Health Update: Health Update: Crochet instead of doomscrolling. A look at mental health benefits. – What Experts Say– What Experts Say.
How a simple hobby is helping fight doomscrolling
Doom scrolling through social media can take a toll on your mental health, here’s how picking up a hobby can improve your mood.
Doomscrolling was ruining my life. Since the pandemic, I spent much of my free time scrolling online. And the more stressful the news was, the more addicted I got.
Studies have found that doomscrolling, the act of endlessly scrolling through social media or news apps and reading or watching negative articles or videos, is not good for your mental health. According to the Mayo Clinic, research done during the COVID-19 pandemic discovered that the more time people spent glued to their phones and consuming negative content on social media, the more distressed they felt. The University of North Carolina Health Caldwell reports that this constant exposure can also worsen anxiety and depression, leaving people feeling panicked or worried.
In August 2025, I noticed I was spending more time scrolling through Instagram and TikTok, and it became harder to focus on everyday activities. This sense of impending doom clouded my mind, but I still couldn’t put down my phone, and I found it increasingly difficult to fall asleep. Then, once I realized I spent four or five hours scrolling through my phone, I felt guilty for not having used my time better by washing the dishes or vacuuming. I hadn’t done anything that made me feel productive.
But the process started all over again the following day.
I only started seeing an improvement in my mood when I finally put my phone down and picked up a crochet hook in August 2025. As the calendar crept closer to the 2025 holiday season, I threw myself into crocheting presents for my friends and family. I created blankets, beanies, scarves, scrunchies, bandanas and even a pouch for a friend to store their drumsticks.
I began reaching for my yarn and crochet hooks instead of my phone.
Crochet the social media urge away
Crochet is a relatively inexpensive hobby to get into. All you need are some crochet hooks, yarn, and a crochet YouTube tutorial to get started. While it’s commonly associated with grandmas, it’s an incredible art that is limited only by one’s imagination.
I’ve been crocheting since 2020, and I learned during the height of the pandemic. But in 2025, as a trending news reporter whose job revolves around being tapped into current events, my social media use was at an all-time high, and stepping away felt harder than ever. Crocheting helped force a break from the nonstop news cycle and social media. I was more present and less anxious. It felt easier to focus on my work, and I was finally getting a full eight hours of sleep.
I’m not the only one, though, and studies have shown the benefits of crocheting and having hobbies.
In a 2020 study that looked at the effect crochet has on one’s wellbeing, researchers surveyed 8,391 people living in 87 countries, 99% of whom were women, and found that:
- 89.5% of participants said crochet helped them feel calmer.
- 82% said it helped them feel happier.
- 74.7% said it helped them feel more useful.
- Crocheters’ moods also significantly improved after crocheting.
The study found that many of those surveyed used crochet to manage their mental health and help them with grief, chronic illness, and pain.
Start a hobby for the sake of your mental health
People who crochet aren’t the only ones who see the benefits.
According to the University of California, Los Angeles, people 65 and older who have hobbies, such as golfing, gardening, crafting, and fishing, report higher levels of happiness and greater life satisfaction.
A 2025 study on the impact hobbies have on mental health found that hobbies can also “contribute to personal growth, reduce stress and foster social connections through community involvement and active participation.”
Another 2020 study by Mental Health America found that during the pandemic, people aged 14 to 24 reported that hobbies helped their mental health the most, while 50% of people ages 14 to 18 and 36% of those ages 19 to 24 said social media helped their mental health.
Creating something I could hold helped me fight through the gloom I felt in my day-to-day life, brought on by endless scrolling and daunting headlines. This sense of accomplishment I felt whenever I finished a project fed my brain more dopamine than scrolling through video after video ever could.
I haven’t given up my phone entirely, and I still enjoy social media in moderation. But instead of scrolling through stressful or heartbreaking news for long periods, I search for content creators who post about crochet and other interests I’d neglected, like playing video games and reading novels, because of how much time I’d spent doomscrolling before.
If you’re looking to quit doomscrolling, it helps to make a conscious effort to replace it with another activity, whether it’s crochet, running, going to the gym, sewing or another hobby that interests you.
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.