Digital dopamine: understanding social media addiction

Virginie Gloor
10 hours ago
2 min read

Why your brain keeps searching for the “next post” again and again.

If you open Instagram or LinkedIn “just for 5 minutes” and suddenly find yourself 40 minutes later watching a stranger organize her fridge… you’re not alone.

This has nothing to do with willpower. It’s about your brain.More precisely, it’s all about dopamine...

What really happens inside your brain

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter — a chemical messenger between your neurons. It’s commonly associated with pleasure, but here’s the twist: it doesn’t reward pleasure — it rewards anticipation.

What your brain loves most isn’t the actual reward... it’s the expectation of it.

Every time you scroll, each new post, each notification is a mini surprise that triggers a dopamine spike. This is known as intermittent reinforcement — the same mechanism used in slot machines. You never know what’s coming next… and that’s exactly what makes it so addictive.

🧬 Fun scientific fact: Neuroscientist Wolfram Schultz at Cambridge found that dopamine peaks not when a reward is received, but when it’s expected. Just like when you open TikTok or Insta “just to see what’s new”.

The “low-cost dopamine” spiral

The problem with social media? It gives us dopamine on demand — fast, cheap, and effortless. One swipe, and your brain is lit up.

But this dopamine is short-lived. It builds nothing. It doesn’t root you in your real life. And worst of all, it desensitizes your brain to more meaningful sources of fulfillment.

So what happens?

You waste time in endless loops of random content.
Your mental energy gets scattered and drained.
You lose sight of your own goals, replaced by someone else’s feed.

🧠FYI: Constant exposure to artificial dopamine (social media, notifications…) messes with your brain’s natural reward system — especially the striatum and nucleus accumbens. You need more and more stimulation to feel… anything...

So, now what?

Taking back control doesn’t mean quitting tech. It means regaining power over your triggers.

Here’s how to start:

🔍 1. Notice your triggersDo you scroll when you’re bored? Avoiding a hard task? Procrastinating? Identifying the real need behind the reflex is the first step.

🧩 2. Create lasting dopamine sources