You sit down, ready to learn. But before you really get started, you reach for your smartphone, even though there’s no particular reason to. Just a quick check of Instagram. A quick scroll, a ‘like’ – and before you know it, you’re on the next app. Suddenly you’re hooked: a man in the jungle is building a boat with his bare hands. Fascinating. Then another video – this time about cute kittens. And now you’re watching a video about tiny houses in the forests of Canada. You’re not planning to build a boat, nor do you want to live in a tiny house in the woods, and actually, you’re allergic to cats. If you constantly find yourself caught up in this cycle, this blog is just the thing for you. Here you’ll find out how to regain control. Spoiler: your mobile won’t end up in the bin.
What happened? You actually wanted to be productive. But your brain has tricked you. It’s crying out for a quick reward, for a little dopamine rush. Learning takes patience, but patience feels like hard work. And so you get distracted – yet again. But why? And above all: what is it that controls you so much?
When we hear the word ‘addiction’, we immediately think of drug, alcohol or cigarette addiction. But what if a new, barely visible form of addiction has crept into our lives unnoticed? Does ‘dopamine addiction’ mean anything to you? Dopamine, often referred to as the ‘happiness hormone’, is a neurotransmitter that motivates and rewards us – but not every source of dopamine is the same. Negative dopamine arises from quick but short-lived rewards such as social media, junk food or endless binge-watching of TV series. Whilst these activities give us a rush, they often leave us feeling unsatisfied and can be addictive. Positive dopamine, on the other hand, comes from activities that are fulfilling in the long term, such as sport, creative work or in-depth conversations. It promotes focus, motivation and long-term satisfaction. In short: negative dopamine distracts you, whilst positive dopamine helps you move forward.
This plays a particularly central role for students, as dopamine influences our motivation (e.g. the energy we muster to study for exams), our willpower (how persistent we are when it comes to seeing a project through to the end) and our energy (which we need to stay active for leisure activities or sport after a long day of studying). Unfortunately, negative dopamine offers us no real satisfaction. In the long term, it hinders your growth and well-being. It is a refuge, but one that isolates you at the same time.
“The constant availability and ever-present readiness brought about by social media puts our autonomic nervous system under stress – it remains on high alert instead of being able to relax.”
Barbara Szabo, lecturer on the Bachelor’s degree programme in Health Management and Health Promotion
Your brain craves social media because it has been conditioned to receive instant rewards in the form of ‘likes’, new posts and short, engaging content. Sometimes, however, it’s the seemingly small things that can help us manage our lives effectively and with purpose. Here are a few suggestions to help you reprogram your reward system:
Breaks that your brain will really appreciate
You’re scrolling, laughing at a meme – bang, 15 minutes gone. All that’s left is tiredness. So why not switch to ‘real life’ for a change? Take a stroll around the HAW (by the way, that’s the official abbreviation for Burgenland University of Applied Sciences) with your mates, crack some silly jokes, have a moan together about the last lecture and realise you’re not alone after all – THAT’S what gives you a real dopamine rush. So: put your mobile away, grab some mates, have a laugh and mess about – it keeps you healthy! Promise!
Stairs vs. lift
Do you want to go right to the top? No, I don’t mean from the ground floor to the second floor. If you’ve read James Clear’s book *The 1% Method*, you’ll already know that tiny changes can have a huge impact on your life. So, the next time you’re faced with the choice of whether to take the lift or the stairs, give yourself a sustained dopamine boost and take the stairs. Sure, taking the lift is more comfortable, but it doesn’t have a positive effect on your dopamine system.
Short videos vs. reading
Short videos – the famous ‘shorts’ – are particularly tricky. They send your dopamine levels soaring, keeping you scrolling non-stop – and yet, in the end, you still feel somehow empty and drained. Your brain? Completely overloaded with sugar, but not satisfied.
Reading a book, on the other hand, is like a good, slow meal full of nutrients. It takes more patience, yes, but it gives you more in the long run. Your memory gets stronger, your concentration improves – and you don’t feel as though someone has secretly drained your energy.
Because, at the end of the day, social media doesn’t decide what’s good for you. It just shows you what the algorithm deems click-worthy.
“Social media is neither good nor bad – what matters is how we use it. It can provide valuable, evidence-based inspiration for a healthier lifestyle, encourage interaction with like-minded people and help us maintain social connections. At the same time, however, it can also be a distraction and drain our energy. That’s why it’s worth taking a moment to reflect: how much of it is actually good for me? And which content enriches my life, and which tends to bring me down? Even small changes – such as deliberately turning off notifications – can help us engage with social media more mindfully. Those who use social media purposefully and mindfully stay in control – rather than letting it control them. Ultimately, it shouldn’t be algorithms that determine how we spend our time – but ourselves. “ Barbara Szabo
When you lie down in bed tonight and reflect on your day, you’ll realise that the shorts weren’t the highlight of your day. It’s almost always the interactions with people – the wonderful conversations, the funny situations and the feeling of having done something meaningful.
A quick reminder: we’re in Lent – a time when many people consciously give up certain habits or deliberately replace them with new, healthier ones. Perhaps this is an opportunity to discover activities that will have a positive long-term impact on your wellbeing.
Book recommendation: *Are You Still ‘Liking’ or Are You Actually Living?* by Christina Feirer – published by Kremayr & Scheriau
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