Doomscrolling

Doomscrolling is endlessly scrolling through videos or posts, usually chasing more stimulation. Each swipe gives your brain a tiny “maybe something interesting will show up” feeling. For ADHD brains, this is very powerful because:

• Fast-changing content = lots of novelty.
• Apps are designed with infinite scroll and quick rewards.
• It is easy dopamine, without effort.
• Social validation (likes, comments) = more dopamine spikes

ADHD brains crave stimulation and reward. Short videos and endless feeds give strong, frequent hits of dopamine. But:

• Sleep gets worse; your brain is overstimulated and you can’t wind down.
• The blue light messes with melatonin (the sleep hormone).
• Focus is harder the next day.
• Your mood can crash because of negative content.

• Set hard limits: Use your phone’s built-in app timers. When 30 minutes are up, it’s done—no negotiating with yourself
• Use a visual timer: Seeing the time count down helps ADHD brains understand time passing (remember time blindness?)
• Create a “phone-free zone” 30-60 minutes before bed: Charge your phone in another room
• Replace doomscrolling with something engaging: Instead of trying to “just not scroll,” fill that craving with:
  • Long-form educational YouTube (channels like Mark Rober, Veritasium, Action Lab, or engineers building cool projects)
  • Podcasts (true crime, science, comedy)
  • Reading comics or graphic novels
  • Playing an actual game instead of scrolling through gaming content
• Understand *why* you scroll: Are you bored? Anxious? Avoiding something? Lonely? Once you know the real need, you can meet it better
• Use the “swap” strategy: When you get the urge to scroll, swap it for something else—a walk, a snack, talking to someone, sketching, or a quick game
• Notice you how feel after scrolling: Ask: “Do I feel better or worse?” Use this information to decide how much is enough. Mindfulness is important!