Digital addiction - a type of addiction due to excessive use of devices and social media - is now thought of as a mental health issue. At the core of digital addiction is the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is involved in motivation and reward in the brain.
1. Dopamine’s Role in the Brain’s Reward System
Dopamine provides rewards to people who carry out activities that allow them to survive by producing a sense of pleasure or motivation for that activity.
Digital media develop the same reward pathway in the brain by providing:
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Likes
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Notifications
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Messages
These instantaneous rewards result in the release of dopamine, reinforcing the repetitive behavior of checking digital devices in the same way that gambling and other addiction behaviours do.
2.Social Media uses an inconsistent Reward System.
Uncertainty about when exactly to expect either “likes” or “comments” produces a larger amount of dopamine in your brain than a fixed schedule would produce.
This unpredictability causes users to keep returning for the next “hit” of reward.
We crave social validation from others, so when our social presence is projected via an online platform, and we receive this validation via likes, shares, & followers, it creates a multiplier effect.
But:
Constantly comparing yourself to others can lower your self-esteem;
Lower your self-worth (or how you perceive & judge yourself) can increase anxiety and/or depression;
The validation loop continually perpetuates compulsive engagement.
- Stolen Dopamine Response
Dopamine was released in the past through social interactions that had a beneficial impact on our ability to survive in that environment.
Today, online platforms take advantage of this process by providing many opportunities for us to interact with each other, but on a superficial level, which results in us feeling temporarily satisfied with our interactions, but not with the deeper level of intimacy experienced face-to-face.
Consequently, we crave more interaction when we feel completely drained from the emotional toll placed upon us by chronic overstimulation.
4.How It Affects Us Psychologically
Overstimulating ourselves too much through the use of technology will cause us to experience:
Reduced sensitivity to natural rewards
A shorter attention span
Disruption of our sleep cycle
A greater likelihood of developing mood disorders
Eventually, when comparing drag activities to digital stimulating activities, drag activities will feel less rewarding when compared to digital stimulating ones.
5. Ways to Restore Balance
Some healthy strategies are:
Create screen-time limits
Practicing “digital detox” periods
Replacing screen-based rewards with physical exercise, hobbies, or in-person interaction
Implementing these steps will help to restore our natural dopamine balance.
Conclusion
There is a complex relationship of neurobiology and technology with regards to digital addiction. Digital platforms can exploit the dopamine based reward systems to promote addictive behaviours, similar to what other traditional addictions do.
Using digital media intentionally and with mindfulness is important to support mental well-being and re-establish a sense of balance to our lives.
MBH/PS