It is 11:40 p.m., and the phone promised one quick check before bed. Forty minutes of disasters, outrage, and dread later, you feel worse, so naturally you keep scrolling.
That late-night ritual now has a growing research file, and the newest entry is the largest yet. A review published in Frontiers in Psychology in September pooled 44 studies on the effects of doomscrolling, the compulsive scrolling of negative online news, and found it consistently linked with more anxiety, depression, and distress and with lower well-being.
Key takeaways
A September 2026 review of 44 studies linked doomscrolling with higher anxiety, depression, and psychological distress, and with lower well-being and life satisfaction.
The researchers rated the certainty of that evidence as very low, and the studies cannot show whether scrolling lowers mood or low mood drives the scrolling.
Earlier research found that men and younger people are more likely to doomscroll than women and older adults, on both the left and the right politically.
In a 2026 Mental Health Research Canada survey, people who spent four or more hours a day on screens were about twice as likely to report severe anxiety and depression symptoms.
The review says practical advice is still tentative, though deliberate, time-limited news habits are a reasonable place to start.
Why is the late-night scroll so hard to stop?
The word doomscrolling caught on during the pandemic, and researchers have since shown it is a distinct behaviour that can be measured. A study in the journal Technology, Mind, and Behavior developed a way to measure it. Its University of Florida authors found that the habit starts innocently, as a wish to stay on top of the news, before hardening into compulsive scrolling for bad news.
The study tied the habit to fear of missing out and to an always-connected phone with a feed that never ends. That combination is why the late-night scroll is so sticky, since each new headline feels like the one that might finally explain everything.
The new review is careful about one point when it comes to the effects of doomscrolling, and it is worth being careful with it. The studies show a consistent link without proving cause, so it remains unclear whether scrolling drags mood down, low mood drives people to scroll, or, as the University of Florida authors suspect, the two feed each other in a loop.
Scrolling and mood can push on each other, which is why breaking any one step in the loop can help
Who is most likely to doomscroll?
The University of Florida study found that doomscrolling crosses political lines, with left- and right-leaning users equally represented. It also found that men and young people are more likely to doomscroll than women and older adults. That detail carries extra weight this week, with Movember and its focus on men's mental health starting on Sunday.
Canadian numbers point in the same direction. In a survey of 4,044 adults that Mental Health Research Canada released in June 2026, heavy screen use stood out. People who spent four or more hours a day scrolling social media, watching entertainment, or gaming were about twice as likely to report severe anxiety and depression symptoms. Among Canadians aged 16 to 24, nearly two-thirds of young women said they scroll or watch videos to cope with stress or heavy emotions.
Political news is a big part of the pull for many people, and our look at why Canadians are so stressed about politics explains why those headlines land so hard right now.
How do you know when scrolling has become a problem?
Staying informed is good for you, and tuning out the world entirely is neither realistic nor healthy. The research describes something more specific, which is the compulsive, joyless scroll that continues past the point of information, often in bed and often in place of sleep.
A useful self-test is to notice how you feel when you put the phone down for the night. Feeling informed is fine, while feeling heavier, angrier, or more hopeless and still reaching for one more refresh is the pattern researchers keep linking to anxiety, stress, and low mood.
If that describes most of your nights, the habit has become a problem worth treating like any other habit that costs more than it gives. Our guide to what happens in your body when you feel anxious explains why that tight, wired feeling can linger long after the screen goes dark.
What actually helps you put the phone down?
No fix has been tested well enough to call proven, and the review itself says practical advice must remain tentative. It does point to one idea from other researchers, which is deliberate, bounded news habits in place of total avoidance. These steps follow that idea and make it easier to put the phone down without unplugging from the world entirely.
Give news a container. Check the news at one or two set times a day instead of grazing on it from morning to midnight.
Protect the last hour. Keep the phone out of the bedroom, or at least out of the final hour before sleep, since late at night is when the dread hits hardest. Our look at why light in your bedroom at night matters and our guide to why sleep can feel worse even with the same hours explain what the glow costs you.
Curate your feed. Follow a few accounts that post things you genuinely enjoy, which dilutes the doom without cutting you off.
Silence the alerts. Turn off non-essential news notifications, which exist to interrupt you more than to inform you.
Talk to someone. If scrolling has become your main way of coping, or low mood sticks around with the phone down, book a visit with a doctor, and lean on daily habits that protect your mental health in the meantime.
This Movember, asking how someone is actually doing is the question of the month, and it applies to the person holding the phone as well. If a friend seems stuck in the scroll, our guide on how to check in on a friend who is struggling can help you start the conversation. If you or someone close to you is in crisis, call or text 9-8-8 at any hour.
Frequently asked questions
Is doomscrolling bad for your mental health?
Research links it with worse mental health, though it cannot yet prove causation. A 2026 review of 44 studies on the effects of doomscrolling found consistent links with anxiety, depression, and distress, while rating the evidence very low in certainty. Low mood may drive the scrolling as much as the scrolling drives low mood.
How much screen time is too much?
There is no single safe number, and how you feel matters more than the clock. In a 2026 Canadian survey, people who spent four or more hours a day scrolling, streaming, or gaming were about twice as likely to report severe anxiety and depression symptoms. Time that leaves you drained or crowds out sleep is worth cutting.
When should you get help for doomscrolling?
Talk to a doctor or mental health professional if scrolling has become your main way of coping, if it regularly costs you sleep, or if anxiety and low mood stay with you after the phone is down. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 9-8-8 at any hour.
Your next step
If the scroll has been winning lately, talking to someone beats white-knuckling it. The Medimap Health Hub has more on mental health, and you can find a mental health professional near you or a family practice to start that conversation.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. It does not replace a conversation with a doctor or other qualified health professional who knows your history. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.
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