Dictionary

doomsurfing en · NOUN

Etymology

From doom + surfing (“the activity of browsing the Internet”).

Meanings

1. (informal, uncountable) The continuous, and often obsessive, reading of Internet news or information about a disaster.
   • Like many of you, I was confined to my apartment, which I often resented. I continuously engaged in what has been referred to as “doomscrolling” (or, in an extension of that same modern parlance, “doomsurfing”). 2021 April 13, Sierra Élise Hansen, “Post-pandemic, we must value libraries more”, in The Michigan Daily:
   • Maybe it's just time to quit your doomsurfing. 2021 June 5, Jason Cipriani, “Delete your Facebook account for good? Here's everything you need to know”, in CNet:
   • One obvious answer is stress. From Covid-induced nightmares to “doomsurfing” to “coronaphobia,” it’s no secret that pandemic-related anxiety is affecting our collective mental health. 2020 September 15, Tammy Chen, “A Dentist Sees More Cracked Teeth. What's Going On?”, in The New York Times, page D6:
   • I’ve been doing a lot of this kind of doomsurfing recently — falling into deep, morbid rabbit holes filled with coronavirus content, agitating myself to the point of physical discomfort, erasing any hope of a good night’s sleep. Maybe you have, too. 2020 March 20, Kevin Roose, “The Week in Tech: How to Stop Coronavirus ‘Doomsurfing’”, in The New York Times, page B4:

Forms

Synonyms

doomscrolling