While dopamine release is a natural function of the human body, experiencing an overload on a regular basis is not healthy as it causes our bodies to become addicted to the “good feels” it provides. One of the ways our society has become addicted to dopamine is through social media.
Below are a few resources that provide some research on the science of dopamine as well as helpful insight on how we can control this potential addiction.
Addiction to Technology is Ruining Lives (Video) >
Simon Sinek
This is Your Brain on Instagram: Effects of Social Media on the Brain (Article) >
Kelly McSweeney
Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A Battle for Your Time (Article) >
Trevor Haynes (Harvard)
Dopamine in and of itself is not bad, but an imbalance of it is. Content creators go through great lengths and spend billions of dollars to cause become hooked on their content by manipulating your body’s dopamine.
This is why it is vital to ensure our media does not control us but that we take control of our media.