When Scrolling Becomes a Spiral: Social Media, Doomscrolling, and Mental Health

Most of us turn to our phones for connection, information, or distraction. A quick scroll through Instagram, TikTok, or the news can feel harmless—comforting, even. But what happens when a few minutes turns into hours, and you find yourself feeling anxious, low, overwhelmed, or disconnected?

This increasingly common habit has a name: doomscrolling. And while technology isn’t inherently harmful, the way we use it—especially during emotionally vulnerable moments—can have a real impact on our mental health and nervous system.

What Is Doomscrolling?

Doomscrolling refers to the compulsive consumption of negative or anxiety-inducing content, especially on social media or news platforms. It often looks like:

• Mindlessly scrolling through distressing news headlines

• Checking social media “just for a minute,” only to resurface much later

• Comparing your life to curated or idealised posts

• Feeling like you can’t stop, even though it’s making you feel worse

This habit tends to be especially prevalent during times of uncertainty, stress, or boredom—and it can affect women of all ages, whether you’re 19 or 49.

Why It Feels So Hard to Stop

Doomscrolling is not a personal failing. It’s how our brains and nervous systems respond to stress and uncertainty.

Here’s why:

• The human brain has a negativity bias (Baumeister et al., 2001). We’re wired to pay more attention to threats than neutral or positive information.

• Social media platforms are designed to capture and hold your attention through algorithms that prioritise emotionally charged content (Montag et al., 2021).

• Scrolling provides a temporary dopamine hit (like a slot machine), even if the content is upsetting.

If you’re already feeling anxious, depleted, or disconnected, doomscrolling can feel like doing something—even if that “something” is emotionally draining.

Nervous System Impacts

When we scroll through endless news, conflict, comparison, or tragedy, our nervous system doesn’t know it’s just pixels on a screen. It reacts as though the threat is real and immediate.

Over time, this can lead to:

• Hyperarousal (fight-or-flight): anxiety, restlessness, irritability

• Hypoarousal (shutdown): numbness, emotional fatigue, hopelessness

• Sleep disruption, especially if you scroll before bed

• Self-worth erosion through comparison and perfectionism

These states take us out of our Window of Tolerance (Siegel, 1999), the zone where we feel calm, engaged, and able to think clearly.

Age and Vulnerability: Different Triggers, Same Pattern

Younger women may be especially vulnerable to:

• Body image pressures and comparison on platforms like Instagram or TikTok

• FOMO (fear of missing out) and social validation loops

• Pressure to keep up with constant online performance and visibility

Older women often report:

• Mental overload from news exposure, especially about global crises

• Emotional fatigue from juggling online and offline responsibilities

• Frustration or disconnection in a hyper-digital world

Though the triggers may vary, the emotional pattern—anxiety, guilt, self-doubt, and depletion—is widely shared.

What You Can Do Instead: Reclaiming Your Focus and Wellbeing

You don’t have to quit social media completely. But using it with awareness can protect your mental health and help you feel more grounded.

1. Notice when you’re scrolling from dysregulation

Ask yourself:

Am I scrolling because I’m bored, stressed, lonely, or trying to avoid something?

If so, your nervous system may need soothing, not stimulation.

2. Set limits—not as punishment, but as protection

• Try apps like Freedom or Screen Time to set boundaries

• Place a gentle time limit on news or social apps, especially at night

3. Create a ‘pause ritual’

When you notice the urge to scroll:

• Take three deep breaths

• Ground yourself with your senses

• Ask, “What do I need right now?” (connection? movement? rest?)

4. Curate your feed

Unfollow or mute accounts that trigger stress, comparison, or perfectionism. Seek out voices that inspire reflection, softness, and perspective.

5. Have ‘offline’ anchors

Make sure some part of your life—your morning routine, your evenings, or your walks—is screen-free and grounded in the physical world.

In Therapy: Exploring What Scrolling Is Replacing

Therapy can help you explore:

• What feelings or needs drive your scrolling habit

• How to regulate your nervous system more effectively

• The impact of comparison and performance on your sense of self

• How to build real-life rhythms that nourish you

Final Thoughts

Doomscrolling isn’t just about your phone—it’s about what your mind and body are craving. Often, we’re looking for control, connection, or certainty in a world that feels too fast, too loud, or too much.

You deserve more than numbing or overstimulation.

You deserve clarity, peace, and agency.

You can begin, gently, by asking yourself:

What helps me feel more like myself again?

That’s where the healing starts.

References

Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K. D. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology, 5(4), 323–370.

Montag, C., Yang, H., & Elhai, J. D. (2021). On the Psychology of TikTok Use: A First Glimpse From Empirical Findings. Frontiers in Public Health, 9.

Siegel, D. J. (1999). The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We Are.

Nagoski, E., & Nagoski, A. (2019). Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle.