Stop social media from hijacking your brain (it’s simpler than you think)

Different social media 'scrolling' apps

Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X, LinkedIn, or anything else you can scroll on, all give the brain that addictive dose of dopamine that it’s so easy to get hooked on. I have spent hours on TikTok or Instagram that only felt like 5 minutes! The problem with this is it doesn’t actually feel good. The dopamine we get from social media is like junk food. In large doses, it’s not good for you. 

So what’s my advice? 

Personally, I have found the most effective way of preventing brain rot is to remove the apps from access. This doesn’t just mean deleting them from the Home Screen, but actually deleting them off your device altogether and only redownloading them from time to time for short and controlled periods. I promise you won’t miss out on anything important. 

When I first started doing this I actually found it really hard. In boring or stressful moments I found myself reaching for that swiping motion we all know and love, but after a few weeks of making it a habit I noticed a remarkable difference. 

I was able to be so much more productive with my time, not wasting hours that felt like minutes pumping fake dopamine in my brain. Now, when I redownload the apps I can only bare to be on them for 10 minutes at a time. I still slip up sometimes, but the overall difference has been great. 

I suggest you challenge yourself to do the same, whether you’ve noticed a hook to social media or not. You might see surprising results!