Skip to main content

Doomscrolling: What is it, and how to break the habit

According to new research, doomscrolling can lead to poor mental and physical health. But what is doomscrolling, and how can those of us struggling with it break the habit? 

What is doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling is the word used to describe the process of compulsively looking at the news, and continuing to read news content despite the fact that it is leaving us feeling depressed, hopeless or anxious. 

People who doomscroll find themselves continually drawn to the news, and repeatedly go back to news websites so that they are continually updated. With the 24 hour news cycle, news never really stops, so there often isn’t an ‘end’ to this kind of behaviour. This can leave doomscrollers in a near-constant state of stress, anxiety and upset.

Compulsive behaviours: what they are and why we do them

Doomscrolling is an example of a compulsive behaviour; a behaviour that a person can get stuck repeating despite the fact that it is having a destructive impact on their day-to-day lives. Other examples of compulsive behaviours include compulsive eating, exercising and porn use. 

Often, compulsive behaviours occur when the person suffering with them is attempting to soothe a negative emotion. A person who struggles with compulsive eating, for example, is likely to turn to food when they are feeling an 'uncomfortable' emotion, such as loneliness or sadness. As a result, they do not process the emotions and learn to distract themselves instead.

There are many reasons compulsive behaviours might develop, such as adverse childhood experiences, trauma, or simply that an individual was never taught how to process and tolerate uncomfortable emotions. They can be devastating for individuals who can continue repeating the compulsive behaviour, whilst finding it distressing and unhelpful. 

Compulsive doomscrolling: how to break the habit

Doomscrolling is a difficult habit to break because thanks to technology, we’re able to access news all of the time. Those struggling with doomscrolling might not even be aware that it is happening, because keeping up to date with the news is not remarkable in many situations; many of us check the news at work, at school and at home. 

However, if you are aware that you are doomscrolling compulsively, there are things that you can do. One of the most effective ways to treat compulsive behaviours is to go to talking therapy. A qualified therapist will be able to help you identify the function of your doomscrolling, and work with you to develop healthier ways to soothe yourself.

You could also turn off notifications for your news applications. Notifications can draw us back to apps that we have closed, by implying that there’s something new that we haven’t seen yet. By turning off badges that let you know how many stories you’ve missed, and audio alerts that indicate a ‘breaking news’ story, you can start to remove triggers that might start a doomscrolling cycle. 

You can also take regular breaks from your devices. By normalising putting your device down between certain times of the day, you can start to develop a healthier attitude to your news apps. It’s also beneficial to notice how you feel when you’re yearning to check the application; if you notice that you’re feeling anxious or stressed, you might be using the news as a way of distracting yourself, or as an attempt to soothe yourself. 

Finding alternative strategies to use when you feel the urge to doomscroll will help you to move away from the mobile, and towards something that is less likely to escalate your uncomfortable feelings. 

Tweet us @TranscenditUK


The Transcendit Way

Transcendit understand that when you choose to work with us, whether we're taking care of your IT, app or web development, you're trusting us with part of your business. So whether we're looking after your computers, phone systems or servers we always do things 'the Transcendit way'.

The whole of our team adhere to the same values, beliefs and policies - the principles that were written when Transcendit first formed in 2000. Whether you come to us for cloud services or recovery backup you can be confident that you'll always receive the same excellent service.

The Transcendit way outlines how we do business; following the same straightforward principles with every client and customer, regardless of how big or small they may be.

That means we get to know you and your business. We offer you a friendly, professional and efficient service, and we'll always be honest with you.
We understand that not everybody speaks fluent IT, so we try to explain things in a way that is simple and clear. We always spend as much time as is necessary explaining things to you.
If you need to talk to us about something, no matter how insignificant, we are only ever a phone call away – and we’re never too busy to make you a cup of tea and have a sit down with you in person.
We understand how frustrating it can be when things are late. When we schedule an appointment with you, we are there when you’re expecting us. If something prevents us from getting there, we always call you in advance to let you know.
Sometimes things can go wrong, but we never lie to you or try to cover something up. If things go askew we tell you what’s happened and how we plan to prevent it affecting your business.
We want you to continuously benefit from working with us. We regularly discuss your business and make suggestions for improving systems and processes wherever we can – but we never try to push you into a purchase.
When we quote a fixed price, that's always the amount we charge – you won’t find any nasty surprises on a bill from us. If you are paying by time and materials, we inform you if our approximations could change.
We understand the importance of privacy for your business and your customers. We respect the confidentiality of your data, and we will never pass on your information to third parties.
We appreciate it when you take the time to give us feedback. A system called CustomerSure records our client's responses, so you can trust that our reviews are from real people.
Find out what they're saying here.
The lads are absolutely fantastic and we can’t do without them, everyone I’ve dealt with has always been so patient, lovely and never patronising with me and I’m probably hard work. I would be lost without you David Wright

Based on 12075 reviews our customers rate us 9.8/10. Reviews and ratings by Customersure. 09-October-2024

Transcendit are proud sponsors of CHUF, the Children's Heart Unit Fund.

Transcendit is a Living Wage employer
Transcendit is a Microsoft Gold certified partner
VMWARE partner
Vipre partner
IPCortex partner
WithSecure partner
DELL partner
Barracuda partner
Veeam partner
N-Able partner