What Is a ‘Dopagaki’ (ドパガキ)? Japan’s Slang for Being Hooked on the Scroll

It’s 1 a.m. You told yourself “one more video” forty minutes ago. You’re still scrolling — in bed, phone above your face, thumb moving on autopilot.

In Japan, there’s now a word for you: ドパガキ (dopagaki).

The word was one of the 30 nominees for Japan’s 2026 Word of the Year, and it captures something a lot of people — not just teenagers — recognize in themselves.

What ドパガキ means

ドパガキ is short for ドーパミン中毒のガキ (dōpamin chūdoku no gaki), roughly “dopamine-addicted brat.” It describes someone hooked on highly stimulating content — short videos, social media feeds, games — who can’t stop scrolling and consuming.

Explainers describe scenes like not being able to put down TikTok even while drying your hair or taking a bath. The word is often used 自虐 (jigyaku), self-deprecatingly: young people calling themselves ドパガキ with a laugh.

Breaking down the word

• ドパ — from ドーパミン (dōpamin), dopamine, the brain chemical associated with reward
• ガキ — a rough, casual word for “kid” or “brat”

Japanese loves cutting long words down to punchy pieces (remember タイパ?). The same root has produced spin-offs too: ドパ中 (short for ドーパミン中毒) and the verb ドパる.

ドパガキ: the 2026 word for a very modern kind of hunger.

Not a medical term

It’s worth being clear: ドーパミン中毒 (“dopamine addiction”) is not an official medical diagnosis, and ドパガキ is internet slang, not science. Commentators have noted it’s best understood as a joke-label for a real habit, not a clinical condition. And because ガキ is rude, calling someone else a ドパガキ can come across as mocking — it works best when you say it about yourself.

Why it struck a chord

Short-video apps are designed to keep you watching, and Japan’s young people are among their heaviest users. A word that names the feeling — with a bit of humor — helps people talk about it. It also connects to the ongoing debate around タイパ and sped-up viewing: are we consuming more, but enjoying less?

Useful phrases

• スクロールがやめられない — I can’t stop scrolling
• 気づいたら2時間たってた — Before I knew it, two hours had passed
• デジタルデトックス — digital detox

The fun etymology twist

ガキ is often written in kanji as 餓鬼, the “hungry ghosts” of Buddhist tradition: beings cursed with a hunger that can never be satisfied. Whether or not the slang’s creators intended it, it fits — a ドパガキ is always hungry for the next video.

If you need a break from the scroll, try reading something slow. Our piece on エモい is a good place to start.