It’s important to be a well-informed, educated citizen. But nowadays, it doesn’t take much effort to know what’s going on in the world; it’s actually harder to get away from the news. Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, or chatting with colleagues by the coffee machine, the 24/7 news cycle has permeated pretty much every corner of our lives.
But is it really a good thing for us to have access to so much information all the time? Back in the day, people had to wait for the newspaper to arrive to find out what happened yesterday. Or tune into a radio broadcast or watch the news on television. Now, it’s easier than ever to know what’s happening all over the globe, and easier than ever to feel like you’re drowning in negative news.
According to a 2025 study led by IDIBAPS, excessive consumption of negative news is increasing people’s symptoms of depression and anxiety. And during the pandemic, the World Health Organization was urging people to minimize their exposure to news about COVID, as it could also cause anxiety and distress.
Meanwhile, the study found that healthy habits could reduce participants’ symptoms of anxiety and depression. Following a balanced diet had the most significant impact, but drinking water, exercising, spending time outdoors, and engaging in relaxing activities helped too.
The American Psychological Association has also been warning people for years that media overload can be detrimental to mental health. Doomscrolling can be tempting, but it’s definitely not going to make you feel any better than you did before going down a dark rabbit hole on social media. Some people even develop “headline stress disorder,” Steven Stosny, PhD, told The Washington Post.
“The red flag is if you get this body tension, or a rise in your pulse rate, just before you check the news,” Stosny explained. “Then you have intrusive thoughts about the headlines—you think about them throughout the day.”
Unfortunately, people have plenty of things to be stressed about in general, nowadays, so reading headlines about doom and gloom certainly doesn’t help. In 2024, the American Psychological Association reported that 77% of adults in the U.S. considered the future of their nation to be a significant source of stress in their lives. 73% also noted that they were significantly worried about the economy, while 69% were significantly stressed about the upcoming presidential election.
Social media is also a huge factor to consider when discussing the topic of upsetting news headlines. In 2025, the Pew Research Center reported that 53% of Americans receive at least some of their news from social media. And unsurprisingly, young adults are more likely to find out about news from TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit than older generations. But all of this time that we spend on social media is a problem in and of itself, especially considering that 89% of people believe social media usage negatively impacts their mental health.
If you’re guilty of doomscrolling and want to break the habit, SoCal Mental Health has some tips for protecting your mental health. First, it’s best to simply find something else to do. Occupy your time with a hobby you love, go for a walk in a park, go to the gym, bake some cookies, or go out for a coffee with a friend. If you’re busy, you won’t be able to scroll in the first place. It’s also a good idea to set time limits on your phone or social media usage. If you’re only allowed to scroll for 25 minutes a day, you’ll have to stop when your phone cuts you off.
