The Issue with Cheap Dopamine These Days
Are you curious why its easier to scroll Instagram Reels than sit down with a brainy task like writing a carefully crafted email or reading something more complicated? One of the reasons is that we are constantly creating a chemical in our brain called dopamine (a reward chemical if you will) that makes us feel good when we do certain things. And OF COURSE, we are neurologically wired to want more of this chemical. Social media can lead to large amounts of this chemical to go off making us addicted and compulsively reaching for our device at all times.
One of the current solutions being pursued to combat this major issue right now is a “dopamine detox” where you detach from whatever it is that is giving you this reward in favor of less impulsive habits. Basically….make your brain as bored as possible to bring it back to that baseline state.
Dr. Cameron Sepah is the creator of the dopamine detox and the baseline concept seems to be to let yourself feel loney or bored at times instead of reaching for these quick hits of dopamine. He identifies 6 major behaviors to target specifically:
Recreational drugs
Excessive use of the Internet and Gaming
Gambling and Shopping
Porn & Masturbation
Thrill and Novelty seeking
Emotional Eating
One of the most common behaviors inducing big dopamine surges is Social Media as we all know. Dr. Nancy Deangelis , the Director of Behavioral Health at CRNP, states “social media platforms drive surges of dopamine to the brain to keep consumers coming back over and over again. The shares, likes, and comments on these platforms trigger the brain’s reward center, resulting in a high similar to the one people feel when gambling or using drugs.”
By fasting from these activities, people are less dependent on hits from dopamine which in turn can impact your motivation, ability to put in deep work, stay focused and even impact health (sleep being one facet).
However, a deficiency in dopamine does not mean a complete depletion from the body. The human body can naturally produce dopamine even without exposure to certain stimuli- it is the constant bombardment from the modern stimuli of our environment which is the issue. Something to consider and look into more for yourself…