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Doomscrolling

(9 Posts)
honeyrose Sat 17-Oct-26 10:03:27

Is anyone else “into” doomscrolling on the internet? This habit is time-wasting and depressing, but I can’t seem to stop. I’m looking at the news items on the internet (usually upon waking up and still in bed) and then several articles about young people dying young of horrible diseases etc etc crop up and I can’t stop reading them. One story leads into another and so - half an hour or more later - I’m still reading through experiences of poor, unfortunate people. I know it’s a bad habit, but I find these stories addictive, depressing and, as I suffer from health anxiety, this ultimately makes me feel worse, putting me into a negative start to the day. How can I stop it? I feel so badly for the poor victims of these stories and find myself thinking of how I and my family would cope if we had a loved one dying of a terminal disease, such as the ones I read about. Terrible things happen, I know - but I can’t seem to put things into perspective.

Retread Sat 17-Oct-26 10:10:15

Hi Honey it’s not called doomscrolling for nothing! Could you perhaps not look for other topics that interest you so that the algorithm doesn’t keep sending you sad stories.

Nothing will change unless you change it.

Good luck.

fancythat Sat 17-Oct-26 11:04:57

Do you have happy things in your life going on?

fancythat Sat 17-Oct-26 11:06:38

Tbh, I dont understand what you are doing.
I know someone in rl with health anxiety? Fear of germs?[is that the same thing], and I dont know how to help her.
Well, I have tried several ways, but she still has it.

butterandjam Sat 17-Oct-26 11:27:18

Honeyrose, your health anxiety is self-inflicted. You're doing this knowing it damages your own mental health.

Ask yourself why you need to make yourself into another poor sad sick victim. What's the reward ?

Is it attention , pity, sympathy, medical treatment?

I don't need to know why you're doing this to yourself. You do.

Maremia Sat 17-Oct-26 11:28:45

Change what you react to and the algos might bring better content.

nanna8 Sat 17-Oct-26 11:32:25

I haven’t seen anything like that. There is enough doom just watching political commentary these days !

kircubbin2000 Sat 17-Oct-26 11:35:22

You would be much better picking something you like . I follow several animal rescue people and a historical one and also a physio who updates his exercises every day.

Rocketstop2 Sat 17-Oct-26 11:36:39

Maremia

Change what you react to and the algos might bring better content.

This is good advice from Maremia, ignore the doom stories, click on a few happy things or things that are not triggering, things like an owl being rescued or a new trend in hairstyles or something and soon you will see lots of these types of stories appearing on your screen.