doom scrolling

Meaning

This term refers to the act of obsessively scrolling through social media or news feeds to read negative, distressing, or depressing news, even though it makes you feel bad. It highlights a modern digital habit that often leads to anxiety and stress. It is used casually but carries a tone of self-awareness or mild concern.

Examples

• I spent two hours doom scrolling last night instead of sleeping.

  I spent two hours doom scrolling last night instead of sleeping.

• You need to put your phone down and stop doom scrolling.

  You need to put your phone down and stop doom scrolling.

• Doom scrolling through the news during a crisis only makes your anxiety worse.

  Doom scrolling through the news during a crisis only makes your anxiety worse.

• I deleted my news apps to prevent myself from doom scrolling all day.

  I deleted my news apps to prevent myself from doom scrolling all day.

• We are all guilty of a little doom scrolling when big events happen.

  We are all guilty of a little doom scrolling when big events happen.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I was scrolling the doom on my phone.

  ✓ I was doom scrolling on my phone.

  'Doom scrolling' (or doomscrolling) is a compound verb/gerund. You cannot separate 'scrolling' and 'the doom'.

• ✗ She doom scrolled the bad news website.

  ✓ She doom scrolled through the news website.

  Use 'through' or use the verb intransitively (e.g., 'She was doom scrolling').

Related Expressions

Practice

• I need to stop ___ before bed; it's giving me terrible insomnia.

  💡 Obsessively reading negative news online.

  Show answer

  doom scrolling

• Instead of studying, she spent the whole afternoon ___ on social media.

  💡 Mindlessly reading depressing updates on her phone.

  Show answer

  doom scrolling