Day 3. Social media and your brain

Why we can't stop scrolling.

DAY 3 OF 10 Social media and your brain It's no accident that we depend on social media. Keeping us engaged in our feeds has become a billion-dollar business. Social media companies have homed in on the nature of our attention and cognition to design products we'll stay glued to for as long as possible. Here are some of the top reasons social media takes hold of us: It keeps us hunting for the next feel-good moment. When a notification pops up that someone liked or commented on our post — or when we scroll past something we particularly like — we get a pleasurable surge of dopamine. But this positive feeling quickly fades, sending us in search of more. It absorbs our attention. Two crafty features in particular, endless scroll and auto play, make it particularly difficult to close out an app because you're never given a moment to consider logging off. Without the prompt to take a break, you're easily pulled into new content. It gives us a platform to share about ourselves. Research has found that self-disclosure also stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain. These good feelings we get from sharing about ourselves encourage us to share even more, all of which increase the time we spend on social media. Next time you're caught in a rabbit hole, try to take note of how these elements are hijacking your attention. You may find doing so helps you step away. Today's challenge: How does social media make you think and feel? Next time you're on social media, take note of the thoughts and feelings (or lack thereof) that emerge. This may be harder than it sounds. Our thoughts and emotions don't present themselves arranged neatly on a spreadsheet. Be patient and really reflect on the reaction your brain has to different posts. Remember that this is a learning experience — an opportunity to better understand your social media use and yourself, and to create a more nourishing relationship with both. Tomorrow, we'll discuss the pitfalls of consuming too much media and share a simple, more helpful approach. Until tomorrow, The Healthline Team Read These Next Relaxation Is a Skill, Not a Luxury READ ON Is Social Media Use Linked to Social Anxiety Symptoms? READ ON

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