5 Ways Doomscrolling Harms Your Mental Health And Career Success

Forbes

16-05-2025

New research describes the dangers of doomscrolling and steps to end the harmful practice.
One of today's most underestimated workplace distractions isn't Slack overload or toxic managers but doomscrolling. Doomscrollers scroll through and read depressing or disturbing content on a social media or news site, typically on their cell phones. A new report shows that constant doomscrolling can damage your mental health and curb your career success.
A report from Payless Power shows that doomscrolling is quietly draining energy, focus and morale, costing employers up to $5,600 per worker annually in lost productivity. And that's not all. While most people think of it as a late-night bad habit, the data shows otherwise. It can have a devastating effect on employee mental health.
The study reveals five ways in which career success of doomscrollers is compromised:
While 64% of Americans describe themselves as doomscrollers, 43% of Americans doomscroll daily, and 26% do so multiple times per day. Gen Z is the most likely to identify themselves as doomscrollers (81%).
There's also a growing trust gap, indicated by an 88% of Americans who say platforms aren't doing enough to limit emotionally harmful content, even as more workers quietly spiral during the workday. I spoke by email with Brandon Young, CEO of Payless Power, who names five ways doomscrollers are unwittingly harming their mental health."
Whether you realize it or not, days-on-end of scrolling the real-time slaughter of innocent Ukrainian civilians, mass shootings in the U.S., the aftermath of natural disasters or grisly bombings of homes and buildings in Gaza can create vicarious trauma.
It's difficult to know how many doomscrollers are being traumatized, but vicarious trauma is real and often shows up in the aftermath of watching horrendous events. Vicarious trauma is a condition resulting from the bombardment of the central nervous system transmitted through observation, instead of direct personal contact, in this case from scrolling the media.
Doomscrollers who observe violent acts are at risk of developing the same symptoms of individuals who are direct targets of terror. The massive shock to the nervous system can create a sense of disintegration and fragmentation, coupled with intense emotions such as crying, shallow breathing or lashing out.
Other aftereffects are often difficulty sleeping, heightened anxiety, sensitivity to loud noises or dissociation—an emotional and physical numbing state in which you feel separated, isolated or disconnected from yourself and others.
It's important to stay abreast of the news and to know what's happening in the world. But that doesn't mean you let the doomscrolling suck you into a rabbit hole of distress. In these extraordinary times of terrorism, trauma and uncertainty, taking care of your mental health and well-being is more essential than ever. Here are some tried-and-true tips for self-care:
Limit exposure to the news. Set boundaries on the amount of time you scroll violent scenes played over and over in the media or continued analysis by broadcasters. Media saturation of sound bites and the repetitive barrage of images can further exacerbate and deepen vicarious trauma.
According to Ethan Kross, University of Michigan psychologist and author of Chatter: The Voice in our Head and How to Harness It, television news and social media constantly bombarding us with the same distressing information over and over again can create mental chatter—nonstop collective rumination, worsening anxiety.
Kross shared with me here two useful reminders, the first is to set rules with yourself such as, 'I'm gonna scroll or watch the news for 10 minutes in the morning or evening, but I'm not going to click down rabbit hole of scrolling every hour of the day.' Second, if you're tempted to do it, he suggests you ask yourself what you're going to gain from reading details every single day and if you think it's going to change your circumstances or the situation.
Your brain is hard-wired to zoom in on violence, mayhem and terrorism for fight-or-flight purposes because those acts are threats to survival. So, it's important to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. This isn't always easy, but it's important to focus on the spirit, courage and resilience of the people being terrorized and how their unity can inspire all of us to come together as a supportive nation.
Relaxing in nature or mindfulness meditation teach your mind to do what it doesn't do instinctively: to come back to the present instead of focusing on worries, tragedies, trauma and violence. A walk or jog around the block, combined with five minutes of meditation both give you a biochemical boost. Quieting your mind stimulates the part of your brain that dampens the surges of adrenaline and cortisol accompanying stress.
Make sure you get ample sleep, nutrition and exercise. Unplug and take breaks from doomscrolling. Your body and brain will appreciate the balanced reset. Meditation lets you pause enough so your perspective and come back into the present moment to a calm refuge inside where you can respond to what's going on with a lot more intelligence and heart.