Scrolling to our doom?
With the rise of social media, the world is at our fingertips. With one swipe, you can see footage from anywhere, at any time, and for the first time in history, endless amounts of information and entertainment are readily available to us. However, as we all know, one swipe can turn into hours of mindless scrolling before we know it, and with each video, it becomes harder to stop. Why this is the case, and how social media affects the way our brains function, has become an emerging field of research.
Terms like ‘doom scrolling’ and ‘dopamine-scrolling’ are being used to describe the ways in which we consume content online. Users’ claims of losing track of time or finding it hard to quit (which you might very well relate to) may be linked to how the consumption of social media directly targets our brains and the neurotransmitter or “feel-good” hormone dopamine.
Research shows ‘dopamine-scrolling’ operates through reward mechanisms, with each scroll releasing a small amount of dopamine. This is coupled with variable reward schedules – when a reward is received after an unpredictable amount of time. In the context of scrolling, the reward is dopamine. When you scroll and find a post that you like, you receive a boost of dopamine, which brings you a feeling of reward. However, you don’t know when you will find another post that you like, so you keep scrolling until you do (because you are subconsciously looking for another boost of dopamine). More so, this doesn’t just apply to scrolling. Constantly checking notifications, whether that is friends that have posted or new messages, all count as examples of variable reward schedules paired with dopamine release.
As it becomes clear that endless scrolling is closely tied to dopamine release, it is easy to deduce that the lack of one will mean the lack of the other: without the high doses of dopamine induced by scrolling, we begin to expect, and even crave, this reward, exhibiting a behaviour operated by systems also involved in addiction.
The brain and addiction
Drugs of abuse stimulate the dopaminergic mesolimbic pathway, more commonly known as the ‘reward circuit’. There is evidence that all addictions, both drug-related and behavioural, are a result of this common mechanism in the brain. Addiction has been shown to cause dysregulation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the region of the brain responsible for cognitive processes including decision making, planning, and personality expression. As the PFC continues to develop until we are in our mid-20s, and considering how much most of us use social media and have done for many years, there is potential for serious long-term consequences if the addiction is severe.
Large amounts of dopamine in the brain eventually cause decreased sensitivity to it – more dopamine is needed to produce the same effect as before. As a result of this, the things that usually increase our dopamine (things that we enjoy on a daily basis) may no longer be enough to create a normal level of reward. This is what we call tolerance, and it causes us to become reliant on the addictive behaviour to reach that baseline level of reward. The constant need for stimulation manifests in different was, whether it’s looking forward to scrolling in bed instead of being outside, or reaching for your phone in between sets at the gym. We become reliant on this stimulation, and struggle to exist without it.
The echo chamber effect
Part of what makes social media addicting is the algorithms used to personalise our feed. The more we interact with a certain type of content, the more of it we see and the more specific and tailored the algorithm becomes. This limits our experience and access to information, eventually putting us in a position where the only thoughts and opinions we hear are the ones we agree with, known as the echo chamber effect.
The echo chamber is dangerous for several reasons, the biggest being the polarisation that follows it. If we are constantly exposed to one view, we will eventually believe it is correct. The longer this goes on, the stronger and more polarised the view becomes, followed by an inevitable struggle to empathise with and respect other views, and therefore allow them to exist.
Echo chambers are destroying our creativity
Echo chambers are also destroying our creativity. Being constantly exposed to the same content creates a bubble of comfort. As social media continues to expose us to things we already know and like, we are rarely exposed to anything new or different – never mind ever practicing the art of being bored.
With social media still relatively new, the long-term effects of its increased usage are not fully characterised yet. And as much of a powerful tool as it can be (when else in history have we been able to connect with others as much and as frequently?), research into the neurological consequences of its addictive component is not to be undermined.
At an individual level, we ought to be conscious of its use and make active changes to prevent it from damaging our cognition. We need to learn how to use social media in a way that aids our thinking instead of controlling it.
