doom-scrolling
/duːm ˈskroʊlɪŋ/
Very CommonCompulsively scrolling through negative or distressing content online, unable to stop even though it makes you feel worse.
Usually self-aware. People use it to describe their own behavior rather than accusing others. Carries a tone of helpless resignation.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | i was doom-scrolling until 4am again | The speaker could not stop reading distressing content and stayed up very late. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | my screen time report is just 6 hours of doom-scrolling | The speaker's phone usage was dominated by compulsive reading of negative content. | tiktok, 2023 |
| 03 | i need to stop doom-scrolling the news and just go to sleep | The speaker knows consuming more news is harmful but feels compelled to continue. | reddit, 2022 |
| 04 | every time something bad happens i enter a doom-scroll spiral | Major negative events trigger compulsive content consumption. | x, 2024 |
Use it when
- You are compulsively reading bad news at 2am and know you should stop.
- Describing the feeling of being trapped in a feed of negative content.
- Joking about your inability to put your phone down during a crisis.
- Describing someone stuck in a loop of consuming distressing media.
Do not use it when
- You just mean browsing social media casually.Use “scrolling” instead.
- You are reading news intentionally to stay informed.
- You mean wasting time on fun or entertaining content.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Coined around 2018-2020, gaining massive popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 U.S. election cycle when people found themselves compulsively reading distressing news.
- First seen
- 2020
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/doom-scrollingUpdated: 2026-08-25License: CC BY 4.0