Doom Scrolling: How the Algorithm Traps You

"There is a word that has been adopted for this practice, now known as doomscrolling. This term refers to getting stuck in a social media rabbit hole, consuming more and more information. It's the act of continuing to scroll and read new content, even if that content might be upsetting or worrying. Doomscrolling was one of the Oxford English Dictionary's words for 2020, as this practice seemed to arise during the pandemic when so many people were inside and using social media more than usual."

"Getting stuck down a social media rabbit hole can feel really frustrating. I never want to spend hours on my phone, and yet it continues to happen. I know I'm not the only one having this issue. In 2025, the average person spends 2 hours and 41 minutes on social media every day. And this isn't necessarily because all of the content we see is so riveting. If I asked you to describe every TikTok you saw after scrolling for even 15 minutes, would you be able to tell me? So, what is it? What is making us get stuck in our phones?"

"While it may just be that we, as a society, are getting lazy or that we all fall victim to procrastination, the algorithms behind social media websites are playing a large part. An algorithm is a variety of rules and processes that are used to determine what kind of content and advertisements to show to users. An algorithm decides which Instagram story to put at the front of your page, which TikTok you're going to see next, and what YouTube video to recommend to you."

Doomscrolling describes getting stuck in a social media rabbit hole and consuming more and more information, often including upsetting or worrying content. The behavior rose during the pandemic as people stayed inside and used social platforms more frequently. Many users feel frustrated by involuntary, time-consuming phone use and often cannot recall the content they viewed. By 2025, the average person spends 2 hours and 41 minutes on social media daily. Algorithms collect data on likes, searches, comments, watch time, and scrolling speed to determine which posts and ads to show. Platforms surface content designed to maximize interaction and retain attention.

Read at Her Campus