Social media dopamine reddit I try to delete the apps during the week. I doubt social media really spikes your dopamine that high - I’m guessing it just consumes it at a moderate rate but over a longer period of time. I struggled with gaming & social media addiction as well. It tries using its current digital environment to stimulate dopamine in the same way. i'm resetting my habits and reducing dopamine overload. By changing those behaviors e. Do you mean dopaminergic drug addiction? You can't be addicted to dopamine, part of addiction involves dopamine dysfunction that usually arises from illness, environmental pollution, or most commonly, drug abuse. I don't think either perspective are mutually exclusive - its just that Huberman is focusing on how symptoms of behavior manifest neurochemically whereas the other video is looking more at the societal causes. I have a tiktok, reddit, twitter, and instagram account. I’ll try to make the post as short as possible. now here comes the humility part. While social media is vastly more complex, I don't think it's a surprise that we're replicating a lot of the same language we've used to talk about video games in the past to talk about social media today. Social media gives you dopamine hits. your dopamine receptors are almost certainly downregulated. Breaking those muscle memory habits can help (at least at the start) to stop you in your tracks. ONLY when I deleted social media did I realize most of the subjects I was drawing was purely for validation because I knew what my followers wanted and liked. The answer is no. As a reminder, here are the rules of my dopamine fast: 1) No social media. You need to "dopamine detox" in that you need to do a lot fewer high dopamine activities that are endless. I've deleted all social media from my phone the past week. Zoom fatigue aside, I keep craving a dopamine rush whenever I start a task that requires deep focus. I am not glued to email or my phone for any reason but addiction. i was a heavily social media and smartphone addict, like have my phone out is like as natural as blinking (because i feel it give me comfort from outer world), and then at that time i was have my period of lowest depression (i have manic depressive disorder) and i dont even have any energy to do anything even playing my phone, just sleeping or I’m super addicted to social media, nothing feels as rewarding and dopamine-inducing as scrolling through social media. It's an oversimplification, but the benefits are real and verifiable. ive had enough and am ready to reclaim control of my time and stop squandering over three hours each day on distractions. I chose a staggered approach and eliminated the ones I used least first. Music is just auditory stimulation. Those who know science can use dopamine for their own purposes. I used to go to FB groups for advice. We have more experience navigating and managing our relationships with it than we do social media. they literally they us this like once a year. I think there are a lot of benefits to silence, as you may find on a meditation retreat, but music is definitely not on the same level as social media or phone addiction. I used to be very active on social media but now I have deleted every app except Reddit (although I lately find myself getting addicted to Reddit too lol). I convinced myself I liked it, too. So you take away the sources of this dopamine spike by deleting social media but unfortunately, your brain is still craving these quick dopamine surges, so it seeks it elsewhere. Also, try setting specific times for checking your feeds. Dec 1, 2024 路 Have you tried quitting social media cold turkey multiple times and it didn’t work? Then this post is for you. it doesn’t happen just because social media is so awesome, it can be but it’s the intention of the companies to sell our attention for money/profit. I overdid it. Deleting Social media was the best thing I’ve ever done, of course Reddit is a social media but I try to use it in helpful ways like asking question and searching answers to problems I have. When someone reads "Dopamine Detox", they will conclude Dopamine addiction is not a thing. This controlled exposure can help you stay connected without it overwhelming your life. Stay strong brothers and sisters!! Title says it all. I am currently on dopamine detox, i've disable all my social media , restricted my screen time to 1hr ,no short content , no PMO, started meditation and workout. I am currently in college and i need to interact with the internet but my attention span os awful. Awareness is the first step towards change. I’m only allowed to use social media for business and content creation purposes; I cannot use it for entertainment. If it were easy, everyone would do it. Once I told myself, “You can do whatever you want, as long as it’s one of (list of things beneficial to your life like reading, exercising, friend/family time)”, I overcame my impulsivity towards high dopamine producing-unhealthy activities. It's pretty interesting that you'd mention manipulation because that's a central issue that The Social Dilemma explores. Learn a song, paint a picture, reorganize your house, read a book, knit a hat, write a story, go for a hike, etc. And since our brains naturally want more of what makes us feel good (not just once but over and over again), we often find ourselves stuck at things that we don’t because the dopamine from social media isn’t exactly neutral, social media apps want you to actually be addicted. When I'd normally be on social media, I'm now learning 2 languages - naturally my ADHD brain won't let me do just one. find a tool that adds friction to opening your apps (I use superhappy ai, it makes me chat with an ai before I can open Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the motivation and reward pathways. No social media, no TV, no video games, no junk food, no music etc. It's like giving yourself a 'social media appointment' instead of constantly scrolling. All addiction recovery processes require discipline and strength to endure withdrawal symptoms. This can help reduce the habit of random checks. Anyway, when it comes to social media, video games, porn etc. Aug 22, 2024 路 Explore how social media triggers dopamine release, its effects on behavior, and strategies to manage your screen time effectively. My wife came to me and said she wants us to delete our facebooks and for me to stop playing games. Sepah and get real information on this topic far away from nutjobs like Huberman. (mind you it would be like 4 days backpacking, 1 day back with social media, then repeat), so maybe just need uninterrupted time. **Substitute with Positive Digital Content**: Replace some social media time with educational content (but be careful that it's not just edutainment) No social media. I'm lucky I had a big social circle and was regularly pulled into nature through scout activities, but over the years I have definitely developed lots of bad habits and a social media You can try to find bigger satisfaction from new hobbies or crafts. The only real pseudoscience involved is the idea that you can fast from dopamine. I have tried so many times to delete it but I just end up reinstalling, and I also don't want to miss out on things my peers are seeing. The anonymity of Reddit stops it from being social, which allows us to make it more informational. Don’t be so hard on yourself, and even more if you watch content you enjoy, just try to set some rules to not be trapped into the loop. im tired of spending over three hours each day on things that add little value to my life. Stay away from what you use to bombard yourself with dopamine, and go for more long-form, educational content. I’ll probably get social media like Facebook to only stay in touch with old family and not have the app on my phone. the stakes aren’t the same But because the dopamine system/reward system is stimulated by many things that were supposed to bring us survival advantage but also were linked to hard work - social interactions (in real life), food (that we were "hunting for"), getting other types of rewards - and the system was "hacked" with "easy pleasures" - and no hard work - these 1. Start by simply being aware of how much time you're spending on social media. Jan 9, 2025 路 Right now, if you have indulged for a long time on doom scrolling, unhealthy food, social media, video gaming, etc. Let’s say you open Instagram, see a post stimulating your brain, and get a dopamine hit. My problem is that I over do short term pleasure activities like watching social media, scrolling all day then hopping on youtube or just watching football games on TV. Reading is already quite different from 3D activities because you are staring at a flat surface and rehydrating the pictures. I think this is autism related and I don't have an ADHD diagnosis. There are a lot of instructional videos that are around 30 minutes, and it should be very difficult to pull dopamine from those. the dopamine increase depends on the user - which is different from doing substances that are inherently addictive and effect the brain directly (like drugs). Satisfaction. - strated removing social media apps from my phone a few weeks ago - started detoxing 3 days ago My advice to you is, just do it. This combined with the lack of stopping cues in social media presents as someone who can’t “focus” or “break away” to do important tasks. The ideas that come from audio books combined with the acts of walking are probably a 1+1=3 , at least it is for me. ): All of a sudden, studying, exercising, and doing things I usually consider a pain in the ass, become much more appealing to me, and I actually become somewhat interested in them. I will be having a few amazing days of enjoying my hobbies and engaging with my interests and then think to myself, "Wow! I've fixed myself! I can redownload social media; it will be different this time!" Plot twist I just interviewed Andrew Huberman on why you shouldn't rely on stimulants (like nicotine) when lacking motivation, the dangers of spiking dopamine without effort, his workout & supplement routines, using NSDR to boost dopamine, and how he handles social media backlash. Yes. Hmm not sure this would be enough for me. After that, you get a low and experience cravings. Start with a Dopamine Detox, then maintain a Dopamine Fast. It’s a part of your brain’s reward system, meaning it helps you feel good when you do something enjoyable. Only problem is, every website you use sends cookies and your activity to Facebook. This ties together both points, on social media it’s anticipating something (highlight, funny, interesting, etc) which is reinforced through dopamine. Try to limit the amount of “cheap” dopamine you get in the first half of the day. Or pick up chess. When I quit social media I turned to Reddit. I've done extensive travel backpacking with very limited social media and it wasn't enough. I don't think social media would've exploded like it did if it wasn't for that missing feeling hardwired in us. I took a step back and realized that I have a severe social media addiction. but also don't completely lock away your apps. This is our first step to achieve the focus we deserve on our road to success. Huberman Lab Episode on Dopamine could be helpful. The whole idea is replacing bad dopamine-releasing habits (video games, porn, drugs, etc) with good dopamine-releasing habits (reading, exercise, real social interactions, etc). If you’re using iOS/Mac you could use screen time to set a reminder, or if you want to be more radical block the use of the website until the pwd is entered (for this case the best is for a few people of your trust to hold the pwd) Sometimes we scroll through social media because we want to feel close to friends. I am pretty sure that social media, including Reddit, exacerbates my ADHD and has reduced me to a barely functional adult 53yo person. Seems like social media is consuming me. don't just download an eBook and hope and pray that you'll make the right decision. I've been doing the same lately. Children raised with ipads and smartphones who browse tailored content that has been designed to get them addicted to viewing it will suffer the most from this. I can’t allow myself to be bored anymore the moment the thoughts start forming I immediately reach for my phone. Halfway through September I came back to Snapchat, instagram, and TikTok because I went to college. I keep itching for some fun excitement that I might get from checking social media, chatting friends, or eating a sweet dessert, and not something I get from watching an hour-long technical lecture. Ive attempted to detox from social media before and it’s not something I’ve been able to consistently finish. I also don't feel bad about scrolling social media a lot. Social Media and Dopamine: When you use social media your brain releases dopamine. I thought if I would commit to no social media for the day, I might as well commit to the whole nine yards. Oct 29, 2021 路 Stanford psychiatrist Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation, explains our brain chemistry's role in modern society's addiction to social media. Hobbies are impossible for me with social media apps installed. I suggest you take a look into the father of "dopamine detox" Dr. I think the issue with social media and video games is that it’s an endless stream of novel stuff, so your brain just wants more and over several hours you are depleting dopamine that could be I’m 15 and I’m a football fan. The downside to dopamine, though, is clear: it can also generate undesirable addictions and cravings. It’s balanced, and way less draconian than many southern red states approaches to things. Whenever I delete my apps for a few days, this feeling goes away. For example, you could allow yourself to watch one 30 minute documentary during your meals. ive made the decision to quit instagram and other reel-type social media for the next 30 days. I draw, too, and I deleted my social media, too. and detoxify from the digital clutter and Hello, we are H&B team. Basically, your reward center decides when to release dopamine by the things that are biologically "good" such as good and sex, and also from environmental training, like social media, porn, tv, praise and validation. Add the double whammy of not liking staples of the tiktok genre seemingly like the music on videos for no reason and that infuriating text to speech shit, and I actively hate almost every single one I've ever seen or been sent by friends. On apps like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, you can literally doomscroll for hours on end until you feel your dopamine receptors have finally had enough. Limit yourself to only a few hours of screen time a day, only if you do your homework, it's imperative that someone holds you accountable to be productive The same things we’re saying about social media are similar things said in the past about radio, TV, the computer, etc. Some examples of high dopamine behaviors include: scrolling through social media websites, playing video games, watching internet pornography, etc. I was successful. This includes YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Discord, etc. It's all of these former social media engineers, execs, ethicists, and experts speaking out about how they inadvertently unleashed AI algorithms that have taught themselves how to hijack our minds and thoughts and even actions, and how that technology has allowed for People are absolutely addicted to using their phones all day, every day, doing nothing but mindless browsing of social media, reddit, youtube, and other easy-access dopamine fixes. It doesn't attempt to meet the same needs as social media or a multi-function phone or game. . per my phone statistics, i spend approx 16 hours on these social media apps 馃檪 it's gotten to the point where i could be listening to a youtube video on my laptop while simultaneously scrolling through my The problem is that social media can be an addictive problem for people which can lead to dopamine sensitivity which lowers the baseline production of dopamine like in most other addictions. This also goes some way to explain depression and anxiety amongst addicts, normal dopamine levels of a user require way more dopamine to reach that feel good zone which their abuse of drugs or alcohol (or anything really) does reach! If the dopamine hit isnt huge, why might social media still pose a serious addiction threat? So, I've decided to do a cold turkey dopamine detox. Idk, I find it curious how ubiquitous it has become as I am inherently uninsterested in extremely short form content like that. Going through a divorce and have been using social media to deal. At the beginning of 2023 I got off of social media for 9 months. We are college students wanting to help our society to tackle the problem of social media over use. We will give out a step by step, informative guide on how to conquer our compulsion in just weeks. The problem was starting at high-school, Internet sites became more designed to be addictive, I played games just for the sake of playing them. Cortisol comes largely from the comparison and argumentative aspects. ive had enough and am ready to reclaim control of my time. Rhonda Patrick here. They're addictive and extremely time consuming, I can lose hours a day mindlessly scrolling through reddit on pc, instagram on my phone, and sometimes both at the same time. I feel like even social media is more like "tribe splenda", though, artifical sweetener. I’ve worked in media and technology for most of my career but currently have a non-online job. In case you don’t know what dopamine detoxes are, they’re just two weeks where you don’t allow yourself any easy dopamine sources like Netflix/tv, YouTube, video games, junk food, social media, drugs (aside from prescribed). Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing. made the decision to quit Instagram and other addictive social media for the next 30 days. I spend far too much time per day on social media because of the rush of dopamine I get when seeing a new notification. But I have cut down almost half of my previous consumption. I love solving "problems/puzzles"; it's a key part of my ADHD, gives me a huge dopamine rush. This is a support group to help with impulsive behaviour towards Eating, Gaming, Gambling, Thrill, and Tech. I have done a dopamine detox, i have definitely reduced my screen time these past few months. I can’t simply go cold Turkey on social media; it’s never completely worked in the past and i always end up reinstalling. 24 or 48 hours will not reset your brain just because you stared at a wall. The social media dopamine cycle becomes muscle memory (sometimes I've been doing it for 10 minutes or more before I realise what I'm doing and haven't taken a thing in!). I'd recommend checking out Burt's "structural holes", studying how information is communicated within networks, and then thinking about how the nature of social media mediates or moderates those exchanges -> the impact on social structure, power, authority, and so on. I’m not sure why but my mental health has improved a lot since I stopped using social media, I feel like I have so much more time to do things that I love. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which helps with motivation, but is also used to measure the addictive potential of any behaviors or drugs. Jan 14, 2025 路 That first hour in the morning is critical. 0 . Reddit is a good example. Don’t use Tiktok, Facebook, Twitter, Snap, etc. I got called a xenophobe on Twitter for pointing this out. There's a bunch of stuff that comes up from "dopamine scrolling" but I would take all of it with a grain of salt and consider who's writing it and whether they're trying to sell you something. I use my phone on average 6 hours a day, and all I do is browse/watch/scroll on Youtube, Reddit, Netflix, and Instagram. I’ve literally seen no one mention “fasting” from social interactions, food, exercise, etc. I need to feel at my absolute best in 24 hours from now for a presentation at work to the CFO that I was just notified about What would you recommend I do. There are tons of studies on intentional boredom and the positive effects. The Reddit interface makes things far more mentally healthy for someone like me. I’ve pretty much completely quit most social media-I allow myself 5 minutes of Instagram a day on my laptop, and moderate it using the “Stayfocusd” extension and adhere to it very strictly. I went to bed last night and decided I wouldn't look at my phone first thing in the morning. Sold my little condo, got a puppy, relocated to spend some time with elderly parents, planted a garden, spent little to no time on social media these days. Tell someone you want to stop gaming and social media and ask them to hold you accountable. You are just avoid a pleasure trigger. I have been trying to stay away from the above-mentioned things and focus on my work, but there are times when my brain is just exhausted from work and I need a break and eventually end up installing Instagram or watching porno. This would be things like social media - tv - procrastination- your typical bad habits From digital detoxes to the fad of “dopamine fasting”, it appears fashionable to abstain from digital media. you'll just get pissed off. I can show scientifically that cutting videogames, social media, etc improves focus. Its really helping me to improve my focus levels and my ability to study for more long hours (i am engg. My dopamine has been on the high level the past two weeks particularly past week so it does feel somewhat burnt out. However, there IS data supporting the idea that anticipation increases the pleasure you get from a reward. this detox is my first step toward a life where I prioritize real, meaningful experiences over digital noise. I agreed. Help! Hopefully more states follow Utahs lead with the Utah Social Media Regulation Act starting March 1st. Chronic abuse of some "hard" drugs can burn out dopamine receptors, but a few weeks of abstention from social media isn't going to regrow your synapses. It straight up is. There are many solutions here, like taking a walk outside, drinking water, cleaning up, or doing a Only by technicality. on the flip side, make it hard as hell to open social media. Force yourself to do 30 minutes of whatever you consider to be your hardest task for the day. **Scheduled Social Media Time**: Instead of quitting cold turkey, allocate specific times for social media. Do you have any recommendations for other apps that teach/help you & give that dopamine kick? I have tried doing the dopamine detox but I get very fidgety and irritable when I don’t have anything to constantly scroll through. To tackle this challenge, there are two key ideas you need to understand. Nov 30, 2022 路 The study investigates what dopamine is and the symptoms of fluctuating dopamine to establish whether Generation Z's increased use of social media has affected their dopamine levels. If someone does methamphetamine it can go up between 10x-100x. grad student)have been improved . THAT WILL NOT WORK. You could even look at how the technology itself affects these things. You scroll down. I believe (I choose that word specifically) that audiobooks - especially combined with walking outside- are so very much more valuable that social media scrolling. -After an extended period of time goes by being deprived of my usual gluttonous meal of cheap dopamine (social media, porn, video games, etc. Or check it out in the app stores TOPICS social media tweaks for dopamine 2. excessive social media The other half was to take on a series of habits with massive benefit long-term. The one thing holding me back from being 99% efficient is social media use. not spending all your free time glued to your social media feed your dopamine levels naturally rise. Now we've become more independent and isolated from each other and feel like something's missing. These are: learning/reading: learning self improvement topics and/or Games art/programming Meditation Gratitude journaling Meal Prepping Walks Posture + Hygiene routine before 7 days ago. Reading is not as rewarding anymore so it makes it hard to focus. People have been spoon fed so much BS by the woke global media they cannot even admit they are slaves to the globalists. In one of the few experimental studies in the field, researchers have found that quitting social media for up to four weeks does nothing to improve our well-being or quality of life. i will not Top reasons for my ADHD brain being stuck on social media: Dopamine-seeking (solution: shop from my “healthy dopamine list” for something that catches my attention and hyperfocus on that instead of my phone) Burrowing to avoid difficult emotions (solution: find a safe place/person to express and process the emotions) Yes it is beneficial to avoid social media if you spend too much time there, but this doesnt mean you detox your dopamine levels. I see a lot of Reddit posts from users that try to quit caffeine, sugar, porn, social media, Netflix, artificial sweeteners all at once because you've seen this Dopamine Detox trend. Not cutting out any dopamine related activity, as that’s ridiculous. The more time you spend worrying and researching is time you could be spending actually doing something! Understanding Dopamine: Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that plays a big role in feelings of pleasure and happiness. Social media is high reward and 0 effort, which kinda breaks the circuitry. I would say that it doesn't just seem. Dopamine shows up in multiple neural pathways but the relevant one seems to be the reward pathways. Feb 10, 2024 路 However, the activation of Dopamine-based reward pathways doesn’t tell the whole story of why social media is so addictive; reward prediction errors and variable reward schedules are what really For me like if social media is that distracting to you and you're spending 10 hours a day on your phone, and it's starting to affect your grades and your mental health then that's a problem. We anticipate some sort of reward with each one of those behaviors. Try to abstain checking your phone first thing in the morning, it primes your brain for distraction. This is completely different from the other apps that just suck your brain away. I left all social media coming up on 18 months now. I just interviewed Andrew Huberman on why you shouldn't rely on stimulants (like nicotine) when lacking motivation, the dangers of spiking dopamine without effort, his workout & supplement routines, using NSDR to boost dopamine, and how he handles social media backlash. But now I’m realizing that I’m using it exactly how I did before— to escape. A solution to this would be to call or text a friend to hang out, or to call a family member to catch up. Just look at how social media is designed. at all; my only form of current social media is Reddit. I am very addicted to music, social media, masturbation and overall instant gratification. Distraction-Dopamine-Disruption: Our inclination to being distracted also comes down to neurobiology. g. Dopamine detox is a cool 24 hour or 48 hour challenge you can do. this, I still need my memes. I deleted TikTok and instagram again but kept Snapchat to talk to family. But I agree, you can definitely personalize social media to act the way you intend. If you expose your brain to dopamine hits in that time period, you will kill your motivation and energy for the day and that's why you end up doom scrolling all day long. Sometimes we scroll social media because we feel anxious. Good thing about reddit (and other social medias to some extent) is you can curate what you are looking at. Not counting anti-social media i. For me, one way I’ve been able to minimize my time on reddit while also feeling like I’m getting value is reduce the amount of videos in your feed. These projects consume me, remove my urge to check social media and boost my self-esteem when completed. I don't know how to mitigate this. Get the Reddit app Scan this QR code to download the app now. I found I got caught in a loop of scrolling through junk. So apparently Social Anxiety is thought to be best treated by raising Dopamine, as well as GABA, the former being the reason MAOIs like Nardil are so considered good for the condition, and the latter why Benzos and Alcohol work well. our brains with unnaturally high amounts of dopamine on a daily basis, even if we don't know it. I set aside time at work to work on problems which may yield "interesting" results. Uninstalled all games from phone and Chromebook. e. They run ads and in some cases follow pages for you. Up to ONE HUNDRED times more dopamine with meth. See the Required Reading for more. I think one of the issues with social media is social comparison and judgement. As you accomplish this you will experience natural dopamine. Suggest me some alternative source of dopamine other than social media and pornography. Gaming is more mature as a medium. Shit's toxic, so happy I got Facebook out of my life years ago. Social media takes reading to the next level by also having you rehydrate social experiences without another actual human being present. I realized I was drawing mostly for validation and the attention of strangers online. I use to be able to play chess for hours but i tried picking it up again The problem with dopamine is that it gets us hooked on things that give us short-term gratification but not much else: cookies, alcohol and social media are all high in dopamine. Beforehand, I was Welcome to Dopamine Detoxing, by Andrew Kirby. I went as far as deleting all social media, (don’t consider Reddit social media). Reddit is such a quick dopamine fix it's now harder to enjoy more engaging things longer. I am trying to get dopamine form hardwork. That's insane. So while I don't think that "Dopamine Detox" is a valid scientific term, it still frames (in the reader's mind) critical goals for addiction therapy- which is recovering dopamine sensitivity to behaviors that are outside of the addict's addiction of choice (in this case, social media). cplhbrx weqs lbspqmi evvbonh naj qtjlw zxor hvigxg fbiok luu vycq xxvjz yhrzncdo ynrfvwa wykabh