Social Media Addiction

There is social pressure to participate, and the generation known as ‘Gen Z’ can barely conceive of a world not lived out in some form of digital media. In fact as of 2020, the average amount of time that internet users spend on social media was 145 minutes per day. And for 16-24 year olds, that number was even higher - averaging 3 hours a day.

There is an emerging body of work that suggests that excessive social media use is damaging to mental health. But is it really an addiction?

The role of dopamine

To answer that question, we first need to understand the role of dopamine in the body. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger) in the brain, that helps to send signals around the body, and plays a part in how we experience pleasure. 

It influences motor control and movement, as well as our physical and mental wellbeing. When we have a healthy amount of dopamine in our system, we feel more motivated and we are able to take in and retain new information more easily.

Our bodies release dopamine naturally, as a reward response. This is usually in relation to feel-good activities like exercise, listening to music, and spending time with people we care about. However, any activity that we associate with pleasure can trigger dopamine, and this extends to unhealthy and illicit activities. 

Dopamine deficiency has been associated with a range of physical and mental issues, including muscle cramps, stiffness, weight fluctuations, mood swings, anxiety, difficulty eating, delusions, low sex drive, and more.

The link between dopamine and social media

When we post on social media, the ‘rewards’ can be immediate. Our brain recognises the attention we receive in the form of ‘reacts’, comments, etc as a reward, and releases small amounts of dopamine in response. By rewarding our social media activity in this way, our brain encourages us to repeat that behaviour, and so we continue to seek rewards by posting and interacting on our platforms of choice. 

This is what causes the basis of the behavioural addiction that 5 to 10% of people are believed to suffer from.  

Social media addiction

Addiction to social media looks like any other addiction. It affects your behaviour, decision making, and personal relationships; over time you will need to continually increase your usage to feel the same ‘high’.

When someone starts using social media excessively as a way to cope with perceived problems in their life, it can cause serious issues. The more reward and pleasure that you derive online, the more you are likely to withdraw from ‘real life’.

Human beings are not designed to behave this way. Our brains are not made to receive this constant trickle of dopamine for so little effort. Over time, this can lead to social issues, mood disorders, and sleep disturbances. 

If you have a dependence on social media, you may find that you replace healthy activities and hobbies, like exercise and socialising, with scrolling and screen time. This is incredibly unhealthy.

What can you do about it?

A full digital detox may seem daunting, but it may be exactly what you need. As with any addiction, it may feel impossible to go cold turkey. That is a limiting belief that doesn’t serve you. 

Whatever your reason for over-reliance on social media, you are capable of breaking those habits and freeing yourself. 

Start by turning off notifications, and leaving your phone in a different room during meals. Focus on real social interactions with people in your life. 

Don’t pick your phone up as soon as you wake up in the morning; instead, do some light exercise, and start your day off with a healthy dose of dopamine that you’ve really earned!

Breakthrough

Sometimes, you need some extra help to unpick the limiting beliefs and patterns that keep you tied to old unhelpful behaviour patterns. Breakthrough can help you to remove the barriers that keep you from living a full, happy, and healthy life. 

If you feel that social media addiction is impacting your life, we can help.