Doom-scrolling
Scrolling to find bad news
Example
Dad, stop doom-scrolling and come to the table for supper!
Related Slang
Dreamscrolling | Scrolling for dream purchases |
Scrollaxing | Scrolling through social media and email to relax |
Snoozefeed | To scroll your newsfeed instead of getting out of bed |
Covidiot | A person who downplays the dangers of COVID-19 |
rona | Coronavirus |
Internest | A comfy spot to surf the Internet |
Binge-watch | To view many episodes or movies in a row |
Netizen | An Internet citizen |
Meme | A piece of media that spreads via the Internet |
Go viral | To become popular on the Internet |
Attwicted | Addicted to Twitter |
Netflix bipolar | Unable to choose what to watch on Netflix |
Doom-scrolling is when a person scrolls through their newsfeed to find bad news, whether it be wartime atrocities or a politician's terrible policies, contributing to a feeling of doom and gloom. The term became popular in April 2020 when people scrolled to find the latest information about the COVID-19 pandemic.
You may see the slang term used online, but it is most often used in person to criticize a person's habit of constantly checking the Internet for more dire news. The scrolling may be done on a computer, but it is typically done on a mobile device, like a phone or tablet.
People often scroll newsfeeds on social sites, like TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter). However, they may also scroll on news sites, such as CNN, Fox News, or Yahoo.