The Hidden Cost of Doomscrolling in the Office
Doomscrolling—the compulsive act of scrolling through social media feeds consuming negative or distressing information—has become a daily habit for millions. But when it happens during work hours, its effects go far beyond simple time loss. A study led by Ian Hughes, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Texas A&M University, found that constant exposure to bad news leaves employees “stuck in repetitive thoughts” that reduce their work engagement, even after they look away from the screen.
The research, published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, included two sub-studies with workers from the United States and the United Kingdom. In both cases, those who engaged in doomscrolling during the workday showed a greater tendency to ruminate on the negative content they had just read, and that rumination was directly linked to lower connection with their tasks.
The Personality Factor
The research identified that the relationship was especially strong among people with higher levels of neuroticism—a personality trait associated with anxiety and worry. These individuals tend to process negative information more deeply, which amplifies the impact on their job performance.
Why Do We Do It?
Hughes explained that doomscrolling doesn't stem from a desire to feel bad, but from a search for calming anxiety in uncertain contexts. During a pandemic, war, or social crisis, people constantly refresh their feeds to “make sense” of what's happening. The problem is that this search repeatedly exposes them to distressing content, creating a vicious cycle.
A Double-Edged Sword
The researcher described doomscrolling as “a double-edged sword”: on one hand, it satisfies the need for information; on the other, it leaves a mental imprint that persists long after closing the app. “What we found is that workers who doomscroll during work hours are less engaged, partly because their minds remain preoccupied, as if replaying the images and messages they encountered during those sessions,” Hughes said.
This mental persistence is key to understanding why work engagement drops, beyond the mere time lost on the phone.
The Digital Vulnerability of Modern Workplaces
Today's work environments are especially vulnerable because employees carry the entire news cycle with them. Smartphones, laptops, and social platforms make it easy to check updates between tasks, meetings, or emails. “For many people, it's very hard to look away from those things,” Hughes noted.
However, the researcher does not believe the solution is to ban phones at work. “The reality is that such policies often just make people angry and don't really work,” he emphasized.
Practical Recommendations
Instead of bans, Hughes suggests setting physical and temporal boundaries: “If you're going to doomscroll, try to contain that behavior to one physical place in your life.” He proposes that instead of doing it at work, this habit be restricted to home, a comfortable armchair, a break room, a café, or a bar.
The researcher believes this advice won't lose relevance soon, because access to social media continues to expand and algorithms feed a constant stream of content designed to capture attention. “It's important to stay informed. What's also important is that you don't allow that information search to occupy every moment of your life,” he concluded.
Doomscrolling is more common among people aged 18 to 35, but it can affect any worker who uses social media during their shift.
A Growing Problem in Argentina and Beyond
While the study was conducted in the US and UK, its findings apply to any country with high digital penetration. In Argentina, where economic and political uncertainty generates a constant stream of negative news, doomscrolling could be silently affecting the productivity of thousands of workers. The phenomenon is not exclusive to Argentina—it's a global issue exacerbated by 24/7 news cycles and algorithm-driven feeds.
The key is becoming aware of the habit and setting limits, not only to protect work concentration but also mental health. As Hughes concludes: “Don't let that information search occupy every moment of your life.”