Expert reveals what happens to your brain when you quit social media: "It can allow..."

Social media started off as a way to connect users with new people and a platform to express opinions or post creative content. Over the years it has not just become a part of everyday life, but it's also something that people can't seem to stay away from. Everything feels like a duty, including sharing updates, scrolling constantly, and checking notifications, which also harms productivity and mental health. This has led to an increase in concerns about social media addiction. Leading expert Ana Lembke reveals how staying away from social media now triggers changes the human brain.

Lembke, an addiction expert and the author of 'Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence,' sheds light on the powerful grip social media has on our brains. As reported by Unilad, she explains that something as small as a like on Instagram or Facebook triggers a rush of dopamine, which is the human brain’s feel-good chemical. The catch is that excessive screen time can upset this system's balance, causing a dopamine crash that makes users browse even more to feel better. Lembke advises taking a break, which is ideally four weeks away from social media, but even a little hiatus of a few days may have unforeseen advantages.

She said, "A break from this social media-induced dopamine cycle can allow the brain to reset reward pathways." When your brain adapts to lower dopamine levels, some withdrawal symptoms may occur, including increased anxiety or cravings to get back to social media. However, all these symptoms fade away with time, which simplifies the procedure. Lembke adds that it's critical to establish boundaries to prevent returning to unhealthy behaviors after detoxification. She said, "I recommend creating physical or mental barriers between us and social media, such as not keeping our phones in the bedroom or turning off notifications." She also added, "Healthy sources of dopamine usually come from previous work."

Lembke further explains, "When we engage in activities that require our attention, our brain will release dopamine over time, keeping the overall balance under control." As evidence for her claim, the expert referred to research in which 65 girls between the age group of 10 and 19 reported a notable increase in self-confidence after taking a three-day break from social media. In an experiment with teenage girls, Tomi-Ann Roberts, a psychology professor at the University of Colorado, asked the participants to stay in touch through a WhatsApp group each day, offering mutual support throughout the experiment, as reported by Vijesti.

Sarah Woodruff, co-author of ‘The Social Media Detox,’ spoke about the experiment and said, "We found that the girls had a sense of disconnection and a fear of missing out, but being able to share their experience with others made them feel less alone." To become more aware of how we use social media and whether it is truly improving our lives, she also advised that we pause and look at our social media usage patterns. Ultimately, Lembke also highlights that this problem is common in the contemporary world and impacts everyone, not only those who are struggling with addiction. As reported by NPR, she contends that to restore our mental health, we must all reevaluate how we move through a dopamine-filled world.