Red flags that you might be hooked on your phone, from an addiction researcher. Here's how 'dopamine fasting' can help.

"It's past time for bed, but you can't seem to put your phone down. Then, just a few more minutes on Instagram, X, or TikTok turns into hours of doomscrolling, no matter how exhausted you feel or how early you have to work in the morning. Sound familiar? This is your brain on dopamine. It's a neurotransmitter that drives us to seek out pleasurable behavior, and it can get hijacked over time by instantly gratifying behaviors like social media."

""We don't get addicted to dopamine per se. Dopamine is a signal in the brain that tells us to approach and explore. We need it to survive," Lembke told Business Insider. After a dopamine hit, our brain readjusts to keep us motivated for the next goal. But problems can occur when there's too much stimulation, like endless internet content or online encouragement from likes and comments."

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that motivates approach, exploration, and pursuit of goals. Repeated, high-intensity stimulation from social media and instant rewards can hijack dopamine signaling, producing tolerance that pushes people to seek progressively larger hits to feel normal. That process yields compulsive overconsumption and behaviors comparable to substance addiction, which impair mood, focus, sleep, and real-life opportunities. Subtle signs of excessive doomscrolling include moodiness, poor concentration, and missed opportunities. A structured dopamine reset, such as a 30-day digital detox or dopamine fasting, can curb unhealthy habits and help restore baseline motivation and attention.

Read at Business Insider