Overall Overview
Across the six interviews it appears that doomscrolling is a habit driven by boredom, free time, fatigue, or a desire to stay informed. While the participants differ in age, many describe similar emotional patterns such as curiosity at first, followed by discomfort, guilt, or mental fatigue.
Frequency & Intensity
- Daily or almost daily doomscrolling: 3 out of 6 participants
- 10-year-old
- 22-year-old
- 61-year-old
- Occasional doomscrolling (a few times a week): 3 out of 6 participants
- 25-year-old
- 60-year-old
- 70-year-old
- More frequent among people with:
- A lot of free time
- Fatigue or low energy
- Unemployment or sick leave
- Limited alternative activities
Common Triggers
Most frequently mentioned triggers:
- Boredom / having no planes (4/6)
- Fatigue and low energy (3/6)
- Loneliness/being alone (3/6)
- Major news events (3/6)
- Too much free time (2/6)
Notably, doomscrolling often starts unintentionally, people log on for something else and get pulled in.
Type of content
Recurring content categories include:
- News & global events (politics, economy, climate)
- Comment sections (especially negative ones)
- Health-related content
- Short-form videos
- Drama/conflict-based content (gaming drama, political debates)
Emotional Experience during and after
During doomscrolling people commonly reported:
- Curiosity or engagement at first
- Emotional detachment or numbness
- Tension, anxiety, or discomfort
After stopping the most common feelings were:
- Guilt (4/6)
- Mental fatigue or heaviness (4/6)
- Sadness or discouragement (3/6)
- Relief (1/6)
A repeated pattern is that people continue scrolling even when it already feels bad.
Purpose and consequences
Most participants felt doomscrolling serves a purpose in the moment:
- Staying informed
- Passing time
- Distracting from stress or boredom
However, 6/6 participants identified negative longer-term effects including:
- Increased tiredness
- Mental fatigue
- Heightened anxiety or fear
- Reduced motivation
- Difficulty resting or recovering
Attempts to Reduce Doomscrolling
- 4/6 have actively tried to reduce doomscrolling
- Common strategies:
- Time limits (often ignored)
- Switching to podcasts or long-form content
- Limiting news intake
- Success was mixed, fatigue and habit were common barriers
External interruptions (meetings, parents, battery dying, physical discomfort) were more often a reducing factor than self control.
Age-Related Differences
Younger participants (10–22):
- More emotionally affected
- More exposed to algorithm driven content
- Report fear, pessimism, and negative thoughts
- Less effective self regulation
Older participants (60–70):
- More intentional use (news and staying informed)
- Less emotionally reactive, but still experience fatigue
- More reflective and critical of their habits
- More likely to describe heaviness or tiredness
Surprising or Contrasting Findings
- The 10-year-old expressed some of the strongest emotional reactions, including fear and worry about the world.
- The 70-year-old reported feeling relatively less affected mentally, despite similar patterns of negative mood afterward.
- Several participants described doomscrolling as both a coping mechanism and a source of stress at the same time.
- Awareness of the term “doomscrolling” did not reduce the behavior.
Conclusion
Doomscrolling shows up across all age groups, and many people experience it in similar emotional ways. However, younger users seem to be more affected by it. Even though people often scroll to stay informed or just to kill time, it usually ends up making them feel worse, showing a clear mismatch between why they start scrolling and how it affects them in the long run.
