Teen Slang · Mood & feelings

What does “Doomscrolling” mean?

Endlessly scrolling through negative or distressing content, unable to stop. 'I was doomscrolling until 2am.'

Where “Doomscrolling” comes from

Coined around 2018-2020, surging during the pandemic to describe compulsive bad-news consumption.

Why teens actually say it

It names the anxious, can't-look-away feeling of being glued to a feed.

What it means for you as a parent

A real wellbeing concern. If your teen mentions it, it's an opening to talk about screen breaks and sleep.

How it’s used

  • “I was doomscrolling the news until 2am and felt awful.” Stuck consuming distressing content. Drained and unable to stop.
  • “Stop doomscrolling and go to sleep.” Catching yourself in a bad-news spiral. Tired self-awareness.

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