Last night, I caught myself in a familiar trap...

Same author, different names - “The Self Care Letter” is now the “Maven’s Digest”

Hey there,

Last night, I caught myself in a familiar trap.

It was 11:47 PM. I had an early meeting the next day. Yet there I was, mindlessly scrolling through YouTube shorts about cats playing piano and people making incredible sandwiches I'll never actually try.

My eyes were tired. I wasn't even enjoying it anymore. But I couldn't... just... stop.

Does that sound familiar?

What's really happening in our brains during these moments is fascinating - and slightly terrifying. It all comes down to a molecule that's been making headlines lately: dopamine.

But here's the thing: Nearly everything you've heard about dopamine is wrong.

The Truth About Your Brain's Most Misunderstood Chemical

Dopamine isn't just the "feel-good" chemical, as most social media posts claim. That's like saying your car's engine is just for making noise.

The reality? Dopamine is an incredibly sophisticated neurotransmitter that plays a crucial role in:

• Motivation and drive

• Learning and memory

• Attention and focus

• Movement control

• Decision-making

• Mood regulation

Here's where it gets interesting: Dopamine levels in your brain spike not when you get a reward but when you anticipate one.

The Science Behind The Scroll:

When neuroscientists studied dopamine release in monkeys' brains, they found something unexpected. Initially, dopamine spiked when the monkeys received a juice reward. But over time, something changed.

The dopamine started spiking earlier and earlier - not at the reward itself, but at the cue that predicted the reward was coming.

This is exactly what happens when you:

• Hear a notification ping (potential social reward)

• See the Instagram loading wheel (potential entertainment)

• Feel your phone vibrate (potential important message)

Your brain releases dopamine not because you got something good but because you might get something good.

The Numbers That Should Worry Us:

Recent neuroscience research reveals some startling findings:

• The average person's dopamine levels while using social media are comparable to those observed in people playing slot machines

• Each notification can trigger a dopamine increase of up to 100%

• Our attention spans have decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to just 8.25 seconds in 2015

• The dopamine release from social media can be up to 2x stronger than eating your favorite food

The Modern Brain in an Ancient Body:

Here's what makes this particularly challenging: Our dopamine system evolved over millions of years to motivate behaviors that helped us survive:

• Finding food

• Building social connections

• Learning new skills

• Exploring unknown territories

But today? We're flooding this ancient system with unprecedented stimuli:

1. Infinite Scroll Design

• Traditional activities had natural stopping points

• Modern apps are specifically designed to never-end

• Each scroll creates a new possibility for a reward

2. Variable Reward Schedules

• Like slot machines, we never know when the next "hit" will come

• This uncertainty creates the strongest dopamine response

• Apps use this psychology intentionally

3. Immediate Availability

• Our ancestors had to work for their dopamine hits

• Now they're available 24/7 with zero effort

• This removes natural recovery periods

The "Dopamine Stack"…

What makes modern technology particularly powerful is something I call the "dopamine stack." Each interaction combines multiple dopamine triggers:

A single TikTok video might include:

• Novel information (dopamine trigger)

• Social validation (dopamine trigger)

• Musical elements (dopamine trigger)

• Anticipation of what's next (dopamine trigger)

• Achievement/completion when finished (dopamine trigger)

All this in just 15-60 seconds. Then it starts again.

The Hidden Cost…

This constant dopamine stimulation isn't free. Research shows it's affecting us in surprising ways:

1. Neuroplastic Changes

• Regular high dopamine activities can actually change your brain structure

• This can make normal activities feel less rewarding

• Recovery can take weeks to months

2. Attention Fragmentation

• Each dopamine hit makes it harder to focus on slower, deeper activities

• This creates a self-reinforcing cycle

• The more stimulation we get, the more we need

3. Motivation Disruption

• Natural rewards become less satisfying

• Harder to engage in long-term goals

• Increased risk of mood disorders

The First Step to Freedom:

Understanding this system is crucial because it reveals something important: Your inability to stop scrolling isn't a willpower problem. It's a design problem meeting a biological vulnerability.

In Part 2 of this series, we'll explore:

• How to audit your dopamine triggers

• The concept of "dopamine fasting" (and why most people get it wrong)

• Practical strategies for regaining control

Until then, try this simple experiment:

Next time you reach for your phone, please set a timer for 60 seconds before unlocking it. During that minute, please notice:

• What triggered you to reach for it?

• What reward were you expecting?

• How strong was the urge to skip the wait?

The answers might reveal more about your dopamine patterns than you expect.

Here's to understanding our brains better,

Raihan | Mindful Maven | Self-Care Canvas