Are You Doomscrolling Subconsciously? Here’s How It Drains Your Mental Energy

You start with a quick scroll, just to "check the headlines." Twenty minutes later, you've tumbled through a vortex of bad news, angry comment threads, and a creeping sense that everything is on fire. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Doomscrolling - the habit of continuously consuming negative online news - has become a defining feature of our digital lives. While staying informed is essential, unchecked consumption of online content can have a corrosive effect on mental health, particularly for those working in high-stress sectors like government and health services.

Studies have shown that excessive exposure to negative news can increase anxiety, stress, and even symptoms of depression. A 2022 study published in Health Communication found that individuals who scored high on measures of problematic news consumption were significantly more likely to experience poor mental and physical health outcomes, including fatigue and difficulty concentrating (Benedictus et al. 2022)¹. The brain's natural threat-detection system, the amygdala, gets activated repeatedly during prolonged exposure to distressing content, which can lead to emotional exhaustion over time².

Comparison Culture and the Illusion of Productivity

Beyond bad news, social media feeds are a highlight reel of curated lives. It's easy to scroll past a colleague's LinkedIn post about their latest award or a friend's vacation photos and feel like you're falling behind. This constant exposure to others' seemingly perfect moments fosters unhealthy comparisons. Research from the University of Pennsylvania found that limiting social media use to 30 minutes a day significantly reduced feelings of loneliness and depression, particularly among young adults (Hunt et al. 2018)³.

For public administration professionals, the stakes are even higher. When your work involves responding to crises, managing community expectations, and navigating bureaucracy, the polished online personas of others can feel like a rebuke. But these comparisons are built on a faulty premise. Social platforms incentivize performance, not authenticity. Recognizing that can be the first step toward reclaiming your mental well-being.

Setting Boundaries that Actually Work

If you're reading this and thinking, "Great, but I can't just turn off the internet," you're right. Many of us rely on digital platforms for work, civic engagement, and staying connected. The goal isn't to go off-grid but to establish healthier patterns of engagement. One effective strategy is scheduled screen breaks. The Pomodoro Technique, originally developed to boost productivity, can also help manage media consumption. Work for 25 minutes, then take a five-minute break - preferably away from screens. After four cycles, take a longer break. This rhythm gives your brain a reset and reduces the urge to scroll mindlessly⁴.

Another practical approach is turning off non-essential notifications. A 2021 study in the journal Computers in Human Behavior found that people who disabled notifications reported significantly lower stress levels and higher concentration (Stothart et al. 2021)⁵. Start small by silencing alerts from news apps and social media during work hours. You can als