What is the fastest way to stop doomscrolling?
The fastest way is to decide when you will stop before you open the feed. Once you are scrolling, every new post is a fresh reason to keep going, and there is no bottom to reach. Setting the end point in advance, and choosing news sources that actually finish, takes the decision out of the moment when you are least able to make it.
Doomscrolling usually means scrolling through a stream of bad or alarming news for longer than you meant to. It is common, and it does not mean something is wrong with you. Feeds are designed to keep going.
Why is it so hard to stop once you start?
Two things work against you. First, feeds are endless, so the usual cue to stop, reaching the end, never arrives. Second, negative news tends to grab attention, which makes the next item feel important.
Brief exposure can also shift how you feel. In two experiments, Buchanan et al. (2021) found that just two to four minutes of negative pandemic-related news on a Twitter feed or YouTube video led to an immediate drop in positive mood compared with a no-exposure group. Reading about kind acts did not have the same effect. The study measured short-term mood in a lab-style setting, so it does not tell you what happens over months, but it is a reason to be deliberate about what you scroll.
A stop plan you can set up today
Use these five steps. Each one takes a few minutes.
- Name your doomscroll window. Check your phone's screen time report or think back over the last three days. When does it usually happen: first thing in the morning, at lunch, after work, or in bed? Pick the most common one.
- Give news a set time. Choose one or two short slots, such as 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., for catching up. Outside those slots, news waits.
- Switch to sources that end. A daily newsletter, a single news site's front page or a radio bulletin all finish. A social feed does not. Unfollow or mute accounts that mostly post alarming updates, and follow a couple of reliable outlets instead.
- Add one barrier. Move the app where you doomscroll off your home screen, log out of it, or set a daily app limit that is lower than your current average. Built-in limits are available on both iPhone and Android. In a randomized experiment, Allcott, Gentzkow and Song (2022) found that letting people set limits on their future social media use substantially reduced it.
- Write your if-then line. For example: "If I notice I have been scrolling bad news for more than a few minutes, then I close the app, stand up and refill my water." Specific if-then plans improved goal follow-through across many studied goals in a meta-analysis, though a plan is a support, not a guarantee.
Which fix matches your kind of doomscrolling?
Doomscrolling looks different for different people. Match the fix to the pattern.
| Your pattern |
What usually drives it |
First fix to try |
| Morning check in bed |
Phone within reach on waking |
Charge it outside the bedroom and use a separate alarm |
| Breaking news anxiety |
Fear of missing something important |
One reliable source, checked at set times |
| Work avoidance |
A hard task and an easy escape |
Log out of the app during work blocks |
| Waiting moments |
Short gaps with nothing to do |
A saved article, podcast or book for gaps |
| Late-night spiral |
Tiredness and a feed with no end |
See our night-time guide below |
What to do in the moment you catch yourself
Catching yourself is the win, not the failure. When you notice, do three things in order:
- Close the app, not just the screen. Locking the phone leaves the feed waiting exactly where you left it.
- Do one physical thing. Stand up, drink water, step outside, or wash a cup. A change of body position breaks the loop more easily than a change of app.
- Leave a note if something mattered. If a story really needs follow-up, write one line on paper or in a notes app and check it at your next news slot.
Do not reward yourself with a different feed. Switching from news to short videos keeps the same habit going.
When does the advice change?
If you doomscroll mostly at night
Evening scrolling has different triggers, including tiredness and a phone on the nightstand. Our guide on how to use your phone less at night covers that in detail.
If your job requires following the news
If you work in news, policy or communications, set-time checking may not be realistic. Separate work monitoring from personal scrolling: use a work tool or list for professional reading, and keep personal feeds off the work device where possible.
If a crisis is affecting you directly
During an emergency in your area, staying informed is important. Follow official local sources for practical updates, and turn on alerts from them only. When the immediate need passes, go back to set times.
If doomscrolling feels tied to anxiety or low mood
If you find yourself scrolling because you feel anxious or low, and cutting back does not help, talk to a doctor or licensed therapist. Scrolling habits and mood can feed into each other, and a professional can help with the mood side.
Where to go from here
Doomscrolling is one piece of a larger phone habit. Our pillar guide on how to reduce screen time covers notifications, friction and a daily phone-free window. The 30-day screen time reduction plan gives you one small step a day, and you can build a plan around your own cue. More ideas live in the phone and screen time hub.
Want a plan shaped around your own reason and obstacles?
Build my phone & screen time plan 
