Doom scrolling shame: You're Not the Only One

Shame about compulsive phone or social media use

40 people have shared thoughts about this

Supposed to be all deep dives into post-colonial theory, or whatever fancy words they use to describe, you know, people getting screwed over. …

doom scrolling shame

You’re just existing, doing your thing, and then suddenly you're hit with the raw, embarrassing truth of yourself. …

doom scrolling shame

I remember the smell of my grandma's house, like old wood polish and something vaguely sweet, cinnamon maybe. …

doom scrolling shame

But today, no, today I decided to spend the whole fucking break watching compilations of road rage incidents on YouTube. …

doom scrolling shame

And I’m just looking at these perfect squares, these… curated lives. …

doom scrolling shame

Like, it was *just* bright out, and now it’s dark and my tea is like, ice cold, and I realize I’ve been reading comments on that local news story for… how long? …

doom scrolling shame

I was in my truck long after everyone left, phone dead, just sitting in the dark, and suddenly it hit me – this whole thing with the world, it’s not really about *them* is it? …

doom scrolling shame

I get to scroll through endless medical bills and reschedule appointments and try to figure out how to stretch one paycheck into three. …

doom scrolling shame

Like their portfolios. …

doom scrolling shame

and i was scrolling thru my ex’s wedding pics. …

doom scrolling shame

Mine’s still in the shop, needs a new transmission, so I’m blowing half my pay on this daily. …

doom scrolling shame

And it just kept going, like a really dark tunnel. …

doom scrolling shame

I just spent a solid hour under the seminar table, like, furiously refreshing some stupid celebrity breakup news, while everyone else was talking about critical theory and I'm supposed to be taking… …

doom scrolling shame

I just sat through a two-hour seminar on post-colonial literature with my phone tucked under my thigh, refreshing a page about some reality TV star’s new boyfriend. …

doom scrolling shame

I seriously just need to get this off my chest because it's 3:47 AM and I’m staring at my ceiling feeling like absolute garbage. …

doom scrolling shame

” And then you remember your last client, the one who wanted everything bigger and bolder and ‘more impactful’ which really just meant Comic Sans on a bright red background. …

doom scrolling shame

But I kept getting this twitchy feeling in my stomach, like a nervous tic that wouldn’t quit. …

doom scrolling shame

seeing their perfect portfolios, the awards, the clients. …

doom scrolling shame

My Abuela was doing her famous *coquito*, and my Tío was trying to teach everyone salsa, badly, in the living room. …

doom scrolling shame

I stayed up again, scrolling through Behance and Dribbble, like, until the birds started chirping, looking at all these portfolios that are just... …

doom scrolling shame

Explore Related Themes

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Frequently Asked Questions

Am I the only one who experiences doom scrolling shame?▾
No — 40 people have shared anonymous thoughts about doom scrolling shame on this platform. It's a common human experience that many keep hidden.
Is it normal to have thoughts about doom scrolling shame?▾
These thoughts and feelings are more common than most people realize. By sharing anonymously, people often discover that what felt uniquely shameful is actually a shared human experience.
How can sharing anonymously help?▾
Research shows that expressing hidden thoughts — even anonymously — can reduce shame and help people feel less isolated. Seeing others share similar experiences normalizes what you're going through.

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