In the never-ending swirl of anxiety-inducing news, relentless updates and the faint hum of doom, sleep-starved netizens have reportedly found solace in a delightful alternative: what one might call dumbscrolling. While it may sound self-evidently silly, emerging commentary suggests that substituting the late-night ritual of doomscrolling with a gentler, humor-laden feed of satire, dumbness, and light absurdity might just be the bedtime wind-down our frazzled brains need.
The Problem: Too Much Doom
Doomscrolling — the habit of scrolling through an unending stream of negative news, fear-laden commentary and existential dread — has been flagged by multiple sources as harmful to mental health. Experts at Harvard Medical School note that human brains are designed for short bursts of stress rather than continuous bombardment of “what will happen next” scenarios.
One recent study correlated doomscrolling with greater anxiety, lower life satisfaction and a host of stress-related symptoms. In short: when you drift to bed after hours of doom-filled scrolling, your mind may be racing, your adrenaline may be up, and your sleep may be sabotaged.
The Alternative: Gentle, Nutrient-Rich Dumb-Scrolling
Enter the concept of “dumb-scrolling” — not the irresponsible kind of clicking into every rabbit hole of gloom, but a deliberate, gentle drift through humorous, low-stakes content: memes, light absurdity, maybe cute animals, silly headlines. The kind of feed that nudges your brain toward amusement, rather than dread.
Research into internet humor has found them to do more than evoke a chuckle: viewing it can increase positive emotions and boost confidence in one’s ability to cope with life’s stresses.
According to one review, internet humor may serve as a “coping strategy” for anxiety and stress: they bring humor, relatability, and shared experience.
Why It Makes Sense
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Mood lifting vs. mood degrading: Doom-scrolling tends to exacerbate worry, fatigue and negative affect. Dumbscrolling, by contrast, leans toward humor and relief.
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Cognitive wind-down: A relaxed feed of silly content may help the brain shift gears — from “alert/defend” to “let’s relax.”
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Connection & relatability: Satire often reflect shared human experience in a comedic way, offering a sense of community rather than isolation.
How to Do It — A Bedtime Protocol
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Set a purpose: Before your nightly scroll, decide: “I’ll look at 5-10 minutes of light content from Unsourced News and then put the phone down.”
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Choose wisely: Instead of opening a real news feed, subscribe to a humor site’s weekly newsletter (yes, the kind of place the developers never intended for serious news).
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Avoid the black hole: As soon as you feel your mood or attention shifting toward dread, switch off.
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End with a power-down: Put aside the device, dim the lights, maybe read a few pages of a calming book — allow your body’s system to move toward sleep.
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Repeat nightly: Make it a habit. The more you shift away from doom-scrolling and toward dumb-scrolling, the more your pre-sleep routine becomes predictable and restful.
Final Word
So the next time you find yourself reaching for your phone at midnight, longing to stay informed but finding only anxiety in the feed — consider this: maybe opt for an hour of ridiculousness instead. Let your brain laugh a little, stop worrying about the world for a moment, and drift toward sleep. Because sometimes the best nutrient for a stressed mind is … the absurd.
