# doomscroll

CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/doomscroll
Updated: 2026-08-14

## Definition

to keep scrolling through bad news on your phone or computer, even when it makes you feel sad or anxious. You know it's not good for you, but it's hard to stop.

For teachers: to compulsively scroll through and consume negative news or distressing content online, despite the resulting negative emotional effects. Primarily used intransitively.

## Examples

- I often doomscroll on my phone late at night.
- Instead of working, he spent the afternoon doomscrolling through articles about the growing political crisis.
- The platform's algorithm seems engineered to make users doomscroll, feeding them an endless, paralyzing stream of outrage-inducing content simply to maximize engagement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.