'Surround Myself with Information to Understand at Least Something': Individual and Social Reasons for Doomscrolling

Abstract

Recent research focused on excessive news consumption, often portrays it within a normative framework as a form of uncontrolled, addictive, or emotionally driven behavior, emphasizing its negative impacts. This study shifts the narrative by highlighting the perspectives of doomscrollers—individuals engaging in compulsive consumption of negative news. Through 47 interviews conducted from November 20, 2022, to March 30, 2023, we uncover a range
of motivations driving individuals towards the overconsumption of news. Our findings suggest doomscrolling can be attributed to various factors, including: (1) personal traits, such as  heightened anxiety in the absence of news, analytical tendencies, resilience, and a desire for control or the semblance of it; (2) a sense of civic or moral responsibility; and (3) social factors, including concern for loved ones, social influences, environmental impact, engagement in discussions, seeking solidarity, unavoidable exposure, and socialization processes. Contrary to common descriptions of doomscrolling as an addiction or emotional reaction, our interviews reveal these elements are less dominant. Categorizing the excessive consumption of negative news as purely addictive or compulsive behavior, or as a rational choice, is therefore overly simplistic.