Not every text, message or image will provide the good your brain is looking for. But we’re wired to work hard for those dopamine rewards and will continue to sift through mediocrity to get there. Sometimes we will even contribute to the reward system ourselves.
So what do phones have to do with dopamine? It turns out that every notification we receive activates dopamine in our brain, sometimes called the “feel-good” hormone. Rather than giving us pleasure per se, as is commonly thought, dopamine motivates us to do things that will give us pleasure.
As the main reward and pleasure neurotransmitter in the brain, it makes us excited, motivated and happy. And here’s the other thing regarding dopamine: it metabolizes rapidly in your brain, leaving you wanting more and more, ASAP. So once the dopamine impact wears off, your brain will do whatever it takes to get that feeling back, as soon as it can.
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While there’s nothing inherently addictive regarding smartphones, the real drivers of our attachments to these devices are the hyper-social environments they provide. Thanks to the likes; smartphones allow us to carry immense social environments in our pockets every moment of our lives.
Compulsive smartphone use also shares much with other behavioral addictions like compulsive gambling. Researchers believe that people who use their phones compulsively may be trying to avoid problems in their lives that seem too complicated to solve.
So one of the first things to consider is whether there is something deeper that is bothering you. Solving the underlying problem might be the key to reducing your anxiety. Consider illuminating the connection between your thoughts, behavior, and emotions to help change some patterns.
You might also consider removing time-consuming apps, changing your settings to eliminate notifications and alerts, setting your screen to grayscale to keep it from waking you up at night, charging your phone somewhere outside of your room and develop hobbies.
Brief relapses, adjustments and withdrawal symptoms are part of a journey towards healthier phone use. Don’t expect to do things right away. Expect a few setbacks and learn from each experience.
Mental health advocate. [email protected]
