Addicted: Your Brain on Social Media
Even as I'm writing this, my phone buzzed, and I got distracted. If I were to actually unlock it and become entangled in its realm of complexity, getting back to work would be a whole lot harder. I'm liable to get lost in a million clicks and scrolls, even though I am well aware that each swipe takes me further away from where I want to be. My smartphone is a gadget so brilliant, it has curated an arsenal of tools to lower my self control and continuously coax my engagement.
It is easy to see how such a device has become so addictive. In its bounds exist the keys to my social life. My favourite songs, critical work-emails, flashy reels offering morsels of entertainment. Headlines of random news articles that Google hopes I'll click on. AI generated answers to any odd question I may conjure up. The list goes on.
Despite its plethora of uses, social media seems to be one of the worst offenders for encouraging addictive behaviour online. How does social media influence biochemical processes within our brains to encourage this dependency? As it turns out, the answer is not entirely clear.
Compared to research on addiction to computer gaming and generalized internet usage, few studies have focused primarily on the effects of social media on the brain1,2. Neurobiological studies that examined pathogenesis, or disease development, of internet addiction have discovered numerous changes to brain structure in those who struggle with an addiction1. Gray matter density is decreased in certain areas, such as the prefrontal cortex; these changes are associated with an increase in impulsivity. Several alterations to other regions connected to reward dependence, compulsive cravings, and the desire to repeat sensations have also been found1. Increased metabolism of glucose occurs in multiple of these regions, alongside lower dopamine receptor availability in the striatum, concomitant with more dopamine secretion1.
Increased dopamine also occurs with nicotine addiction2. Nicotine, upon entering the bloodstream, is able to bind to various dopaminergic receptors, allowing for the release of several hormones and neurotransmitters, including dopamine2. This stimulation of the dopamine reward pathway subsequently reinforces a positive neural connection with the activity2, to the effect of: "this is excellent, this should be repeated". Thanks to this connection, the more you engage, the less conscious this habit becomes. Social media addictions are thought to function similarly.
Psychiatric and neurological tests have found similar symptoms in people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and social media2. Notifications cause a substantial, immediate increase in dopamine levels which quickly crashes, forcing the user to continuously seek out that feeling2. Alternatively to the dopamine theory, some studies suggest social media addiction involves the GABA neurotransmitter, which becomes impacted by chemical alterations to the reward circuitry in the brain after long-term phone usage2.
These changes can significantly impact one's emotional state and anxiety levels. According to 2023 statistics, social media users spend an average of ~2.5 hours a day on various platforms3. Social media is used by many as a means of coping with stress and loneliness, finding it provides a sense of community4. Unfortunately, using it often results in deepened feelings of isolation and inadequacy, worsened cognitive function, and reduced attention span4. All of this impacts one's overall mental health.
Nearly 50% (47.5%) of people aged 16-24 reported using social media to speak with family and friends3. Since the advent of social media, our ability to interact with people has improved dramatically. Wherever you are in the world, as long as you have WiFi, you can check your friends' stories, or send a quick DM to see how someone is doing. This is an exceptional tool with the power to strengthen our relationships with others. If users are not careful, it also has the potential to hook you in so deeply that your brain's biochemistry becomes altered.
Interestingly, self-disclosure, or the communication of information about oneself, has been found to activate the same parts of the brain that addictive substances affect2. It is here that research elucidates what is known by us intuitively; that meaningful connection with others is momentous for the human mind. But at what point does this desire for kinship become a hollow compulsion? Since social media has irrevocably altered the playing field of human interaction, it is up to us to pay attention and decide.