Why Can't I Stop Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling as an adult usually isn't a discipline problem, it's a dopamine one. Every swipe offers a small, unpredictable reward, the exact pattern that keeps slot machines addictive, and research links heavier doomscrolling to higher anxiety even in people who feel otherwise in control of their lives.

Your Brain Treats Every Scroll Like a Small Bet

A study of 235 adults in Singapore found doomscrolling was linked to secondary traumatic stress symptoms, and that this connection ran through general psychological distress rather than any single bad headline (Ang, 2025, DOI: 10.1007/s11126-025-10236-5). It isn't really about the content of any one post. It's the accumulation, and the unpredictability of what the next swipe holds, which is exactly the mechanism that makes the habit so hard to just white-knuckle through.

Coping Skills Beat Willpower

A separate study of 365 adults looked specifically at what protected people from climate-related doomscrolling, and found social support made little difference, but coping skills did, albeit with a modest effect (Dominguez-Rodriguez et al., 2025, DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104925). That modest effect matters. It means specific, practised skills move the needle more than simply having people around you or trying to white-knuckle it, which is worth knowing before you assume the problem is just weak willpower.

Name What You Want Before You Open the App

A simple cognitive habit helps more than blanket bans or deleting the app in a fit of frustration, only to reinstall it two days later. Before you unlock your phone, name what you're actually looking for, a specific message, the weather, nothing in particular. If the honest answer is nothing in particular, that's your cue that you've opened the app on autopilot, not intention, and naming it is often enough to break the loop before it starts.

Doomscrolling vs Intentional Scrolling

DoomscrollingIntentional ScrollingOpened without deciding toOpened for a specific reasonNo natural stopping pointCloses once the reason is metLeaves you more wound upLeaves you roughly as you were

Related reading

• our page on addiction support
• ‘Does Social Media Cause Anxiety?’
• ‘Take One Piece of Advice for Better Sleep’

No dedicated social media addiction page exists yet, substituting the general addiction support page and flagging it here.

What's the app you open without even deciding to, and what would it take to catch yourself before the tap?

If the pull to check feels bigger than you can shift alone, a therapist can help you figure out what the scrolling is actually standing in for. Our blog has more on the social media and mental health research, and articles by our therapists explore related habits worth a look.

Are you considering starting therapy? Find your perfect counsellor today. Find your perfect counsellor today.