Hijacked by Dopamine:đ±How Our Devices Wreak Havoc on the Brainâs Reward System
Dopamine, our screens and notifications, the reward prediction error, and practical steps to get your attention back.
Lost in The Doom Scroll Loop.
Have you ever checked your phone expecting a text, a like, or an emailâonly to find nothing? And yet, minutes later, you're checking again.
You're not aloneâand you likely know this. You also likely sense this behaviour isnât healthy, and doesnât leave you feeling renewed, refreshed, and energized.
And yet we canât stop.
We all know that we have some level of addiction to our screens, devices, and apps. In this article, I want to take a closer look at why this is the case and how we can reclaim ownership over our attention, emotional state, and neural pathways.
The Dopamine Loop: Whatâs Really Driving Your Habits
Dopamine is often labelled the "pleasure" molecule. But in reality, it's about anticipation, novelty, and motivation; itâs the neurotransmitter that is tied to whether we indeed receive the reward we predicted.
The level of dopamine released and coursing through our brain and body contributes to our feelings of well-being, levels of motivation, and overall positive mindset.
But thereâs a wrinkle to this process that is often left out of the dopamine conversation.
Reward Prediction Error: The Brainâs Calibration System
Itâs called Reward Prediction Error.
Essentially, our brain is constantly making predictions about the potential reward from any given event in the future, and the level of dopamine released in our system corresponds to whether the reward met, exceeded or fell short of our brainâs prediction.
A Positive Reward Prediction Error means the reward was greater than expected, and dopamine, along with other positive chemicals, continue to rise and crest.
A Negative Reward Prediction Error means the reward was less than expected, and dopamine drops, falling below our baseline levels. This leaves us feeling unmotivated, disappointed, and potentially guilty or shameful.
Your Phone = A Dopamine Slot Machine
Slot machines are designed to leverage our reward prediction error. Our brain predicts and anticipates a potential novel reward every time we pull the lever, and every so often, at random, this prediction comes true and we are rewarded with flashing lights, bells, whistles, and a financial incentive.
However, for the other 99 out of 100 pulls, we experience a negative reward prediction loop, dropping our dopamine levels and causing us to crave getting the next reward - so we pull again, and the cycle repeats.
You can likely start to see the similarities between slot machines and our devices. Social media and smartphones are built on the same core principles as gambling:
Intermittent rewards
Unpredictable outcomes
And I would wager that it has a third principle that deepens the addiction: Emotionally charged content.
We chase the next hitâanticipating a great payoff: a notification, a like, or a message.
But hereâs the problem: almost all of the time, there is no meaningful reward.
And worse, instead of experiencing a reward, we experience the direct opposite: unhealthy social comparison, bad news, or emotionally dysregulating content.
Double-Edged Sword: The Brain Seeks Familiarity and Efficiency
A final ingredient in this powerful elixir is the fact that our brain is always seeking the most familiar and efficient neural pathways to travel. The common term describing this is âneurons that fire together, wire togetherâ.
When we add this to the equation of 1. devices that act like slot machines, 2. negative reward prediction error, and 3. below-baseline dopamine levels requiring us to crave more - we are in effect re-enforcing familiar and efficient neural pathways that result in short attention spans, dopamine and motivation dysregulation, emotional imbalance, and constant feelings of anxiety, disappointment, social comparison and depression.
The Consequence: A Neurological Downshift
This constant reinforcing loop, over time, rewires the brainâs reward system, leading to:
Lower and more dysregulated baseline dopamine
Decreased motivation and drive
Increased risk of depression, anxiety, and emotional burnout
And yet, because our brain remembers the occasional dopamine hit, we keep coming back for more.
Reflection Questions
The journey to take ownership of our attention, emotional regulation, and neural pathways starts with observation.
These simple reflection questions can help us become observers of our emotional and nervous system responses to some of the unconscious behaviours we develop through this addictive cycle. By first noticing, observing, and naming suboptimal behavior, and then practicing small interventions, we can shift our neural pathways to healthier and more optimal behaviors over time.
How often do you check your phone without a clear reason or intention?
What emotion or expectation is usually present when you do? What happens most of the time - see if you can give yourself a mental note every time you do this over the next week.Can you recall a recent moment when you expected a digital reward (like a message or like) and felt disappointed?
How did your mood or focus shift afterward? Did you find it took a moment to get back on track with what you were doing? Did you feel worse afterwards because you saw something emotionally triggering or dysregulating?What would it look like to design the relationship with your device and screens to minimize negative reward prediction outcomes?
Can you create rituals and routines that give you time without your device on your person or in the same room. Can you use screen-time and turn on limits for different apps? When stationary at work or rest, can you put your phone out of sight (studies have shown that just removing your phone from view can increase focus and concentration).
đ§ Reclaim your Attention, Emotions & Neural Pathways
1. Practice âDopamine Fastingâ & Turn OFF Notifications
Designate a few hours or even a full day each week when you shutdown and physically remove all devices, screens and notifications (except for essentials). Spend this time connecting with friends, in the stillness of nature, reading a book or other emotionally renewing and restorative practices.
Disable ALL non-essential notifications. Ask yourself if you really need them. If you donât check a notification or respond to a message within minutes, will there be significant negative repercussions?
2. Practice Appreciating The Present Moment
Gratitude and appreciation for the present moment is a poorly trained muscle we have at our disposal to combat the grip of dopamine sabotage through devices, screens and notifications.
The next time you feel yourself craving the need to reach for your device. Stop. Breath, and then look up. What can you immerse yourself in right here, right now? Go ahead, try it right now? Perhaps you can look outside and appreciate nature. Maybe you hear the sounds of birds, or your family nearby. Maybe there is the smell of a candle or essential oil diffusing.
Practice being here.
Yes, it takes practice.
And just like we check our phones dozens and hundreds of times per day, if we want to reclaim our attention, emotional state and neural pathways - we need just as many or more repetitions at practicing presence.
3. Build Your âContainer of Safety, Connection, & Belongingâ
Begin building up a set of practices and tools which feel renewing and restorative. This could be as simple as a single, mindful breath, a 60-second heart focused breathing practice, going for a walk, giving someone you love a hug or loving embrace, writing down 3 things youâre grateful for.
Replace screen-based stimulation with these activities which help you shift your emotional state, regulate your nervous system, and slowly, create new optimal neural pathways in your brain.
` Thank you to Michael Allison and The Play Zone for the Container of Safety Framework
4. Use Your Phone with Intention
Before you pick up your phone, pause and ask: âWhat am I here for?â
Whenever possible, take this moment of reflection to shift into one of your tools in your container of safety and connection.
5. Track Your Emotional Shifts
For one day, keep track of your emotional shifts related to checking your phone or device. This will not only help you quantify the impact your device is having on your energy, inner battery, and emotional state, but it may also shed light on how much time you are spending.
Take note of the positive experiences as well. What are the uses of your phone and device that truly feel renewing, positive, and energizing? How do you proactively and explicitly create rituals that empower you to contain your usage to just those activities?
Transformation starts with Observation.
This process takes time and effort.
It is not about shame, guilt, frustration, or any emotion or attitude.
It simply starts with observation, taking note of the behaviours, actions, feelings, and emotions you observe within yourself.
Give yourself grace through this process and remember to use the connection with your breath as a way to create some distance between your observations and the stories, narratives, or emotions themselves.
If you have questions, or would like support, send me a message - Iâd love to hear from you!
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