Doomscrolling and the Decline of Attention Span in Gen Z

You are lying on your bed, using your phone as the only light source, the soft glow of its screen illuminating your face. “Just a few minutes,” you say to yourself, scrolling through an infinite number of news headlines—wars, scandals, and tragedies. Hours go by like minutes. Your thumb aches, your mind feels heavy, but you can’t look away. That’s the modern ritual known as doomscrolling.

For Generation Z, raised in the rhythm of notifications and infinite scroll, this habit has quietly begun to shape how attention, rest, and focus work.

The Endless Loop: Why Doomscrolling Hooks Us

Doomscrolling is the compulsive consumption of negative or distressing online content, even when it worsens mood or anxiety (Satici et al., 2022). Gen Z—digital natives whose social lives, studies, and leisure time often revolve around screens—are the ones who most easily get caught in the trap.

Psychologists state that human beings have a natural tendency to pay more attention to dangers or bad news, a bias that has its roots in survival instincts. Social media algorithms of modern times emphasize this bias by offering content that evokes strong emotions, keeping users hooked (Tapert, 2025). What is the result? A cycle of attention, emotion, and fatigue that feels very hard to break.

The Shrinking Span: How Digital Overload Affects Focus

Attention span is not only a matter of time but also of mental quality. It is your capacity to maintain a thought, ignore distractions, and regain focus after being interrupted. Research indicates that this capacity is on the decline. One large-scale study revealed that the average time people are able to focus on one screen activity before switching has fallen to approximately 47 seconds (Haliti-Sylaj & Sadiku, 2024).

Heavy use of social media divides concentration. Fast-paced videos and instant content train the brain to look for something new every couple of seconds, decreasing the brain's patience for slower or more complicated information (Chiossi et al., 2023). Eventually, this alters the brain circuits for attention, leading to fatigue and distractibility.

Signs You Might Be Caught in the Scroll

You are not the only one who often feels "foggy" or lacks focus. The following are some of the subtle signs of doomscrolling fatigue:

• Inability to read long articles or concentrate on lectures.

• Starting a task but switching to your phone halfway through.

• Experiencing emotional exhaustion or anxiety after scrolling.

• Checking social apps without remembering why.

• Losing track of time and forgetting what you just saw.

These symptoms aren’t personal failings—they’re your nervous system signaling overload. Your brain is craving rest, not more stimulation.

Gentle Habits to Rebuild Focus and Calm

You don’t need a digital detox in the mountains to heal your attention. Start small and compassionate.

1. Morning Without Screens

Give yourself the first 30 minutes of the day without your phone. Stretch, breathe, or make tea before checking messages. This small ritual helps the brain begin the day from calm instead of chaos.

2. Focus Sprints

Try single-task focus blocks—25 minutes of deep work, followed by 5 minutes of rest. Cognitive scientists say that doing one thing at a time builds attention control and reduces cognitive fatigue (American Psychological Association, 2023).

3. Establish Scroll Boundaries

Plan short “scrolling sessions” (for instance, 20 minutes twice a day). When the timer goes off, log out and do something that connects you with the earth—water a plant, take a short walk, or listen to music.

4. Use Your Senses

If you find your mind wandering, softly bring it back to the present. Identify three things you can see, two things you can touch, and one thing you can hear. This method anchors your consciousness in the present and resets focus.

Healing the Mind: Emotional Wellness for the Digital Age

Attention and emotions are connected. When attention scatters, emotional balance disappears as well. However, you can eliminate the discomfort with the following methods:

• Name the emotions you are feeling. Just stating “I am anxious” or “I am overstimulated” helps the brain regulate emotion (Lieberman et al., 2022).

• Journal gently. Note when you scrolled more than intended and how it made you feel. This builds mindful awareness rather than guilt.

• Slow linking practice. If you get distracted, whisper “come back” to yourself and carefully refocus. This mindful repetition strengthens neural circuits for prolonged attention.

Slowing Down Beyond the Screen

Rebuilding attention isn’t just about less scrolling—it’s about changing how we live. Walk instead of driving short distances. Eat without screens. Use eco-friendly, minimalist tools that promote slow living. The calmer your surroundings are, the easier it will be for you to maintain focus naturally.

A Community of Calm

“I realized I could scroll for an hour and remember nothing. So I started setting a tea timer—when it rang, I’d put my phone down and sip quietly. Somehow, I felt sharper afterward.”— University student, age 20

These micro-pauses are where attention heals. Every gentle boundary you draw, every breath you take before unlocking your phone, is an act of reclaiming presence.

Your Small Step Today

You don’t need a grand digital cleanse. Just one small choice:

• Pick a task you’ll do phone-free for 25 minutes today.

• Afterward, take five mindful breaths and notice how your body feels.

• Tomorrow, stretch the focus time by five more minutes.

Attention isn’t gone—it’s simply waiting for your invitation back.

Breathe. Pause. Begin again.

References:

American Psychological Association. (2023). Speaking of Psychology: Attention spans. Washington, DC: Author.

Chiossi, F., Haliburton, L., Ou, C., & Schmidt, A. (2023). Short-form videos degrade our capacity to retain intentions: Effects of context switching on prospective memory. Preprint.

Goel, C. (2025). Digital dissociation and doomscrolling in Gen Z: Psychological impacts and research directions. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Applied Psychology, 3(9), 1154.

Haliti-Sylaj, T., & Sadiku, A. (2024). Impact of short reels on attention span and academic performance of undergraduate students. Eurasian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 10(3), 60–68.

Hassoun, A., Beacock, I., Consolvo, S., Goldberg, B., Kelley, P. G., & Russell, D. M. (2023). Practicing information sensibility: How Gen Z engages with online information. Preprint.

Jones, C. N., et al. (2024). Investigating the links between objective social media use and attentional control and anxiety. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science.

Lieberman, M. D., Inagaki, T. K., Tabibnia, G., & Crockett, M. J. (2022). Affect labeling and emotion regulation: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Science, 33(2), 243–258.

Masri-Zada, T. (2025). The impact of social media and technology on adolescent attention and cognitive control. Journal of Adolescent Research and Practice, 14(1), 54–67.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2025). How’s life for children in the digital age? The impact of digital activities on children’s lives. OECD Publishing.

Satici, S. A., et al. (2022). Doomscrolling Scale: Its association with personality traits, social media addiction, fear of missing out, and psychological distress. Psychological Reports.

Tapert, S. F. (2025). Cognitive overload in the era of doomscrolling: Neural correlates of social media exposure. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19(4), 211–225.