Why Doomscrolling Is a Trading Cost, Not a Habit

Gisela Ayu, a Jakarta-based copywriter, recently wrote that doomscrolling is anxiety with a content feed – not a discipline problem. For traders, that distinction matters. The same algorithm that keeps a user scanning for threats in their personal feed also runs the news flow that drives stop-loss hunting, volatility spikes, and overnight gap risk.

A trader who cannot name what they are looking for – boredom, avoidance, anxiety – will default to consuming news that confirms their existing position. That skews risk perception. A long position feels safer after reading a bullish headline, even if the headline is noise. A short feels justified after a bearish tweet, even if the tweet is from an unverified account.

The fix Ayu describes applies directly to a trading desk. Boredom calls for stepping away from the screen, not refreshing. Avoidance calls for sizing down or closing the position. Anxiety calls for talking to another trader or a risk manager – not scrolling for reassurance that the trade is right.

The phone is not the villain, Ayu wrote. It is a willing accomplice when we have not dealt with the underlying feeling. Treat the symptom, and the habit loosens. For a trader, that habit costs basis points. Treating it is not self-help. It is risk management.