How Social Media Destroys Your Life? | Science behind Addiction | Dhruv Rathee

Summary

This video explores the addictive nature of social media and its effects on the brain, drawing parallels with other addictions like drugs and gambling. The speaker explains how social media taps into our dopamine-driven reward system, offering instant gratification and creating dependency. They also highlight the psychological design behind apps to keep users engaged. Solutions to reduce addiction include limiting access, turning off notifications, or deleting apps. The speaker emphasizes the importance of moderation and offers insights on time management and productivity to break free from such digital addictions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social media addiction is widespread, with an average person touching their phone 2,600 times a day and spending about 7 hours on screens, especially post-pandemic.
• 😀 Social media triggers the dopamine reward system in our brains, causing addictive behavior similar to that of substance abuse like drugs or alcohol.
• 😀 Dopamine, the brain's 'motivation chemical', is responsible for feelings of anticipation and excitement but becomes problematic when it's chronically low due to constant stimulation, leading to a 'dopamine deficit'.
• 😀 The 'Hedonic Treadmill' theory explains that pleasure from rewards, like social media likes or accomplishments, diminishes over time, causing people to seek increasingly more or new stimuli to feel the same happiness.
• 😀 The ease of access and speedy rewards are key factors in addiction. Social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, provide instant gratification, making them highly addictive.
• 😀 Dopamine is not just a pleasure chemical; it plays a central role in motivation and memory. The anticipation of rewards, such as likes or messages, increases dopamine levels and motivates users to engage more.
• 😀 Social media addiction can lead to insecurity, depression, and radicalization. It creates echo chambers where people only see content they agree with, reinforcing extreme views.
• 😀 Social media companies intentionally design apps to be addictive by using psychological tactics like infinite scrolling, notifications, and color schemes to keep users engaged for longer periods.
• 😀 To reduce social media addiction, it's essential to reduce the 'ease of access' and eliminate 'speedy rewards'. This can be done by turning off notifications, deleting apps from phones, or using private browsing modes.
• 😀 Avoiding social media apps entirely or restricting their use can help break the cycle of addiction, as more effort is required to access them, and the temptation of instant rewards is minimized.
• 😀 Although social media can have positive uses, such as for productivity or connection, its addictive nature can be controlled through conscious moderation and mindful usage practices.

Q & A

What is the average screen time for an Indian post-Covid?

On average, Indians now spend 7 hours a day on their screens, particularly engaging with social media, watching videos, or films.

How does social media addiction compare to other types of addiction?

Social media addiction can be compared to addictions like cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and gambling in terms of its neurological effects, particularly the way it manipulates the brain’s dopamine system.

What role does dopamine play in addiction?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with motivation and reward. It is released when the brain anticipates a pleasurable event, like receiving a reward. Over time, constant exposure to the same rewards, like social media notifications, can lead to a chronic dopamine deficit, reducing the brain's ability to experience pleasure.

What is the 'Hedonic Treadmill'?

The 'Hedonic Treadmill' refers to the psychological phenomenon where repeated rewards lose their ability to provide the same level of happiness. This applies to both real-life achievements and addictions, as the brain requires new or greater stimuli to achieve the same feeling of satisfaction.

Why are social media platforms so addictive?

Social media platforms are addictive because they offer ease of access and speedy rewards. Notifications, likes, comments, and endless scrolling provide instant gratification, making users want to engage more and more.

How do social media companies encourage addiction?

Social media companies design their platforms to maximize user engagement. They use features like infinite scrolling, autoplay, and push notifications to continuously provide rewards and keep users on the platform for longer periods of time.

What are some of the negative impacts of social media addiction?

Social media addiction can lead to time wastage, increased anxiety, depression, insecurity, and radicalization. It can also create echo chambers where users are exposed only to viewpoints they agree with, deepening divisions.

How can someone reduce their social media addiction?

To reduce social media addiction, you can make access less convenient by deleting apps, turning off notifications, and using private browsing. These actions help reduce the ease of access and the constant rewards that keep you hooked.

Why is ease of access important in the context of social media addiction?

Ease of access refers to how quickly and easily you can engage with social media. The easier it is to open an app or receive notifications, the more likely you are to become addicted, as the brain anticipates quick rewards.

What are some strategies for overcoming social media addiction?

Some strategies include deleting social media apps from your phone, turning off notifications, using private browsing, and limiting access to social media by adding barriers like requiring a password every time you log in. These methods reduce both ease of access and the frequency of rewards.