Doomscrolling is Draining Your Brain and GPA

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Columbia Barnard chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

It’s 2 a.m. and your essay is due tomorrow. Somehow you’re 50 TikToks deep. You just wanted a quick peek at your feed, or maybe to check the latest “must-buy” lipgloss you’ve been saving up for. But now you’re scrolling through someone’s grocery haul, a heated comment section, or an absurd conspiracy theory thread you’re starting to believe. Your brain is practically melting while your essay remains on the blinking cursor. 

Most of us have been there. While it may feel harmless at first, doomscrolling isn’t just “killing time”. It’s draining your focus, your energy, and…your GPA. When you’re stuck in an endless loop of negative news, endless feeds, or FOMO-inducing content, your brain stays in a constant state of alert. Cortisol spikes, productivity plummets, and that essay you swore you’d start at 6 p.m. has been pushed for 3 hours now. Doomscrolling masquerades as entertainment, but really, it’s stress in disguise, and it’s addictive.

Why We Keep Doing It

We doomscroll because it fills a gap. It’s a distraction when we’re bored, anxious, or trying to avoid a task that feels too big or too intimidating. It’s comforting in small doses, but the problem is that “small doses” rarely happen. Social media is engineered to keep you engaged, feeding you one dopamine hit after another. You check your phone “just to see one thing,” and suddenly it’s two hours later, your brain foggy, your sleep short, and your essay untouched.

Even worse, doomscrolling tricks us into thinking we’re staying informed or connected, when really we’re burning mental energy on things that don’t matter and replacing focus with low-grade anxiety. That’s the cost: your energy, your mental health, your grades, and your sense of control.

The Toolkit: How to Break the Scroll

Luckily, doomscrolling can be tackled–strategically, playfully, and realistically. Here’s how:

1. Log Off (Seriously)
   One of my friends swears by logging out of social apps every night. Having to log back in the next day adds just enough friction to make scrolling feel like a chore instead of a habit.
2. Kill Notifications
   Turn off unnecessary notifications. Let only messages reach you, or use “Do Not Disturb” if you prefer. On your laptop, only allow email notifications for productivity. Your attention is sacred; guard it.
3. Phone Accountability With Friends
   This one’s fun: swap passwords or set mutual time limits on each other’s phones. A little social accountability goes a long way when your impulse is to mindlessly scroll.
4. Morning & Evening Rituals
   Don’t touch your phone first thing in the morning. Do your makeup, eat breakfast, or wind down at night without a screen interrupting your life. These small habits create space for focus and calm.
5. Train Your Attention Span
   Start tuning into longer forms of media. Watch a 5-minute YouTube video without touching your phone, then 10 minutes, then 20. Eventually, you’ll be able to watch a full film or lecture without interruption. Attention is like a muscle: it strengthens with practice.
6. Intentional Breaks
   Use breaks as real breaks. Stretch, go for a walk, make a snack, or talk to a roommate. Filling your downtime with intentional activities reduces the pull of scrolling.

Breaking the doomscroll habit isn’t just about your productivity but your self-care as well. Protecting your brain from constant negativity and distraction is radical, in the sense that it’s counter-cultural. In a world designed to keep you glued to your screen, stepping back is an act of rebellion. It’s choosing your mental health over FOMO, your GPA over dopamine, and your future self over endless, mindless feeds.

The truth is, your phone will survive without you for an hour, or a day. Your friends will still post updates, the news will keep happening, and that essay? You’ll finally finish it with a clear mind. In this way, avoiding doomscrolling isn’t a punishment, it’s the ultimate self-care. Your brain, your focus, and yes, your GPA, will thank you.