Welcome back or for the first time; I appreciate your time.
To get the most out of my writing, you should read carefully and ask yourself if you agree or disagree, and whether or not you’re going to take action based on what you will be reading.
I hope you’ll give yourself the chance to improve!
According to various websites, we spend an average of 2-3 hours a day on social media. That is approximately 1 to 1.5 months per year non-stop! While social media is undoubtedly a great way to connect with other people, there is a massive addictive factor hidden in it. Just ask yourself how much time you spend socializing with friends or family compared to how much time is used to consume entertaining content.
I can certainly say that those numbers are probably true (at least they have been for me), and if I’m honest, most of the time wasn’t spent on useful or productive activities. It was just a way to keep myself busy and provide my mind with the chemicals it craves.
The Problem with Dopamine and Social Media
“Dopamine is the reason for the good feeling we get when we find something we’re looking for or when we complete a task. It is responsible for the feeling of satisfaction after finishing an important task, completing a project, reaching a goal, or even reaching a milestone on our way to a bigger goal” (Simon Sinek in his book: “Leaders Eat Last”).
Now, that doesn’t sound too bad, right? Dopamine is actually a good thing because it keeps us on track to achieve our goals and rewards us with a sense of accomplishment when we reach them.
In 2021, I ran my first official marathon. Regardless of how well you prepare and how fit you are, a marathon presents various challenges. I truly felt how dopamine influences our bodies and enables us to push ourselves beyond what we think we can do. The first 21 kilometers were quite good, but I already sensed that the second part would be tough, especially at the pace I had set for myself. At around the 30-kilometer mark, I thought I was done. The pace dropped significantly, and I had to walk now and then. However, I kept moving, receiving dopamine just from thinking about what it would feel like in the end. With every step, every meter, every kilometer, I came closer to my goal, and I gradually started to feel better again, even though I had been running for 3 hours already. It’s the dopamine from hard work and progress toward a goal that keeps us going. When I finally crossed the finish line, I was completely exhausted, but I had never been prouder of myself. That’s how powerful dopamine is!
Unfortunately, there is a way that social media hijacks this system and uses this powerful chemical in a completely different way. The shares, likes, comments, and every other notification trigger our brain’s reward system and give us a dopamine high similar to the feeling people get from gambling or using drugs. While that feeling isn’t as long-lasting or as strong as completing a marathon, it keeps our brains satisfied, and it’s much easier to get dopamine from our phones than from running a marathon.
Most people would agree that gambling or drugs are harmful not only to your overall health but also to your mental health. While social media doesn’t harm your body as much as taking drugs does, there is a similar addictive reaction in the brain that shouldn’t be ignored, in my opinion.
How Deleting Instagram Affected My Brain
Two weeks ago, I deleted Instagram and reduced my YouTube consumption to productive content because I noticed I was spending too much time on social media (for me, it was mostly Instagram and YouTube). What I have experienced since then has been truly amazing.
But let’s start with the negative side first. I have been (or maybe still am) addicted to social media, a realization that only truly struck me once I deleted it. The first few days were quite hard because, as with any other addiction, our brains are wired to seek the high that, in my case, social media provided. So, I found myself opening apps like WhatsApp or checking the news more frequently because I was looking for something new, a new message to keep me entertained.
The good news, however, is that our brains are truly amazing. Once I got past the initial days, I noticed that my brain was more active than I had ever experienced before. I experienced things more intensely because I could focus on them. I had more ideas than before. It was actually quite difficult to turn it off and not think about anything.
But perhaps the most important part is that my mind started to use dopamine in the way it was meant to be used. I felt motivated to work on my dreams and make progress toward them. Suddenly, there was a new motivation and a new drive to take action instead of just consuming content to occupy my mind.
I started to meditate, journal, write this blog, work out with intention, read more, and consume more knowledge than before. Because there was less dopamine in my brain, I felt the small dopamine rewards from completing something or making progress toward a goal more intensely than before.
It feels so much better than passively receiving dopamine through social media!
Before, I was mostly passively watching other people and following their actions, but I didn’t take much action myself to progress toward my goals. However, when there is no one to watch and follow, you, by default, become the main character in your life and start working on yourself.
And the best part is that you don’t have to become a master at something or achieve your life-long goal in a week. The feeling you get from making progress toward your goal is more than enough to keep you going.
If you're thinking about deleting social media or reducing your usage, I encourage you to do it for a day, a week, or more and truly experience and reflect on the changes in your way of thinking and your life.
My greatest wish is for you to start creating the life you want, but only you can take action toward that!
But for now, I hope you’ll have an amazing week.
Jonas