Ever found yourself checking your phone for more bad news, even if it makes you feel even worse? 

This behaviour is known as doomscrolling. The term grew in popularity as the world descended into the COVID-19 lockdowns. Despite knowing that bleakness wouldn’t soothe us, many of us found ourselves compulsively scrolling through social media, in spite of its distressing headlines, as if we yearned to see more. 

Why do we doomscroll? 

One reason is that we seek negativity to feel better when we’re anxious. Ironically, the negative news affirms us that we’re right to have something we worry over. Your worry is worth it. Keep worrying! 

Subconsciously, we also think that bad news equips us to handle the unknown. But which of us can ever truly know tomorrow? 

What to do instead of doomscrolling

While doomscrolling justifies our worries and leads us to fixate on them, Philippians 4 urges us in the opposite direction: remove your anxiety. 

The divine equation for peace begins with prayer:

Pray + give thanks to God + tell Him your requests = the peace of God guards your hearts and minds (Phil 4:6-7).

Beyond prayers, we’re then urged to constantly think about not what’s worrying, but what’s inspiring:

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Phil 4:8)

When we focus on the good, we focus on God’s faithful compassion upon us. This helps us to give thanks to God, which is necessary for us to experience God’s peace.

Next, Paul ends the passage with action: live out our faith, including what we see in spiritual role models; then the God of peace will be with you (Phil 4:9). Notice how Paul refers to God as the God of peace. His very nature is peace; when He abides with us, He brings His peace to us. And we can have peace as we trust Him, for He is the God who holds tomorrow in His hands.

Taking action for our doomscrolling

Evaluate your doomscrolling habits. What apps or websites are you doomscrolling on? Is there a time or particular trigger that gets you started? 

Next, you can consider replacing doomscrolling. What is a more wholesome activity or information source you can consume instead to think about what is praiseworthy? 

If quitting social media is too difficult, we can limit doomscrolling by setting a 15-minute timer or screen time limits when we go on social media. The timer going off is a stark way to yank our attention away from the feed, giving us another decision point to step away.

If you still feel your anxieties calling out to your doomscrolling fingers, pause and remember: My God is the God of peace. He is in control. 

Then let us go back to our God of peace in humble, praise-full prayer, and ask Him to protect us with His peace.