How to Stop Doomscrolling

Why doomscrolling is so hard to stop

Doomscrolling runs on a loop. A cue (boredom, worry, a spare minute, a notification) sets off a routine (opening the app and scrolling), and the routine pays out a small, unpredictable reward (something new, something alarming). Repeat that enough and the cue alone is enough: once a habit forms, the cue can trigger the routine without any intention behind it.

Two things make this particular loop stronger than most. Negative news grabs attention harder than good news, which we cover in what doomscrolling is and why we do it. And a feed has no ending, so the moment to stop never arrives on its own (why willpower loses to infinite scroll). That is why every method below changes the situation rather than asking for more resolve.

Cut down; you do not have to quit

The good news is that you do not need to delete everything to feel better.

• Reducing works. A 2025 meta-analysis pooled 10 randomised controlled trials with 1,491 people and found that reducing social media use lowered depression symptoms (an effect size of g = 0.25). Trials that asked people to cut down had about twice the effect of those that asked them to stop completely, though the difference was not statistically significant.
• About half an hour a day is enough to notice. In a 2018 experiment with 143 students, those limited to 10 minutes a day on each of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for three weeks reported less loneliness and depression than those who carried on as usual.
• A short break helps too. In a 2022 randomised trial of about 140 adults, a single week off social media improved wellbeing and reduced depression and anxiety. And when people deactivated Facebook for four weeks, their wellbeing rose and they used it less afterwards.

Ten ways to reduce doomscrolling

1. Find out how much you actually scroll

Start with the real number, because your guess is probably wrong. A meta-analysis comparing logged and self-reported screen time found that people's estimates rarely match their actual use. On Android, open Settings, then Digital Wellbeing, and look at the last seven days per app. Our guide to finding which app is eating your day explains what to look for.

2. See the time while you are still scrolling

A weekly report tells you on Sunday what you lost on Tuesday. A number on screen at minute thirty is a decision point. A 2016 meta-analysis of 138 studies found that people prompted to monitor their progress towards a goal were more likely to reach it. Anything that shows elapsed time inside the app does this; it is what Doom Saver's Grim is for.

3. Put a pause before the app opens

A few seconds of friction can turn an automatic tap into a choice. In a 2023 PNAS study of the app one sec, users who saw a short pause with the option to back out abandoned 36% of their attempts to open a chosen app, and tried to open those apps 37% less often overall. Most of that data is observational, from people who chose the app, but a smaller controlled experiment in the same paper found the option to back out did the most work. Android now has a version built in; see how to get Pause Point on any phone.

4. Batch your notifications

Notifications are cues someone else controls. In a field experiment published in 2019, people whose notifications were delivered in three batches a day felt happier, more attentive, more productive and less stressed than people who got them as usual. Turning notifications off entirely made some people more anxious about missing things, so batching beats silence. On Android, switch off notifications from feed apps and use a scheduled summary or Focus mode if your phone has one.

5. Turn the screen grey

Colour is part of the pull. In a study of 161 students, the 73 who switched their phones to grayscale for eight to ten days cut their screen time by about 38 minutes a day. It is one study, but it costs nothing to try. On most Android phones the setting is under Digital Wellbeing, Bedtime mode, or Accessibility, Colour correction.

6. Write an if then plan

Deciding in advance what you will do when the cue appears is one of the best supported tricks in behaviour science. A meta-analysis of 94 studies found that these plans, known as implementation intentions, had a medium to large effect on reaching goals (d = 0.65). Make them specific:

• If I pick up my phone in bed, then I put it on the charger across the room.
• If I open a feed while waiting, then I read one article I chose instead.
• If I have been on an app for twenty minutes, then I close it and stand up.

7. Charge your phone outside the bedroom

Night is when doomscrolling does the most damage, because it costs sleep as well as time. In a survey of 844 adults, phone use in bed went with taking longer to fall asleep. A cheap alarm clock removes the reason the phone is there.

8. Read the news; do not scroll it

Staying informed is not the problem. A 2022 daily diary study found that days with more social media use went with more depression and PTSD symptoms, but traditional media such as TV and newspapers did not show the same link. Pick one trusted source and one time of day, read it, and close it.

9. Change what is in the feed

Not all scrolling is equal. In a 2021 experiment, a few minutes of pandemic news lowered people's mood, but the same time spent on stories about acts of kindness did not. Mute or unfollow the accounts that reliably leave you worse, and use the "not interested" option on the posts you do not want more of.

10. Give the cue somewhere else to go

Taking the scroll away leaves the boredom behind. In a striking set of experiments, many people found 6 to 15 minutes alone with their thoughts so unpleasant that they chose to give themselves a mild electric shock instead. Decide in advance what you will do instead, and make it as easy to start as the scroll. Our list of thirty things to do instead of doomscrolling sorts the options by how much time you have.

What does not work

• Blockers you can switch off in a few taps. If you can disable it, you will, and the only lesson is that you can beat your own system.
• Relying on weekly reports. They arrive too late to change the evening they describe. Use them for calibration, not control.
• Streaks. They add a second compulsive loop on top of the first, and missing one becomes its own source of anxiety.
• Deleting the app on a Sunday night. Reinstalling takes a minute, and the decision gets made by a bored version of you on Wednesday.

A two week plan

How long it takes to break the habit

Longer than a week, and it varies a lot. In a study of 96 people building a new daily habit, the time for a behaviour to become automatic ranged from 18 to 254 days, with a median of 66 among those whose progress could be modelled. Missing a day did not undo the progress. Expect weeks, not days, and measure success by shorter sessions rather than zero.

How to stop doomscrolling at night

Night scrolling is the hardest to resist and the most expensive. The three changes that matter most are the charger outside the bedroom, grayscale switched on automatically at bedtime, and an if then plan for the moment you reach for the phone. If you wake in the night, a paper book or an audiobook with the screen off gives your hands and mind something to do without the feed.

Common questions

How do I stop doomscrolling news?

Separate staying informed from scrolling. Pick one trusted source and a set time each day, read it, and close it. A 2022 daily diary study found that social media use was linked to more depression and PTSD symptoms, while traditional news sources were not.

Should I quit social media completely to stop doomscrolling?

You do not need to. A 2025 meta-analysis of ten randomised trials found that cutting down reduced depression symptoms, and reduction worked at least as well as complete abstinence. Limiting use to about 30 minutes a day has shown benefits in experiments.

How long does it take to stop doomscrolling?

Expect weeks rather than days. In a study of how habits form, the time for a new behaviour to become automatic ranged from 18 to 254 days, with a median of 66. Shorter sessions are a better measure of progress than stopping completely.

Do screen time apps help with doomscrolling?

They can, when they act in the moment. Showing elapsed time while you scroll or adding a short pause before an app opens both have research behind them. Blockers that can be switched off in a few taps tend to help less.

Why can't I stop doomscrolling?

Because it is a habit, not a decision. A cue such as boredom or worry triggers the scroll automatically, negative news grabs attention more strongly than good news, and an endless feed never offers a natural place to stop. Changing cues and adding friction works better than willpower.

Sources

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