When thinking about mental health struggles in teenagers, we often factor in school pressure, social relationships, or lack of sleep. However, one newer factor that is becoming extremely common is something that is sometimes not even recognized as harmful, doom scrolling. Doom scrolling refers to the habit of aimlessly and endlessly scrolling through social media posts. Though it may be easy to justify it as a way of staying up to date and informed, it can be detrimental to both an individual’s mental and physical health. As a teenager myself, I can attest to the habit and impacts of doom scrolling first hand. What I originally thought was me casually checking updates before bed quickly turned into hours of reading about tragic events, arguments online, and emotionally draining content. Over time, I noticed I was more anxious, slept worse, and felt mentally exhausted during the day.
Understanding doom Scrolling and why people do it
During the early phases of COVID-19, when several people turned to their phones for information and answers due to feelings of uncertainty, doom scrolling became very common. Since then, the tendency has persisted in many people, partly because of news cycles that rarely stop and social media algorithms that favor emotionally charged material. This behavior has the potential to develop into a compulsive habit. our brains sometimes want to keep looking for more information, thinking it will help us feel more in control. But instead of feeling informed, we often feel overwhelmed, helpless, or even numb.
How doom scrolling impacts the teen brain
Adolescence is a critical time for emotional development, and the brain is more sensitive to stress and overstimulation during this period. Doomscrolling can:
- Increase anxiety and fear – Constant exposure to bad news heightens stress responses and overall anxiety levels.
- Disruptions in sleep patterns – Late-night scrolling stimulates the brain and makes it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Lower mood and increase irritability – Reading about suffering or disasters repeatedly can create a sense of hopelessness.
- Impact concentration – Mental overload can reduce focus during school and other important tasks.
Again, as a teenager myself who tends to be very overly worried, I found myself spending long periods of time before I slept on my phone doing what I told myself was catching up on current events. However, instead of feeling more informed, I’d go to sleep feeling uneasy and stressed about things that were completely outside of my control. Even when I wasn’t reading “terrible” news, I was still seeing very emotionally intense content that left me feeling upset and drained emotionally. It wasn’t until I noticed I was constantly feeling anxious all the time that I began attempting to look into what might be causing it which eventually led me to realize my digital habits were a large part of it.
Signs that doom scrolling may be affecting you
Recognizing the signs of of doom scrolling is impacting you is an important first step to change your habits. A few signs that it may be impacting you or someone you know include:
- A constant need to check news or updates, even when it is disrupting your routine.
- Feeling tense, anxious, or upset after using social media
- Trouble sleeping after looking through social media late at night
- Difficulty focusing or enjoying things offline
How to create healthier habits
Changing scrolling habits doesn’t mean ignoring the world. It means setting boundaries that protect your mental health. Here are some strategies that have helped me and could help others:
- Set a screen time – Try to stop using social media 30-60 minutes before bed.
- Curate your feed – Follow accounts that share a mix of happy, educational, or creative content instead of only emotionally heavy content.
- Use “Do Not Disturb” – This prevents constant alerts and gives your brain space to rest.
- Replace the habit – Instead of scrolling, try journaling, reading, or listening to calming music at night.
- Try talking about it – Discussing what you’ve seen with a parent, friend, or even a counselor can help process heavier topics in a healthier way.
