I remember when there used to be a time when you could only watch the news during certain times of day. The morning news came on before school or work. The evening news aired around dinner. Then it was over. You went outside, spent time with family, and moved on with your day.
Social media also felt different. It was mostly a collection of happy posts, graduation pictures, birthday wishes, back-to-school photos, and fashion trends. Back then, the biggest problem on social media was somebody tagging you in an ugly photo from three years ago that you thought nobody would ever see again.
Now, despite several attempts to change my settings, I still end up with random depressing news stories and disturbing videos flooding my feed. Stories about violence, political division, economic anxiety, police brutality, war, and fear-inducing headlines designed to keep us scrolling. Too often, I fall asleep with back-to-back news shows playing on CNN or other news outlets.
Many of us do not even realize how much this constant exposure is affecting our minds, bodies, and spirits.
There is now a term for this behavior, “doomscrolling,” the compulsive habit of consuming endless negative news online. Researchers have found that doomscrolling is linked to increased anxiety, stress, fear, depression, and emotional exhaustion. Social media platforms are intentionally designed to maximize engagement, meaning emotionally charged content is often pushed to the top of our feeds because it keeps people watching longer.
According to the American Psychological Association, adults who constantly consume news report higher levels of stress, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness. Studies have also shown that excessive social media use is associated with poor sleep quality, loneliness, depression, and lower self-esteem, especially among young people.
For African Americans, the impact can be even heavier.
Black Americans are not simply consuming general bad news. We are often repeatedly exposed to racial trauma online, videos of police violence, racist commentary, discrimination, and attacks on our communities.
A recent study found that Black youth experience an average of six race-related online experiences every day, with more than half being negative. Exposure to online racism was associated with higher levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, trouble sleeping, and difficulty concentrating in school.
This matters because social media is no longer just entertainment. For many people, it has become their primary source of news, community, and interaction. The result is a constant state of emotional alertness.
Many African Americans already carry significant stress tied to economic inequality, caregiving responsibilities, workplace pressure, and navigating discrimination. Adding a nonstop stream of traumatic and negative content can overwhelm the nervous system contributing to anxiety, sleep problems, burnout, hopelessness, and emotional numbness.
At the African American Wellness Project, we understand that mental health cannot be separated from physical health. Chronic stress impacts the body as much as the mind. Studies continue to show links between prolonged stress and high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep disorders, weakened immune systems, and other health disparities that disproportionately affect African Americans.
We also have to acknowledge that algorithms do not always prioritize what is healthy for us. They prioritize what keeps us engaged. That does not mean we should disconnect from reality or ignore what is happening in the world. But there is a difference between being informed and being emotionally consumed.
Protecting our mental health must become part of protecting our overall health.
Here are a few ways Black communities can begin creating healthier relationships with news and social media:
- Set boundaries with the news. You do not need to consume breaking news 24 hours a day to stay informed. Consider checking trusted news sources once or twice a day instead of continuously scrolling.
- Stop sleeping with the television on. Falling asleep to negative news keeps the brain in a heightened state of stress. Create a nighttime routine that allows your mind to rest. Music, prayer, reading, meditation, or silence can make a difference.
- Curate your feed intentionally. Unfollow accounts that consistently increase anxiety or anger. Follow pages that promote wellness, Black joy, culture, faith, fitness, education, and positivity.
- Take breaks from social media. Even short digital breaks can reduce stress and improve focus. A few hours offline can help reset the mind.
- Prioritize real-world connection. Talk to family members. Spend time with friends. Go outside. Attend community events. Human connection is one of the strongest protections against anxiety and isolation.
- Seek professional support when needed. Therapy is not weakness. Emotional wellness is healthcare. More African Americans are beginning to prioritize mental health support, and culturally competent therapists continue to grow.
In a world where negativity is constant, choosing to protect our peace may be one of the most powerful forms of self-care we have. After all, sometimes the healthiest thing we can do is put the phone down, turn the television off, and reconnect with the life that is right in front of us, beyond the algorithm.
