doomscroll

American  

[doom-skrohl] / ˈdumˌskroʊl /

Or doom-scroll

verb (used with or without object)

Digital Technology.

1. to obsessively check online news for updates, especially on social media feeds, with the expectation that the news will be bad, such that the feeling of dread from this negative expectation fuels a compulsion to continue looking for updates in a self-perpetuating cycle.

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Etymology

Origin of doomscroll

First recorded in 2015–20; doom ( def. ) + scroll ( def. ) (in the sense “to move text up, down, or across a display screen”); influenced by doomsday ( def. )

Explanation

Ever find yourself scrolling through endless bad news, disturbing videos, unpleasant comment sections online? That’s what it means to doomscroll, a habit that keeps you glued to your screen, even when it’s time to call it quits. A straightforward blend of doom and scroll, the verb doomscroll describes the feeling of getting sucked into a spiral of bad news that seems impossible to escape. This term emerged in the age of smartphones and 24/7 news cycles, where a quick glance at your phone can turn into an hour-long journey through all the world’s problems. Recognizing when you're caught up in doomscrolling can help you know when it’s time to put the phone down.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

doomscroll

How could you doomscroll when there’s the World Cup to watch?!?

From Slate ● Jun. 15, 2026

The next minute, another says: "I'm firmly of the view we must not doomscroll our way through leaders - we have to wean ourselves off it."

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

For thousands of New Jersey residents, Reddit proves its worth every day by giving commuters a place to doomscroll about NJ Transit External link.

From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025

“To me it’s more comfortable to doomscroll than to sit and wait,” said Clara Sterling, who evacuated from her home Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2025

Against that expansive vocabulary doomscroll, the concept of comfort acts as a blanket covering everything, concealing life’s unpleasantness from sight and offering us a place to hide.

From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2020