Stop Doomscrolling: Why It's So Hard and What Works

You open your phone to check something quickly. Twenty minutes later you're still scrolling through news or social media — often with a more unsettled feeling than before.

This behaviour is called doomscrolling.

What Doomscrolling Is

Doomscrolling is the reflexive act of continuing to scroll through negative news or social media, even when it doesn't feel good.

The feed is endless and your brain searches for a moment of closure that never comes.

Why Stopping Is Hard

Negative news captures more attention than positive news. Algorithms respond to this by showing exactly that type of content more often — keeping the stream of stimuli going.

There's no natural stopping point. The feed doesn't end. So your brain never gets the signal that it's done.

What Helps

Turn Off Notifications

Without notifications, there's less reason to open the app in the first place.

Fixed Moments for News

By reading the news at fixed moments, you prevent yourself from being occupied with it all day.

Once in the morning, once in the evening — that's enough to stay informed without the spiral.

Raise the Barrier

When opening an app requires an extra action, the chance of automatically starting to scroll decreases.

That moment of friction is often enough to make you reconsider.