Healthy Alternatives to Doomscrolling

When you wake up, is your phone or tablet the first thing you reach for? Are you constantly checking news sites during the day? Late at night, do you spend hours lying in bed flipping through social media feeds? If the answer is yes, you could have a doomscrolling habit.

Doomscrolling is “spending excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc.,” according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Endlessly scrolling through online content — especially material that evokes negative feelings — can be harmful to both your mental and physical health.

When you spend too much time looking at screens this way, it can increase stress and depression, make you fearful and overwhelmed, and disrupt your sleep patterns. Some of the other physical side effects include headaches, muscle tension, and elevated blood pressure.

Why Do We Doomscroll?

With doomscrolling being so unhealthy, why do we do it? Doomscrolling can become an addictive habit for several reasons, including:

• In uncertain times, there’s a heightened need to understand what is happening and how to prepare for threats. Doomscrolling helps people have a greater sense of control.
• Fear of missing out on important information, which leads to compulsively checking for updates.
• Doomscrolling triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, which is a hormone and neurotransmitter that gives us a sense of pleasure and reward. As we continue to scroll, more dopamine is released, reinforcing the behavior.
• Depression can make people search for negative information to confirm how they feel. Doomscrolling may seem like a coping mechanism, but it usually makes people feel worse.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can lock people into repetitive behaviors, such as constant scrolling.

Strategies for Stopping Doomscrolling

If you or someone in your family is a doomscroller, try these strategies to help break the habit.

• Restrict your news intake. Visit only one or two sites that report news objectively. Avoid sites that deliberately try to be sensational or shock their viewers. The Associated Press and Reuters are two large news services known for unbiased reporting.
• Set a time limit. Use a timer app to set a reminder when it’s time to stop scrolling. For example, limit yourself to 30 minutes daily.
• Read positive articles. Negative news can be difficult to avoid completely. Purposely seeking out positive articles to read will help you balance out negativity. There are several websites devoted entirely to positive news, and some news organizations have curated sections with uplifting articles.
• Use an app to block distractions. There are several apps available that help you limit screentime and block distracting apps and websites.
• Slow your scroll. Instead of racing through large amounts of content, try to slow down your scrolling and focus on viewing smaller quantities of quality content.
• Turn off push notifications. Apps can bombard you with notifications and bait you into reading their content. Turn off all push notifications from news and social media apps.
• Move your devices. If you have a habit of grabbing your phone or tablet when you wake up, move mobile devices away from your bed so they’re out of reach. Instead of scrolling first thing, make breakfast or do something else before looking at your phone.    

Doomscrolling Substitutes

Phones and tablets play such an important role in our lives that it’s not practical to give them up completely. However, you can substitute doomscrolling with healthier alternatives. We offer some suggestions to try.

• Read a book. Books can provide an escape from reality, or they can expand your knowledge and teach you new skills. Many books are positive or uplifting. Physical books are available at Vermont’s public libraries, or you can access books electronically for free through Libby and other apps. If you want to access books on the go, look for titles that are available as audiobooks.
• Listen to podcasts. There are literally millions of podcasts available, so it’s likely you’ll find some that interest you. Listening to a podcast gives your eyes a break from scrolling and in the evening helps prepare your mind for sleep. Look for podcasts on topics that are relaxing for you. There are many podcast players available for both Apple and Google devices.
• Meditate. To counteract the negative effects of doomscrolling, spend some time meditating each day. Meditation helps you to manage stress, reduce negative feelings, and get better sleep. There are a wide variety of meditation apps available for mobile devices, including those that are free to use. Some apps offer expert-guided meditation sessions and mindfulness exercises.
• Learn another language. If you like to travel to other countries, learning another language can be a very productive and rewarding use of leisure time. Apps are available for mobile devices that make it easier to learn a language. Some apps go beyond just teaching the basics of vocabulary and grammar, allowing you to practice talking in the language and get feedback on your skills.
• Solve puzzles. Working to solve puzzles has many health benefits, including lower blood pressure, reduced stress, and memory improvement. Apps are available that include jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and other word games.

Seek Support If You Need Help

If you need support to break the doomscrolling habit, we encourage you to talk with a mental health professional, such as the therapists available through the Amwell, SonderMind, or Valera Health telemedicine platforms. They can help you explore the factors behind your doomscrolling and find lasting solutions.