Doomscrolling or doomsurfing is the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading large quantities of news, particularly negative news, on the web and social media.[1][2] Doomscrolling can also be defined as the excessive consumption of short-form videos or social media content for an excessive period of time without stopping. The concept was coined around 2020, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doomscrolling can affect anyone. Surveys and studies suggest it is predominant among youth.[3][4] It can be considered a form of internet addiction disorder. In 2019, a study by the National Academy of Sciences found that doomscrolling can be linked to a decline in mental and physical health.[5] Numerous reasons for doomscrolling have been cited, including negativity bias, fear of missing out, and attempts at gaining control over uncertainty.
- ^ Leskin P. "Staying up late reading scary news? There's a word for that: 'doomscrolling'". Business Insider. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
- ^ "On 'Doomsurfing' and 'Doomscrolling'". Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
- ^ Briggs E (March 20, 2024). "How Americans Feel About Doomscrolling". Morning Consult Pro. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
- ^ Perez S (July 13, 2022). "Kids and teens spend more time on TikTok than YouTube". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
- ^ Soroka S, Fournier P, Nir L (September 2019). "Cross-national evidence of a negativity bias in psychophysiological reactions to news". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 116 (38): 18888–18892. Bibcode:2019PNAS..11618888S. doi:10.1073/pnas.1908369116. PMC 6754543. PMID 31481621.