A student takes a quick 10-minute break from studying, so they pull out their phone to scroll social media for a second and suddenly they have lost two hours to TikTok, indulging in the infamous “doomscrolling.”
While doomscrolling may seem harmless, it can have negative effects on the brain like anxiety, sadness and reduced attention spans. Those with preexisting conditions, like anxiety or depression, are even more prone to these effects.
An article from the National Institute of Health reveals that prolonged use of social media can lead to increased social isolation, signs of depression and social comparison pressure.
The loss of attention span has also led to a loss in productivity among students. Due to the addictive nature of social media, students tend to get distracted and do not focus on their schoolwork as often or as thoroughly.
“There is no such thing as multitasking, because our brains have not evolved to handle too many things at one time,” said Ashok Hegde, a professor of biomedical sciences at GCSU.
According to a Stanford Medicine article, the quick reward system and easy accessibility make it more common to get hooked on social media. The current society that students live in also makes people more susceptible to dopamine-mediated addiction because of social media’s design for maximized engagement.
Humans are programmed to stay connected; for thousands of years, it has kept people alive through the power of numbers, and social media capitalizes on that need for social structure. With bright colors and constant alerts, the visual part of the brain finds staying away from social media hard.
“We have evolved to look for new things. Novelty interests us, so social media is addictive because anytime you get a notification, it is something new and you get a little dopamine release,” Professor Hegde said.
Reduced attention spans are one of the most prominent side effects of doomscrolling; quick access to new sources of dopamine spoils the brain and causes it to want fast forms of entertainment.
People with preexisting conditions are even more prone to the negative effects of doomscrolling and addiction. Students themselves reach for their phones whenever they are bored, have nothing to do, or have a menial job to complete.
“I think everyone does [reach for their phone] nowadays, because it has so much content on it that you really can’t avoid it,” said Carter May, a freshman environmental science major.
There are, however, strategies you can use to combat the negative effects of social media on the brain. A Harvard medical article proposed taking a break from social media to give your brain time to heal. The article also said that the break should be for about a month to decrease the depression and anxiety that come from social media and constant scrolling.
When prolonged exposure to social media is decreased, depressive symptoms decrease as well. Also, one may notice an increase in productivity, whether that is at school or with work-related tasks. Instead of reaching for the phone, people can indulge in other hobbies, such as walking in nature or painting.