage in a debate and have some of my ideas challenged, I bring up certain topics with my cousins (we are all really close, politically diverse, and we know when to pause the conversation if needed). If I feel emotionally exhausted and wish my feelings to be validated, I have other relatives and friends to reach out to. I am incredibly privileged to have diverse opinions and voices around me, because being both challenged and comforted holds incredible value. Mindlessly scrolling through my social media feed does neither.
Basically, doomscrolling is never productive. We have the right and ability to inform, empower, and care for ourselves and our communities. We just need to get off our phones.
Belen Dumont is the Associated Editor of The Fulcrum.
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