Social
Doom scrolling
Scrolling compulsively through a feed of mostly negative or upsetting content, even once it stops feeling good. Research links prolonged passive scrolling to meaningfully higher rates of anxiety and depression in teens — distinct from simply 'a lot of screen time.' The term is used regularly by researchers, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and teens themselves.
How kids use it
Late-night phone use; social media or news feeds with no natural stopping point. A teen who checks news or social feeds first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
Is “Doom scrolling” something to worry about?
No — "Doom scrolling" is ordinary 2026 teen vocabulary, not a warning sign. Knowing it just makes you harder to talk past.
- Use it slightly wrong at dinner. You’ll get an eye-roll and a free vocabulary lesson.
- If you’re seeing it alongside apps you don’t recognize, run the 30-second check Is it safe? checker →