Woman who stopped 'doomscrolling' for 50 days reveals shocking impact to her brain
I think we're all guilty of doomscrolling once in a while, some of us perhaps more often than others.
And one TikToker, who goes by the name of Iona, decided her morning scroll through social media was not doing her any good, so she decided to quit doomscrolling for a whopping 50 days.
To be honest, it's never a good way to start the day looking at bleak news, so Iona decided to ditch it all-together.
Doomscrolling often involves you scrolling through negative news and posts that can cause a lot of distress and sadness, leaving to Iona feeling she had to change her internet habits.
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The TikToker explained in a viral video that she would often spend up to eight hours a day watching 'meaningless' videos, so decided to set a goal of avoiding negative news for a period of 35 days.
Ultimately, Iona went 50 days after noticing a drastic change in the way her brain operated.
She said: "I just have my brain back. That's all it is. I have my brain back. I have ideas back. My dopamine levels are regulated. Before, I used to open up my phone all the time and just [scroll] and get a hit of dopamine. Now, there are no more hits of dopamine. Which is fine. I just feel completely regulated and calm."
Iona recently sat down with Newsweek to discuss the challenge and the positive impact its had on her mental health.
"I started on November 11, 2025 privately for 35 days, and then I decided to continue when I led my online community to join me with a public social media fast," she said.
"I noticed by the third day that my thumb had a brain of its own, but I just slowed down and closed the app if I opened it. Days 10 and 11 seemed to have the most impact because by then I was actively fighting it."
The content creator went on to say her focus and overall concentration levels have increased, while the removal of doomscrolling has surprisingly changed what she wears.
You see, Iowa would often be influenced by people on the internet, but with her limited social media activity these days, this is no longer the case.
"I didn't realize how I was constantly being bombarded with imagery, ads, trends, even other people's personal style and being influenced by it," she added to Newsweek.
"Stepping away made me realize I was always there, and that allowed me to hone in on my authenticity."
Topics: TikTok, Mental Health, Social Media
Callum Jones