The Scroll That Never Stops
You reach the bottom of the page—and more stories appear. No “Next” button, no page numbers, no pause. This design choice, called infinite scrolling, may seem convenient, but it’s also one of the engines powering doomscrolling.
How Infinite Scrolling Works
Infinite scrolling is a web design approach that continuously loads new content as you move down a page, replacing old‑fashioned pagination. Instead of choosing to click to the next page, you simply keep flicking your thumb and the site serves you more.
The missing detail is crucial: it removes natural stopping points. Without a break, your brain never gets the subtle cue to ask, “Do I want to keep going?” You just do.
Designed to Keep You There
This endless feed doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Social media platforms are built on business models that reward time spent and engagement. The longer you stay, the more ads you see and the more data is collected about you.
To achieve that, platforms lean on:
- Algorithms that promote content likely to provoke strong emotions.
- Gamified interfaces—likes, shares, streaks—that make engagement feel like a game.
- Recommendation systems that learn what keeps you hooked and then supply more of it.
Research shows that these systems often amplify negative, high‑impact stories, because outrage, fear, and shock reliably keep people scrolling.
When Design Fuels Doomscrolling
Put this together and you get a perfect storm. Infinite scrolling removes the exit ramps; algorithms pack the feed with emotionally charged and often negative stories; recommendation systems learn that grim content holds your attention—and keep serving it.
The result is prolonged exposure to distressing news, especially during major crises such as the COVID‑19 pandemic, the storming of the U.S. Capitol, or wars in Ukraine and Gaza. A quick check for updates can morph into a deep dive through one catastrophe after another.
Researchers have even linked this design pattern to problematic smartphone and social media use, noting that the lack of “stopping cues” is a powerful pathway into compulsive behavior.
Regrets from a Creator
The concept of infinite scroll is often associated with designer Aza Raskin, who helped popularize it by eliminating pagination in favor of continuous content. He later expressed regret, calling it “one of the first products designed to not simply help a user, but to deliberately keep them online for as long as possible.”
The Takeaway
Infinite scrolling may feel like a neutral convenience, but it shapes how we behave: making it easier to keep going, harder to stop, and far more likely that a glance at your feed will turn into a full‑blown doomscrolling session.