Those with ADHD may struggle with focus sometimes, but when something captures their attention, they can have the opposite problem: hyperfocus. When a person with ADHD is stimulated, it becomes very hard for them to do anything else. Because many people with ADHD also struggle with time blindness, they may find that hours pass them by without realizing how much time they’ve spent on it.
One thing that is especially stimulating is our phones, especially socially media. We’ve touched on this topic a bit in the past, and we encourage you to go back to those blog posts and articles to read more about this topic. But one risk that many teens and adults with ADHD have when they get older is “Doomscrolling,” and it helps to be aware of this issue so that they can have a plan in place to not let it become too time consuming and damaging.
What is Doomscrolling?
“Doomscrolling” refers to the repetitive consumption of negative or emotionally charged content on phones and computers, often through infinite feeds – Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, and Facebook Reels.
It is not a diagnosis.
It is a pattern of behavior characterized by rapid, effortless access to novelty, short-form rewards (likes, comments, new posts), and intermittent exposure to threat-related information. Because the feed is bottomless and algorithmically tailored, the behavior tends to continue long after a person intends to stop because there always feels like there is one more thing to watch that will provide stimulation.
Doomscrolling also got its name because many people were scrolling topics that would make them upset or depressed, like political content. However, a person can theoretically “doomscroll” topic that is not always negative – for example, if their algorithmic Facebook feed shows them comedy skits in between posts about True Crime.
Doomscrolling Overlap and Challenges with ADHD
ADHD involves differences in executive functioning – particularly inhibitory control, working memory, and time management – and alterations in reward processing. Digital social media platforms tend to trigger an endless supply of information along with what’s known as “present variable-ratio rewards” (the occasional “great” post after several average ones) which means that even if you’re not seeing posts you enjoy, there is a feeling as though a good one is about to come.
For many with ADHD, this reinforcement arrives faster than in offline tasks, making it harder to disengage. Time blindness adds to the challenge; without strong internal cues, 10 minutes can become 90 before the person recognizes the passage of time.
How Doomscrolling Reinforces Hyperfocus
“Hyperfocus” is sustained attention on high-stimulation tasks with diminished awareness of competing priorities. Doomscrolling can lock attention in several ways:
- Salience and Threat Bias – Headlines framed around risk, conflict, or outrage capture attention quickly, activating vigilance systems and encouraging further scrolling to “get the whole story.”
- Low Friction, High Novelty – Swipe-based interfaces remove natural stopping points, and the constant novelty produces micro-dopamine responses that reinforce “just one more.”
- Cognitive Closure Seeking – Ambiguous or alarming stories trigger a drive for certainty. The person keeps scrolling for updates, even when the updates do not change decisions or behavior.
- Avoidance of Effortful Tasks – When an assignment or chore feels aversive, a highly stimulating feed is an easy alternative. Hyperfocus then attaches to the easier activity, not the important one.
There is an unrelated challenge that many people – with or without ADHD – are struggling with, called “Digital Overload.” Our brains are not designed to process this much content at a time. Short form content (like TikTok videos) have much, much more things to process than, say, watching a one hour movie, and our brain’s processing center doesn’t have the tools to successfully process all of that information.
But if you have ADHD, this same digital overload may also be providing that stimulation your brain feels like it needs, and thus even though it is still getting overloaded, it is doing so in a way that allows your brain to focus.
Functional Impacts to Watch For
For teens and adults with ADHD, doomscrolling is not simply “too much phone time.” It can interfere with specific domains:
- Sleep – Emotional arousal and visual stimulation delay sleep onset and reduce sleep efficiency, which worsens next-day attention and impulse control.
- Mood – Repeated exposure to negative stories can increase anxiety and irritability. For some, it contributes to a sense of helplessness or anger that persists offline.
- Task Initiation – Extended hyperfocus on feeds crowds out work blocks, leading to last-minute rushes and lower-quality output.
- Relationships – Being mentally “elsewhere” during shared time is a common complaint from partners and family members, particularly in the evenings.
It is also frequently a waste of time that provides very little redeeming qualities, resulting in a poorer quality of life.
Practical Ways to Reduce Doomscrolling
The goal is not to eliminate phones, but to reduce unplanned, high-cost use and add friction where hyperfocus is most likely to take hold. The following strategies work best when combined with clear, realistic rules and a plan for slip-ups.
- Define Windows, Not Bans – Choose specific time windows for news/social (for example, 12:30–12:50 pm and 7:30–7:50 pm) and keep them short. People with ADHD tend to do better with “when” rules than open-ended “less” rules.
- Add Stopping Points – Replace infinite feeds with sources that end (news digests, newsletters, RSS). A natural endpoint breaks hyperfocus more reliably than willpower.
- Increase Friction Intentionally – Move high-risk apps to a separate screen, require a passcode or “app limit” prompt after 10–15 minutes, or uninstall and use the browser versions only. A few seconds of friction is often enough to interrupt the loop.
- Use Device Automations – Schedule Focus/Do Not Disturb modes during work and pre-sleep hours; disable badges; allow only essential contacts to bypass.
- Shift the Cue – Identify the trigger (boredom between tasks, evening fatigue, anxiety about news). Pre-load an alternative for that cue: a 5-minute walk, a short household task, or a prepared reading list with a set number of articles.
- Anchor to Routines – Pair short, intentional checks with existing anchors (after lunch, after dinner). Avoid starting the day with feeds; morning doomscrolling often predicts higher total use.
- Use Objective Timers – External timers (visual timers, smart speakers) are more effective than “I’ll stop soon.” For work blocks, try 25–40 minutes on task and 5–10 minutes of a planned break that does not involve feeds.
- Close the Loop – When you do scroll, end with a brief note: “Did anything I read change what I will do today?” If the answer is often “no,” reduce frequency or sources.
Plan for relapse. When a window runs long, reset without judgment and return to the next scheduled block. Consistency over perfection is the target.
When to Seek Additional Support
If doomscrolling regularly displaces sleep, work, school, or relationships—despite environmental changes – it may be useful to address underlying ADHD symptoms, anxiety, or mood concerns with a professional.
Treatment for ADHD (behavioral strategies, coaching, and, when appropriate, medication) often improves impulse control and task initiation. Cognitive-behavioral work can also target specific patterns such as threat monitoring, intolerance of uncertainty, and emotion-driven checking.
Moving Toward More Intentional Screen Use
Depending on what you’re doing online, doomscrolling feels productive because it simulates staying informed. For many with ADHD, it is primarily a reinforcement loop that trades time and energy for very little actionable value.
Define narrow windows, add friction and stopping points, pair use with routines, and measure success by sleep quality, task completion, and mood stability – not by how “caught up” you feel. Over time, those metrics give a clearer signal that the behavior is changing in a way that supports your goals.
If you need help managing ADHD, including phone use for yourself or a loved one, please reach out to ADHD Training Center, today.