The Brain on Social Media
By: Spencer Mister, MSW, LMSW
As a Clinical Social Worker, I see firsthand the impact social media has on our mental health. Teens are constantly comparing themselves to their peers. Established adults make drastic changes to their diets. Seniors fret about the reunion they missed. As we spend more time with our devices, and the constant social media feeds contained within them, we lose sight of what is right in front of us. We lose sight of what is within us.
Every social media platform is designed to drive engagement. The platform learns your preferences and tailors content to keep you scrolling for as long as possible. As the algorithm learns what will keep you engaged, it feeds a part of the brain responsible for the feeling of reward – the dopamine system. While feeling rewarded is necessary to keep us content and motivated in our lives, these short bursts that come from a screen are intense and short-lived. This drives us to keep scrolling, keep engaging, and never feeling fully satisfied. Over time, this pattern becomes a habit and continues on outside of our conscious awareness.
Imagine leaving your home without your phone for the day. How many times do you think you would reach in your pocket or purse and feel a small moment of anxiety when your phone is not there? Now imagine sitting in a waiting room for an hour without a phone, book, or magazine to occupy your attention. Sound scary?
Where is our focus?
We have trained our attention to be fixated on things external to ourselves. The idea of sitting alone with our thoughts and feelings for any extended period of time has become repulsive. To some, this task may sound impossible.
Our thoughts and feelings have evolved to sense and interpret information about the world. Feeling afraid in a dark alley and thinking about what is around the corner is a helpful thought and feeling to have. What about something more complex? Feeling tired and unmotivated all day can mean a lot of things. Perhaps it’s lack of exercise, poor diet, or dissatisfaction with our daily routine. However, without attending to our internal cues, we never get the information our brain is trying to give us. We stay stuck, feeling poorly, and never attending to the problems driving our emotional state. Likely, we turn to Instagram or TikTok for a temporary pick-me-up or sage wisdom on the latest fad that can change our lives.
What can we do instead?
I often recommend putting the phone down. Go sit in a room without distraction for 15 minutes. Let yourself be, think, and feel during that time. It may be uncomfortable. It might even feel liberating. Here’s the key: whatever you experience during that time, let it be. Don’t judge it. Don’t compare it to what you think should be happening. Just gently reacquaint yourself with your thoughts, feelings, and the sense of your body.
A word of caution
Disconnecting and self-reflecting can be a good way to recharge and reconnect. However, some people need extra help. If your thoughts or feelings are too intense, it’s better to work with a professional who can help you process these things in a safe and measured way. At Oakland Psychological Clinic, we have therapists who can help you on your journey towards feeling better. If you’re unsure if you could use some extra help, give us a call. We’re trained to assess your mental health and give you guidance as to what would be the most beneficial.
References:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11804976/