News Anxiety and Doomscrolling: How to Stay Informed Without Losing Your Mind
Why doomscrolling feels impossible to stop, how constant bad news affects stress, sleep and mood, and practical ways to cope with news anxiety and political stress, including a healthy news diet, app settings and what to do with the feelings.
You only meant to check the headlines. Forty-five minutes later you're still scrolling, thumb moving on autopilot, reading about a crisis on the other side of the world, a political fight at home, a terrible accident, and then the comments underneath. You feel tense, a bit sick and strangely unable to stop. When you finally put the phone down, you feel worse than when you picked it up.
That's doomscrolling, and if it sounds familiar, you're very much not alone. The word was added to dictionaries a few years ago because so many people recognized the habit. Surveys from the American Psychological Association have repeatedly found that many Americans say the news causes them stress, and that election seasons and the state of the nation are big sources of anxiety. It's possible to care about the world and still protect your mental health. You just need a slightly different relationship with the news.
What is doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling, sometimes called doomsurfing, is continuing to scroll through bad news even though it makes you feel sad, anxious or angry. It's different from simply staying informed. The key signs are that it's compulsive, you keep going past the point of learning anything new, and it leaves you feeling worse.
Why bad news is so hard to look away from
Doomscrolling isn't a personal failing. Several forces are working against you.
Your brain is wired to notice threats. Humans evolved to pay close attention to danger. That made sense when danger meant a predator nearby. Now it means headlines from everywhere, all at once.
Uncertainty makes you search for more. When something scary is happening, your brain wants to feel prepared. Scrolling for more information feels like doing something, even when it's not helping.
Apps are built to keep you hooked. Infinite scroll, autoplay and personalized feeds are designed to hold your attention. Content that sparks outrage or fear tends to get more engagement, so algorithms often show you more of it.
There's no natural stopping point. A newspaper ended. A feed never does.
How news anxiety affects your health
Occasional bad news is part of life. Constant exposure can add up in ways you might not notice:
- Stress: Repeated exposure to distressing news can keep your stress response switched on. Research after major traumatic events has found that people who consumed many hours of media coverage reported more acute stress than some people who were actually there.
- Sleep: Scrolling late at night stimulates your brain and can feed worries right before bed.
- Mood: Studies have linked heavy negative news consumption to more anxiety and low mood.
- Hopelessness: Seeing endless problems without solutions can make you feel powerless and cynical.
- Relationships: Political stress in particular can strain family relationships and friendships.
- Focus: Constant checking chips away at your attention span, a topic we cover in our guide to brain rot and attention span.
Signs the news is affecting your mental health
Pay attention if you notice:
- You check the news first thing in the morning and last thing at night
- You feel anxious, angry or hopeless after reading it
- You can't stop even when you want to
- You're losing sleep over current events
- You're more irritable with people around you
- You feel guilty when you don't check
- You've stopped doing things you enjoy because the world feels too heavy
How to stop doomscrolling: 12 practical tips
1. Set specific news times
Pick one or two short windows a day for news, like 15 minutes after breakfast and 15 minutes in the early evening. Outside those windows, give yourself permission not to check.
2. Keep news out of the bedroom
Avoid news for at least an hour before bed and first thing after waking. Charging your phone outside your bedroom makes this much easier. Your sleep, and your nighttime overthinking, will thank you.
3. Choose a few trusted sources
Instead of following every breaking update on social media, pick two or three reliable news outlets. A daily summary newsletter or a once-a-day news podcast gives you what you need without the endless churn.
4. Turn off breaking news alerts
Most push notifications are urgent-sounding but not urgent for you. Turn them off. If something truly major happens, you'll hear about it.
5. Prefer reading over video
Graphic images and video tend to hit harder emotionally than text. If you want to understand what happened, reading an article is often enough.
6. Avoid the comment section
Comments are frequently where the most hostile, extreme takes live. Skipping them can dramatically cut down on stress.
7. Use app limits and grayscale
Set daily time limits for news and social apps. Some people find switching their phone to grayscale makes scrolling less appealing. Moving news apps off your home screen adds a helpful bit of friction.
8. Ask, "What will I do with this?"
Before you click, ask yourself whether the information will change what you do today. If the answer is no, you might not need it right now.
9. Balance bad news with good news
There are plenty of positive stories out there, from medical breakthroughs to communities helping each other. Seeking them out isn't burying your head in the sand. It's getting a more accurate picture of the world.
10. Turn worry into one action
Helplessness feeds anxiety. Pick one meaningful action connected to what you care about: donate, volunteer, contact a representative, check on a neighbor or help a local organization. Our guide to volunteering and wellbeing explains why helping others is good for you too.
11. Calm your body after a hard headline
If a story leaves you tense, take a few minutes to reset. Try slow breathing, a short walk or the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique.
12. Take news breaks
A weekend, a vacation or even one day a week without news can do wonders. You'll still be informed when you come back. A broader digital detox can help too.
Coping with political stress
Political news can feel especially personal because it touches on values, identity and the future. A few extra strategies help:
- Focus on what you can influence. Voting, local community involvement and supporting causes you care about are more effective than arguing online.
- Set boundaries in conversations. It's okay to say, "I'd rather not talk politics at dinner tonight." Our guide to I-statements can help if a conversation gets heated.
- Remember the people behind the opinions. Most people, including those you disagree with, want safety and good lives for their families.
- Limit hot takes. Opinion content designed to make you angry isn't the same as news.
- Connect locally. Neighborhood groups, volunteering and community events often feel more hopeful and grounded than national debates.
A healthy news diet, in short
- Choose a time and a source.
- Read, don't scroll.
- Notice how you feel.
- Take one useful action if it makes sense.
- Close the app and do something that brings you back to your own life.
When to get help
If news-related stress is causing ongoing anxiety, panic attacks, sleep problems, depression or trouble functioning, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor or mental health professional. This is especially true if you've experienced trauma and news coverage brings it back. If you're ever in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. or contact local emergency services.
Helping kids and teens with scary news
Young people see a lot of news, often through social media and video apps. To help:
- Ask what they've seen and how they feel about it
- Keep explanations simple and honest for their age
- Limit exposure to graphic images and video
- Point out the helpers, the people working to fix things
- Keep routines steady, since predictability helps kids feel safe
Frequently asked questions
What is doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling is compulsively scrolling through bad or upsetting news even though it makes you feel worse.
Why can't I stop doomscrolling?
Your brain is wired to pay attention to threats, uncertainty makes you search for more information, and apps are designed to keep you scrolling with endless feeds and attention-grabbing content.
Is it okay to stop watching the news?
Yes, taking breaks is healthy. You can stay reasonably informed by checking reliable sources once or twice a day instead of constantly.
How does the news affect mental health?
Heavy exposure to distressing news has been linked to more stress, anxiety, low mood and sleep problems, especially when it's constant or graphic.
How can I stay informed without getting anxious?
Set specific news times, choose a few trusted sources, turn off alerts, avoid news before bed, skip comment sections and balance bad news with positive action.
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