HEALTHY LIVING


clinical health psychologist at Mount Sinai South Nassau Family Medicine in Oceanside, New York. “We deal with it frequently in


people of all ages who use social media and the internet.”


o


Dangerous and addictive new mental health condition threatens every American with a cellphone. ::


BY CHRIS ILIADES, M.D. I A


f the first thing you do in the morning is search your news feed or social media for any bad news that occurred


overnight, you may be suff ering from a new mental health condition called doomscrolling. In 2020, doomscrolling made the


Oxford English Dictionary’s “Words of an Unprecedented Year” list.


Recognizing the Problem


lthough there are no guidelines yet for


diagnosing doomscrolling, you can usually tell if you or someone else has a problem. “If someone is unable


to stop scrolling without withdrawal symptoms like anxiety or an overwhelming


Since then, studies have found that


scrolling through headlines on your phone or computer for worrisome news can become addictive and dangerous for your mental and physical health. “Doomscrolling is not yet a


recognized mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but it is a real thing,” says Robert Cavera, Psy.D.,


sense of missing something, or if they are spending more time on doomscrolling than on physical and social activity, doomscrolling is probably a problem,” advises Robert Cavera, Psy.D. Mayo Clinic advises asking


these questions: Can you do anything about


the day’s news to help you plan for the future? During and after scrolling, do


98 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | NOVEMBER 2025


WHEN IT BEGAN Doomscrolling became recognized as a possible mental health threat during the COVID-19 pandemic when people were stuck at home, constantly monitoring the TV, internet, and social media for any information about COVID-19, and almost all of it was frightening and stressful. Today, about one-third of American adults, including half of those born after 1980, admit to still doomscrolling every day, according to a 2024 survey by Morning Consult. Social media platforms can


identify people who are prone to doomscrolling and will feed them even more infl ammatory headlines to suck them in, warns Cavera. Before the age of the internet, cellphones, and social media, most people spent about an hour or two — the time it takes to watch the evening news or read through the newspaper — on news. They still got some bad news, but


it was limited to what was important to know, and it was not available all hours of the day and night. Social media companies have


algorithms that feed you content based on what you search for the


you feel better than when you started or worse? Do worse feelings tend to be


lasting feelings? What are you missing out on while scrolling? Is doomscrolling having a


negative impact on your health, sleep, activities, or relationships? Studies have also suggested


these physical symptoms as red flags: Frequent headaches or


shoulder and neck tension Dif iculty falling asleep or


fragmented sleep Loss of energy and motivation


WHAT TO DO The key to recovery or avoidance is being aware of the risks and the symptoms. You may have to taper your scrolling gradually. You don’t need to put your head in the sand, but you do


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SPIFFYJ©ISTOCK


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