Why does turning off the phone not help?
- autorzy: Joanna i Jarek Burdek - założyciele projektu Offlajnowi.pl
- August 7, 2024
Table of contents
Before I explain, I have one request: Do not think about a blue dog! What did you think about?
You may not believe it, but it is the same with the phone. Your brain constantly thinks about it, even when you do not want to. Even when you are not conscious of it. Why is that? A phone is like a bowl filled with candy. It has only tasty and colorful applications, which your brain loves. They give it pleasure.
Dopamine. How does it work?
This pleasure is the so-called dopamine. Dopamine is the pleasure anticipation hormone. It is secreted when you are awaiting something. For example, you get a notification and you do not know what it is: some cool information from a friend, a like from another friend. It could be something really interesting! With a notification, the brain releases huge doses of dopamine. You want this information and you must have it! And more, and more…
The brain wants this information. Why?
This is how evolution works. Humans have always sought out information because their survival depended on having it. Where the food is, where the dangerous tribe is, where to take shelter . How to make fire, how to make a wheel – we were constantly looking for and using information to survive. That is why we like news portals so much. By the way, I don’t know if you have noticed that on news portals, we can read mostly negative information? This is also manipulation! Why? Because the brain is mainly interested in the bad, dangerous things. Why? They have always been more important for the survival of the human species! This is what the media uses today.
Can you abuse the Internet?
The problem is that dopamine works like a drug. The more you take it, watch funny videos and wait for their funny ending, the more dopamine you need to achieve a similar level of enjoyment. Over and over again. That is how behavioral addictions are born. You do something, you feel good, you are doing it more and more. The examples of behavioral addictions are gambling, workaholism, shopaholism, compulsive overeating, and Internet addiction. At a certain point, you stop controlling how much you use the Internet, how much time you spend on the phone. Unfortunately, it does not let you grow most of the time. It usually makes you feel worse, stressed, you are simply not feeling good.
Why is it so hard to lay off the Internet?
When you deprive the brain of these doses of dopamine, you feel tremendous anxiety. The brain thinks: hey, I have run out of crucial doses of dopamine to survive! You feel stress, anxiety and reach for your phone again.
Or maybe now that you know how it works – you won’t reach for it anymore? I keep my fingers crossed!
What is my advice? Unplug! Immediately!
Turn off notifications – these are the worst. They take your attention away!
Uninstall apps. How many of them do you really need?
Uninstall social media apps. They eat up your time!
Start controlling how much time you spend on the Internet. Install an application to control your time.
Meet people in the real world and talk less through messaging apps. In digital relationships, you do not really have a relationship with those people at all. These are not real. Sure, instant messaging is cool because you can talk to someone quickly, but then you do not see that person’s face, you do not feel their emotions. You do not know what they really think of you. In the long run, you may feel lonelier in such relationships.
Find hobbies that do not involve a smartphone.
Take great care of your sleep. During sleep, the brain regenerates, removes toxins and arranges information.
Do not forget about sports. This is actually the most important thing. You need to do sports. It is a natural medicine. A natural stress reliever. A natural mood enhancer. You will see that you will feel better faster if you move. Start with a half-hour walk.
Take care of your diet: lay off the sugars and fast food. Right away! Eating worse means feeling worse. It is said that the stomach is the second brain!
Do not assume that I think technology is bad. I love the internet. Without online e-book readers I would read a lot less. You would not be on this site. Technology is not bad. But do not let it control you. Take control of it yourself. You will see that you will make you feel better.
Are you addicted to the Internet? Check here.
