doomscrolls
Consumes endless bad news
Doomscrolls means to compulsively scroll through distressing news or social media content, unable to stop despite the negative emotional effect.
The term emerged during periods of collective crisis—pandemics, political upheaval, climate disasters—when feeds fill with alarming content: I stayed up until 3 a.m. doomscrolling Twitter.
The behavior combines anxiety with a perverse need to stay informed.
Aggregated content display
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
- smartphoneHandheld connected computer
- TwitterMicroblogging social network
- algorithmFinite problem-solving procedure
notifications · headlines · clickbait · trending · viral · posts · timeline · refresh
Compulsive substance reliance
- habitSettled regular tendency
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
- compulsionIrresistible urge to act
endless · cycle · rabbit hole · time-waster · procrastination · dependency · craving · engrossment
Intense anticipatory fear
- worryTroubled mental state
- panicUncontrollable sudden fear
- fearEmotional response to threat
- stressPressure, mental or vocal
unease · apprehension · gloom · despair · hopelessness · foreboding · distress · overwhelm
Occurring after dark
- insomniaPersistent inability to rest
- bedtimeDesignated hour for retiring
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
- avoidanceDeliberate keeping away
distraction · detox · unplugging · self-control · awareness · mindfulness · boundaries · moderation
newsfeed
Aggregated content display
- social mediaOnline content-sharing platforms
- smartphoneHandheld connected computer
- TwitterMicroblogging social network
algorithm · notifications · headlines · clickbait · trending · viral · posts · timeline · refresh · screen time
addiction
Compulsive substance reliance
- habitSettled regular tendency
- obsessionPersistent, intrusive preoccupation
- fixationPersistent mental attachment
compulsion · endless · cycle · rabbit hole · time-waster · procrastination · dependency · craving · engrossment · absorption
dread
Intense anticipatory fear
stress · unease · apprehension · gloom · despair · hopelessness · foreboding · distress · overwhelm · helplessness
late-night
Occurring after dark
- insomniaPersistent inability to rest
- bedtimeDesignated hour for retiring
- boredomWeary disinterest from monotony
avoidance · distraction · detox · unplugging · self-control · awareness · mindfulness · boundaries · moderation · blue light
doomscrollsactive learning
Education through direct participation
doomscrollsunplugs
Withdraws from socket
disconnects · logs off · digital detox · touches grass · studies