Name: Doomscrolling: Why Do We Do It?
Uploaded: 2025-10-26T21:01:30.000Z
Duration: 6 min 51 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

Think back to the last time you opened your phone.

Adverbs of degree

Not to check something urgent, but just out of habit, five minutes later, where were you?

Or deep into a random video about something you didn't even care about?

But the real question isn't "why we do it". It's: "What are we avoiding?" And "What would happen...If we finally faced it?"

Today we'll explore four common reasons behind doomscrolling through real life scenarios and give you ways to take back control.

Because once you know why you doomscroll you might actually be able to stop at the end.

We'll ask you which one did you relate to most?

As you watch, see which ones feel a little too familiar and what you might try instead.

Alice opens her phone to check the weather.

But 20 minutes later she's watching a video essay on medieval shipwrecks.

She just doesn't want to open that assignment due in three hours.

When we procrastinate, our brains look for an easier alternative.

And doomscrolling delivers instant distraction.

It's usually anxiety, perfectionism or fear in disguise.

If this were you, what could you do differently?

Write down the one thing you're avoiding.

Break it into the smallest step possible.

Just begin Once you start, that heavy fog often lifts and doing the thing usually feels so much better than avoiding it all day.

His group presentation bombed, his boss was passive aggressive and his ex just posted a happy anniversary photo with someone new.

He doesn't want to think about any of it, so he pulls out his phone and scrolls.

A temporary break from feelings he hasn't had space to process.

But unprocessed emotions don't disappear.

Have you ever doomscrolled to avoid a feeling?

Ask yourself, what am I feeling right now?

Then do one small comfort action like walk or cry or stretch or journal or eat something warm.

You don't need to fix the feeling, just acknowledge it.

Modern life has conditioned us to fear Boredom.

When was the last time you were truly present without a scream?

Or start a low stimulation hobby like doodling or baking, puzzles or crochet.

You don't even need to be good, just present.

When you create, you rewire your brain to engage with the world, not escape it.

Reason 4 exhaustion I just want to rest Lucas crawls into bed after a long day.

We confuse doomscrolling with rest, but it's not restful if you finish more exhausted than before.

When was the last time you let your body fully rest without digital stimulation?

Replace your scroll with a wind down ritual.

A hot shower, music, a book or stretching.

A. Procrastination B Avoiding emotions, C Boredom or d Exhaustion?

Comment your letter below and what you'll try next time.

You might help someone else realize they're not alone.

Next time you catch yourself reaching for your phone without intention, pause.

Then ask yourself, do I still want to scroll?

You don't have to give up your phone, but you can take back your power.

Because once you understand why you scroll, you can start choosing how you respond with intention, not impulse.

Save this video as a reminder, comment with your biggest trigger.

Your insight might help someone else feel less alone and maybe send this to a friend who scrolls through the night too.

This video is part of our Digital Habit series where we explore how tech reshapes our minds and how to take back control.

If you haven't seen the other episodes yet, episode one is an attention span challenge.

Episode two dives into what happens if you doomscroll every day.

Episode three walks you through how to actually stop.

If you've enjoyed this video so far and want to see more episodes, let us know in the comments.

Your feedback helps us decide what to make next and we have so many more ideas to explore together.

Thanks so much for watching and choosing Reflection over Autopilot.