Authored by Emmie M.
Member, Digital Wellness Lab 2025-26 Student Advisory Council
Doomscrolling can impact how people view the world. Being exposed frequently to violent and traumatic content can lead to desensitization, which is when you have less of a reaction to what you are seeing online. This is happening with younger generations because they are frequently engaging with digital spaces. Desensitization can lead to teens feeling less empathy towards others. For example, I see many people my age making jokes and funny videos out of violent and traumatic experiences they see online.
Many teens are exposed to school shootings or other violent acts from social media platforms because the news is widely talked about. One of the most recent tragic school shootings, in Uvalde, Texas took 21 lives. Research by professor Nicole Martins and her team investigated the psychological effects of Uvalde media on youth. The researchers found that many adolescents who viewed disturbing content about the shooting suffered from PTSD symptoms and depression. Although many tried to manage their emotions with coping strategies, sometimes it even seemed to make the symptoms worsen.
Seeing horrific events online can make you feel a variety of emotions, including being more stressed. This occurs with a lot of ages, but especially teens because they are constantly on social media.
Here are some mindful media habits for youth to help process these types of events and use social media more intentionally:
- Limit the types of content you’re seeing on social platforms. For example, use the feature “Not Interested” or mute/block accounts that are posting distressing content.
- Set screens times on social media. Many phones have screen time such as Apple’s screen time or Android’s Digital Wellbeing settings that allows you to limit certain apps.
- Set age boundaries for certain content. Social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube have parental controls and age restriction settings.
- Use social media only when necessary.
- Restrict certain topics from your page/feed. For example on TikTok you can mute certain keywords and on Instagram you can block certain topics.
- Create safe spaces to talk about the content you were exposed to. This can include talking to a trusted adult, family member or friend.
- Take a break from social platforms, which could include screen times or deleting the app completely to take time away from the platform.
- Use coping skills or grounding techniques, like the 5-4-3-2-1 technique. Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can physically feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
- Do activities that don’t involve screens. These activities could include participating in hangouts, hiking, working out, and reading.
In summary, doomscrolling can negatively impact teenagers. Although there are ways for people to limit themselves from seeing negative content, social media companies should help solve the problem. While social media companies are designing their platforms they should take into consideration what age groups are using their app. If companies were to do this it would greatly improve people’s perspective on traumatic situations.
Emmie M. is a member of the Digital Wellness Lab’s 2025-2026 Student Advisory Council, and is currently a high school freshman in Portersville, California.
The author of this article is a young person who has been engaging with the Digital Wellness Lab about topics of young people’s safety and wellbeing within digital environments. Here at the Lab, we welcome different viewpoints and perspectives. However, the opinions and ideas expressed here do not necessarily represent the views, research, or recommendations of the Digital Wellness Lab, Boston Children’s Hospital, or affiliates.