You step into your bedroom after a long day of school. Whether you had too many classes, meetings, or practices, your mind and body are exhausted, and you just need to rest. So, you hop on your bed and go on TikTok or Instagram Reels, and start scrolling. It’s so simple: if you’re bored, just scroll until you find an entertaining video. You see some of your favorite dances, relatable quotes, and fashion tips until you look up to check the time and are thrown back into reality – the guilt rushes in as you ask yourself, “How did so much time go by?”
This has certainly happened to me countless times. After being worn out by two rehearsals, I plop down on my beanbag, open TikTok, and start scrolling. Occasionally, I stumble upon a video encouraging me to get off my continuous scroll and feel guilty. These videos are right – I don’t even remember the video I watched five scrolls ago. I check the time, and of course, I have wasted over an hour on meaningless videos that I won’t even remember tomorrow.
I do not need to explain to myself or readers guilty of this activity that continuous, pointless scrolling on social media is unhealthy. Most people already understand the consequences through the plethora of scientific research, news publications, and the many people on social media who discourage screen time. So, what’s true amid all this information being thrown around—facts and misinformation galore?
To begin, let’s define “doomscrolling.” The correct definition of the word is “to spend excessive time online scrolling through news or other content that makes one feel sad, anxious, angry, etc.”, being limited to specific scenarios where viewers were seeking out harmful content; however, as endless scrolling became a widespread issue, many started using the term for all situations in which mindless, uncontrollable scrolling took over their time. The official term’s definition remains limited to those scenarios, though, with most usages of the word being a misuse. The psychological consequences of endless scrolling, which are pretty well-known, include a shortened attention span (especially as videos on social media platforms get shorter), emotion regulation issues, reduced feelings of well-being, and behavior reflecting poor mental health. However, the negative impacts don’t end in psychology. Research indicates that too much time on social media can lead to wrist and thumb pain, digital eyestrain and neck and upper back pain. In addition, because users are sedentary for so long while doomscrolling, it can lead to physical issues related to inactivity.
Despite all of these warnings about social media, the addiction is hard to overcome. According to Anna Lembke, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, this addiction occurs because scrolling releases dopamine from the brain, leading to feelings of pleasure and reward. You continuously scroll through different videos to gain more dopamine. Once you stop scrolling, your dopamine returns below the baseline, and your emotions droop, making you want to return for more. This creates a continuous, addictive cycle that makes you continue to scroll.
Even though we are aware of the negative effects and are now enlightened with the psychology behind it, we still struggle with stopping ourselves from doomscrolling. Quitting immediately can often exacerbate the addiction and lead to a return. So, if you are having difficulty stopping, simply slowing the pace at which you are scrolling, taking longer to look at each post rather than immediately scrolling once your attention span runs out, is a more accessible way to begin. My favorite videos that help you slow your scroll are the “Dutch Baby Detox” series by @reidsactivekitchen. He makes one-minute videos of himself baking a different flavor of Dutch Baby every day, where he asks the viewers to challenge their attention span by watching the whole video through instead of scrolling when bored. No work is required on our part, except staying and watching the full video.
Substituting the dopamine we gain from social media videos with healthy dopamine from other activities is also key – physical exercise, from a pleasant stroll or jog to a full-on sprint or workout, is a good example. Countless results that pop up when you search “What do I do instead of scrolling?” will give you a list of activities that can help cure your boredom, such as cleaning, playing a board game, making a playlist, and so on. You can also directly limit social media usage with features such as limiting screen time or deleting the app for a short hiatus.
Social media is addictive, but there are countless ways to slow down, if not get over, your endless “doomscroll.” While quitting all social media can be both unproductive and too much of a challenge for exhausted students, these methods can help abate this phenomenon. Even recognizing you are amidst a “doomscroll” and trying to find your way out is an excellent first step to overcoming your addiction.
