Predicting the future is hard. There’s no secret about it. We so often hear about trends, stock market changes, and big business decisions that are being made in the financial and political worlds, but few of these are ever actually analysed for their cascading effect on the average population. Whilst news outlets often reflect on the potential long-term effects and shine light on people’s initial reactions to these decisions, there’s a gap when it comes to real predictions about the impact and changes to everyday life that some of these decisions bring. As a marketer, I spend a lot of time analysing trends and consumer behaviour, both online and offline, to understand how people react to change and what drives their decisions. I suppose that’s why multi-billion businesses spend millions on market research and try their hardest to understand consumer behaviour prior to launch.
In recent years, with the rise of digital burnout, widespread misinformation, and increasing political extremism, society has started to shift. Their behaviours are changing. People are tired. And who is taking the big hit? Social media platforms.
From being an online space where people could have a laugh, like many millennials did on Vine, or a place to post funny photos with retro filters and semi-inspirational quotes, like on Instagram, social media has evolved in a way that many see it as an evil force for propaganda, silencing of rights, and frankly, complete domination of attention; and people are starting to fight back for their freedom.
Social media has become the perfect breeding ground for doomscrolling. Polarising views that provoke a reaction, absurd videos that tap into your curiosity, so you keep watching. AI-generated content, aggressive commercial targeting of vulnerable viewers, materialistic tendencies, harmful comparisons, and a loud platform for extreme ideologies—these all fuel the cycle. Hate and arguments spread like wildfire. Seeds of doubt are planted. And you come out of it either annoyed at the world, sad, or low on money because you purchased something you never even needed.
So why are people still spending hours glued to their phones?
‘Doomscrolling’ is a concept that originated in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic and describes the habit of endlessly scrolling through news sites or social media feeds, even if it causes stress and anxiety. The term was officially added to the Cambridge dictionary in 2022.
Research has repeatedly shown that excessive social media consumption is linked to increased anxiety, depression, and loneliness. The curated nature of content—where people showcase only the highlights of their lives—contributes to unrealistic comparisons and a warped sense of self-worth. And the never-ending stream of news, ranging from global catastrophes to personal tragedies, creates a sense of helplessness and hypervigilance.
As someone who has studied the psychology of advertising, I know that these click-bait videos are created to purposefully challenge autonomy and completely kill attention spans. I’ve been trapped in it, too!
Realising that I don’t need to sit there and watch fifty 30-second videos that I won’t even remember once the app is closed is liberating, but it is also challenging. The sad reality is that people no longer know what to do with their free time.
The paradox of choice plays a significant role in this dilemma. In theory, having an endless selection of content should be empowering, but instead, it becomes overwhelming. Studies in psychology suggest that when people are faced with too many options, they struggle to make decisions, leading to stress and dissatisfaction. This is why users often default to passive consumption—scrolling endlessly rather than making an active choice to engage, or disengage.
How often have you scrolled just because you were bored? Because you felt like you had nothing better to do? Because you just automatically open the app out of instinct, without even thinking about it first? And it’s never just one video, either. Right?
It’s a frightening epidemic. Recent studies have also highlighted a concerning trend: Generation Z is experiencing higher levels of anxiety and depression compared to previous generations, with excessive social media use being a significant contributing factor. Spending more than three hours daily on social media platforms increases the risk of mental health problems among adolescents, including sleep deprivation, cyberbullying, body image issues, and depressive symptoms.
The constant influx of information from these platforms can lead to cognitive overload and decision fatigue. This mental fatigue can have negative effects on attention, increases impulsivity, and hinders the ability to process information effectively, potentially leading to anxiety and depression. Plus, the overwhelming amount of data encountered daily can cause emotional exhaustion, highlighting the importance of mindful social media consumption and the need to manage information overload to protect the mental well-being of Generation Z and all others.
But today, in 2025, I have a feeling that things will change. By observing society, and reading reports, I see the rising trend to fight back against doomscrolling. Some people challenge temptation in more creative ways than others—whether by implementing digital detoxes, setting strict screen time limits, or even switching to minimalist phones - but the shift in mentality still stands.
Especially given social media can be used for good! Whether its learning something new via a YouTube Shorts tutorial, understanding complex information that’s well laid out in an infographic on LinkedIn, or simply finding joy from your community on Reddit, social media has the potential to bring people together, as long as the platforms are responsibly managed, and the content is curated with intention.
Within our setting, our research team have used social media to recruit participants for countless studies. From engaging with young people to better study youth mental health in the CELEBRATE Project, creating a people with lived experience advisory board for ASPIRE, or reaching out to pregnant women to take part in the Happy Mums Study, we also use these apps. The difference is that we make sure that all the content we do create is empowering, educational, and engaging.
So, while society is changing, it also highlights an important lesson: social media isn’t inherently evil—it’s how we use it that makes all the difference. People are no longer passively accepting doomscrolling as the norm; they’re actively taking steps to regain control and are finding ways to create healthier habits.
But looking ahead, the real question is how the corporate world will respond. Will social media platforms adapt to this change, prioritising well-being over engagement? Or will they find new ways to keep users hooked? As society pushes back, will businesses follow suit or fight to maintain their grip?