Dopamine Addiction and Social Media: How to Stop Scrolling, Reset Your Brain, and Feel Better Than Ever.
- Megan Devito
- Apr 16
- 5 min read
Updated: May 12
Once upon a time, back when Twitter was just getting started, I started playing a character in an online role-playing game (RPG). What started as a fun, creative outlet quickly became an addiction that lasted for way too long.
Do I regret playing? Nope. I learned a lot about myself and it played a role in getting me to the place I am today.
Would I have done some things differently? Absolutely.
I didn't know about dopamine addiction and social media, what constant scrolling does to your brain, or mental health. All I knew was I was having fun, being creative, and making friends. You might say 'It was the best of times and the worst of times,' and with hindsight being 20/20, I can see both the best and the worst of it now when I wasn't willing to admit how bad it was then.
What Is Dopamine Addiction, and Why Is Social Media A Problem?
Dopamine is the feel-good brain chemical that motivates us to seek rewards. Its what makes you feel great after a workout or a hug. But its also what gets hijacked when you spend time scrolling.
Every 'like,' video, and comment gives you a small dopamine hit, keeping you coming back for more. Before you know it, your phone is back in your hand, and its no accident.
App designers create algorithms that notice when you pause, where you click, and what you react to, drawing you in again and again.
When your brain is constantly flooded with these artificial dopamine hits, it begins tuning out natural sources of pleasure like laughter, sunshine, movement, and connection.
This is why you may be feeling:
- More anxious and irritable
- Zoned out or distracted at work or around your family and friends
- Compelled to scroll even when it makes you feel worse
- Unable to stop overthinking or settle down
Social Media Addiction In Women
As women, we often wear multiple hats. We work, take care of our homes, maintain relationships, and parent. We volunteer, and care for our parents, our pets, and hopefully ourselves. We're already overloaded!
Just like when I played in my RPG, social media was supposed to be a fun way to connect and relax, and it can be. However, studies show that the risks and consequences of social media consumption in not only women but teenagers and men alike are doing more harm than good by causing:
Increased anxiety and sleep issues
Popcorn brain (Digital overstimulation that mimics ADHD.)
Negative self-worth from comparison, perfectionism, and FOMO
Emotional disconnection from the people we love most
Modeling unhealthy coping for our kids. We’re teaching them what to do when they feel bored, anxious, or overwhelmed. And if they see us zoning out and on our phones, they’ll do the same.
Why and How to Reset Your Brain and Reconnect with Your Life
Maybe it's been a while, but do you remember how life felt before the apps had control of your time, attention, and energy?
You can get back to a life where:
- You feel calm, confident, and present
- You enjoy your life without constant distraction
- You reconnect with your family and yourself
- You experience joy and peace in everyday moments without the mindless, compulsive need to scroll social media only to leave feeling anxious and keyed up.
This is exactly what happened with one of my coaching clients, "Jake".
Jake’s Story: Letting Go of Social Media and Finding Peace
When Jake started coaching with me, he was completely hooked on his phone. Scrolling through bad news. *dopamine hit* Obsessing over other people’s lives. *dopamine again* Checking out while his own life was flying by. *Dopamine, dopamine, dopamine*
His little girls were asking him to play, and he was too distracted to notice. He halfway showed up to kind of plan, then felt guilty for not being engaged. When the guilt set in, he grabbed his phone to distract himself. *And another dopamine hit.....*
Together, we made small changes that added up to big breakthroughs for Jake and his family.
He handed over his passwords to his wife and had her lock it up from him.
Left his phone in another room at night instead to stop scrolling before bed and sleep! *Dopamine*
Started noticing the beauty around him again. Dopamine!
Reconnect with his girls and wife *Dopamine!*
Started thinking clearly, without needing to “check in” online!
I recently checked in with Jake and he is still completely off social media. He is present, happy, and no longer tied to social media for validation, distraction, or dopamine.
You can do this too!
🌟 What would change in your life if you weren't scrolling social media?
You Don’t Have to Go Cold Turkey or Give Up Social Media Completely. You Just Need a Plan.
You don’t need to delete every app forever.
You don’t need to throw smash your phone with a hammer.
I help motivated, ambitious women like you get to the root of your habits so you know why you’re mindlessly scrolling, binging on Facebook and cookies, or watching Reels instead of sleeping.
Then we work together to replace those behaviors with new habits that help you feel calm, focused, confident, joyful, and emotionally resilient.
You Can Rewire Your Brain And Reconnect With Your Life
With coaching, you’ll learn how to:
Break your dependency on dopamine-driven habits including over-consuming social media
Reset your nervous system so you can feel calm again
Create routines that bring you clarity, peace, and confidence
Enjoy being present with your people without feeling the urge to check your phone or wondering how it wound up in your hand again
Ready to Take Your Brain Back?
If this speaks to you, you’re not broken or lazy or weak. You’re just wired for connection and your brain has been hijacked.
More confidence. More calm. More time and energy. More connections. You really can have them and get back to a place of feeling good about yourself and your life.
Click here to schedule a Boundaries and Balance Audit. This free audit is the perfect starting point. No sales pitch or unsolicited advice, just powerful insight into what's going well in your life right now, what's not working or what feels rotten, and where you can focus your attention to start making the changes you want to make.
Now put your phone down and go touch some grass.
💚 Megan
P.S. Be sure to check out Episode 135 of the More than Anxiety Podcast to hear more about how social media impacts kids, parents, and confidence and connect with Kathy Van Benthuysen While you’re there, take a quick minute to leave a review and follow so you don’t miss a beat and help others find the podcast as well. Thanks!
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