The Science Behind Why I Hate Social Media (Part 1)

“Your character is built on what you do, not on what you broadcast.”

Although the quote above rings true, social media has us stuck in the cycle of curating and broadcasting moments for the sake of likes, self-image, branding, and at its worst, to bolster self-worth. Almost every week I debate whether or not to delete all of my social media accounts. Why? I’m aware that social media is addictive, it wastes my time, and can leave me feeling not as happy as I was before I logged on. I also realized that my deepest and closest friendships are with friends who are not big on social media. Because of this we actually call each other, schedule time to catch up, and don’t have to worry about one of us obsessively posing for a selfie before we eat our lunch. What I wasn’t aware of, was that my inner hunch was backed by real science that suggest that not only is prolonged social media use not so great for our mental health, it also has a negative effect on the motivation needed to achieve our goals, and building authentic relationships. I’m aware that social media is not all bad, and I myself have benefited to some degree from opportunities that have emerged from social media. However by in large the opportunities that have mattered the most to my career required me to put more time in working hard behind the scenes, rather than scrolling.

Social media can lower our motivation and ability to delay gratification. To begin looking at the potential harmful effects of social media, we have talk about dopamine. Dopamine is a so-called messenger substance or neurotransmitter that conveys signals between neurons. However, serious health problems can arise if too little or too much dopamine is being produced. Dopamine is responsible for our seeking and motivation; we get hits of it as we work towards a goal and a big burst when we actually get what we desire. Cell phone use and the anticipation of texts and likes etc. actually gives us a huge dopamine burst; so over time we may end up feeling less motivated, get depressed, have issues with delayed gratification, not to mention it also can affect the depth of our social relationships. One study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, showed that when there are elevated levels of dopamine in the brain people are more impulsive, and make decisions that seem to benefit them immediately, but may have adverse or diminishing rewards in the future. Why is this important? We are essentially training an entire generation to live for the now, which will have a negative effect on their futures. What’s more rewarding, training daily to get the body you want, or posting a retouched photo that makes you look as if you have the body you want? Our generation chooses the latter more often than the former.

Excessive dopamine stimulation has real cognitive health consequences. When and if someone is depressed, that lack of motivation comes from low dopamine levels. This lack of motivation is also seen in Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia and more. Because dopamine neurons are integral to helping us remember things short term, with low dopamine we may end up being very forgetful. The addiction response is also tied to dopamine release, and unfortunately it causes a seeking for pleasure that needs more and more stimulation to satisfy. Getting rid of some common stimulants that elevate dopamine such as: sugar, alcohol, cocaine, caffeine, marijuana, and addictive behavior such as social media will help us begin to increase our levels naturally. High intensity exercise also naturally increases dopamine. What I find most disturbing about this is that it points to a re-wiring of our brains over time! When I researched the Parkinson’s – dopamine connection, I also wondered, what happens to the brains of an entire generation when they get much older? Are we going to see bloggers and influencers with higher levels of cognitive decline? Scary to think about, but there’s more…

Social media addiction increases GABA levels in the brain. In one study that focused on the  brains of smartphone and internet-addicted teenagers, the researchers performed MRS exams to measure the levels of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid)  and Glx (glutamate-glutamine) before and after smart phone use. GAMA is a neurotransmitter in the brain that slows down brain signals and is involved in vision control, motor control, and the regulation of anxiety, and Glx causes neurons to be more excited. Too much GABA can also cause drowsiness and increase anxiety levels. What they found was that in the teenagers with smartphone addiction the ratio of GABA to Glx was significantly increased compared to normal teenagers without the addiction. Here’s the part that gets worrisome: “Dr. Seo [ the researcher behind the study]  believes that increased GABA in internet and smartphone addiction may be related to the functional loss of integration and regulation of processing in the cognitive and emotional neural network,” [4].  Wait a minute…so my my addiction to Instagram or Facebook could lead to diminished brain processing or some sort of glitch in my daily emotional response or mood? Yep. By the way the kids in the study did recover, but only after cognitive behavioral therapy.

I could go on, but I think the points above give a lot to think about. The more I researched the more I was determined to find a way to drastically reduce the time and energy I spend on social media. In my followup up post, I’ll give you some real tips that work to ensure you aren’t spending all your dopamine on your insta-feed, and you have enough motivation left to chase your wildest dreams. -XO Raw Girl

References:

1. Asociación RUVID. (2013, January 10). Dopamine regulates the motivation to act, study shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 22, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130110094415.htm
2. Caldiroli A, Serati M, Buoli M. Is Internet Addiction a Clinical Symptom or a
   Psychiatric Disorder? A Comparison With Bipolar Disorder. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2018
   Jul 19. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000861. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID:
   30028359.
3. Medical University of Vienna. (2016, August 31). Dopamine: Far more than just the ‘happy hormone’. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 22, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/08/160831085320.htm
4. Radiological Society of North America. (2017, November 30). Smartphone addiction creates imbalance in brain, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 22, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171130090041.htm
5. Wellcome Trust. (2010, June 30). Impulsive, weak-willed or just too much dopamine? Brain study highlights role of dopamine in impulsive behavior. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 22, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629170922.htm