I've been wondering for a while how to break my smartphone addiction. A few months ago, I made it harder for myself by deleting certain apps or removing them from the home screen. But the addiction is so strong; sometimes I don't even notice I'm opening Twitter again. Why is it that every quiet moment I feel a twitch to pick up my phone? Why is social media so addictive?
The Facebook Disaster
A comprehensive and highly readable review of the book Zucked (written by entrepreneur phone number list and investor Roger McNamee) recently appeared on Frankwatching. The article's headline is " The Catastrophe That Is Facebook ." Platforms like Facebook allow us to connect, find information, and buy products faster and easier than ever before. But these platforms also have serious side effects.
McNamee lists four "costs" that we as users and society pay: privacy, (mental) health, democracy, and the economy. The part about mental health struck a chord with me: "They use the platforms less consciously and for longer than they might like (...)" That's exactly what I'm experiencing too!
Why does it feel so good to open an app like Facebook (or in my case: Instagram and Twitter)? Dopamine seems to play a key role. Dopamine functions as a neurotransmitter (and sometimes a hormone) in various parts of your body. It plays a major role in experiencing pleasure, happiness, joy, and well-being. It's also the "secret sauce" that makes an app, game, or platform "sticky," or potentially profitable . That's why "dopamine" is a frequent buzzword in Silicon Valley.
Tech companies understand how dopamine works
A writes New York Times columnist David Brooks . They've filled their products with "hijacking techniques" that keep us coming back for more. For example, social media has irregularly timed rewards, similar to slot machines. This is based on research by psychologist B.F. Skinner, who discovered that giving a reward on a random schedule is the best way to teach rats behavior. And that's why we love to refresh social media: you never know when something new will be presented, or when that heart icon on Instagram will show new likes.