This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Alayna Thomas. Find her on Instagram at @ratatoolie. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Whenever I tell myself that I will only scroll on TikTok, Instagram, or X for a couple of minutes, it ends up being much more than that. I can’t help it though. My timelines go on forever; once I finish scrolling through posts from people I follow, I get a whole slew of suggested posts. It’s like I get trapped, which is super unhelpful when I have things to do.
I know I’m not alone in my quest to control my scrolling. Many people over on TikTok also realized that they had an addiction to scrolling and wanted a remedy. In true TikTok fashion, a catchy yet somewhat smart-sounding name was invented for this process of purifying yourself of social media addiction. They call it ‘dopamine detoxing’. If you’re wondering how to dopamine detox or what that entails, you’ve come to the right place.
What is a Dopamine Detox?
A dopamine detox refers to the process of getting yourself used to not being instantly gratified. Many who partake in a dopamine detox also stress the importance of reconnecting with their surroundings and being unplugged.
Those who are addicted to instant gratification and stay glued to their devices all day partake in what is known as ‘dopamine farming’. When you dopamine farm, you are looking to get the quickest satisfaction possible. You scroll on your phone while also watching Netflix. You make an impulsive purchase while online shopping without really thinking about it. Anything that will overstimulate you or gives you instant satisfaction, according to TikTokers, can overwhelm your dopamine receptors and make them sensitive.
Are My Dopamine Receptors Overstimulated?
Probably not. In fact, we should look at what dopamine is and how it affects your brain.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter chemical that is part of the brain’s ‘reward’ system. When you do an activity that makes you feel good, dopamine is released. This can be anything from exercising, eating a good meal, scrolling social media, or gambling.
When you start to want to feel more of that dopamine ‘reward’, that’s when you teeter into addiction territory. Addiction itself is a condition that is undergoing a ton of research, as scientists are not completely sure what makes some people more susceptible than others. However, dopamine may play a part in it.
Additionally, more research is being done on addictions that are non-drug related, such as gambling, shopping, video games, pornography, and yes, social media. So, if you find yourself scrolling on Instagram a tad too much, it might be good to take a break.
But, this does not mean that your dopamine receptors themselves are tired or sensitive. They shouldn’t be tired of receiving dopamine; that’s their job.
Abnormal levels of dopamine, such as too much or too little, may also play a part in conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, or ADHD. If you truly feel as if you have a problem with your social media usage or believe your usage is linked to another mental health issue, it’s best to contact a health professional.
Is it Necessary to Dopamine Detox?
It’s not necessary to do one. There are no major studies that are supporting the supposed health benefits of dopamine detoxing. However, if you believe that you spend too much time engaging in unhealthy habits and would like to feel more grounded, doing something like a dopamine detox might be beneficial. In addition, incorporating the best brain supplements for balancing dopamine levels can effectively improve your mood, focus, and overall cognitive function.
What Are the Benefits of Doing One?
The purported benefits are less sensitive dopamine receptors, or the feeling that they have reset. But, we debunked this earlier as not true.
Still, lowering your social media usage can still have benefits. For one, you might have better concentration on longer tasks such as watching a movie or reading a book. When you scroll through social media or hop from app to app, you are priming yourself to enjoy low effort, high stimulation activities. You may also find it more enjoyable to do longer, simple activities after doing a dopamine detox.
Another benefit is building up willpower and discipline. By resisting the urge to constantly scroll, you are strengthening your self-control and this can translate to other areas in life. You may realize that you can pass on eating that extra cookie, or think twice before clicking the checkout button while online shopping. This will make it easier for you to adopt a long-term goal!
You may also see an improvement in your mood and sleep. Social media can contribute to FOMO, perpetuate certain beauty standards, and let’s not get started on the dreaded doomscroll. When limiting social media, you also limit your intake of negative and harmful content. This can lead to heightened mood and better self perception. Furthermore, screens emit blue light, which can negatively impact your sleep. When you don’t sleep well, your mood is down.
Lastly, the best benefit can be a general sense of accomplishment! By setting a goal and sticking to it, you feel better about yourself overall.
How To Dopamine Detox
It’s fairly simple to dopamine detox; all you need to do is limit activities that give you instant gratification. Although this has mostly been applied to social media usage, I have seen people trying to dopamine detox from vaping or listening to music.
Yet, there are still some actions you can take to make this a detox with meaning.
First, ask yourself why you want to do a dopamine detox. Do you want to improve your self discipline? Are there other goals you want to achieve but endless scrolling is in the way? Do you want to be more connected and grounded in the world? Identify what your end goal is.
Next is to set a timeframe for your detox. You can decide to detox for one hour, one day, one week, or one month. Decide on something that is tangible for you. If you know you can’t quit cold turkey and go one month without Instagram, try a shorter duration.
Now, replace activities such as scrolling and vaping with other activities that are not as instantly gratifying. Instead of watching TikTok before bed, read a book or do a crossword puzzle. When you feel stressed and want a hit of your vape, turn to journaling. Other activities to do while in this detox can be working out, going for a walk, meditating, drawing, writing, knitting, or puzzles. All of these activities may take a while to do, meaning that you won’t have that quick gratification. However, you may still feel a sense of satisfaction by seeing your progress or just knowing that you aren’t giving into instant temptation.
Just know that willpower is a lifelong skill. By gradually decreasing instantly gratifying activities, you can focus on habits that will bring you long-term fulfillment.
What do you think? Do dopamine detoxes work? Would you ever do one? Let us know in the comments below.
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