This is why you mindlessly scroll social media

Let's fix it.

11:47pm. I know I shouldn't be scrolling right now. I know it’s a waste of my time. I know I’ll regret it tomorrow. I’ll stop at 12.

12:03am. Still scrolling. Austin just stop. Come on.

But it’s not that simple.

Why?

Because we don’t scroll social media for the reasons that we think we do. It’s not for distraction, comfort, or to connect with people. At least not primarily.

In reality, we are looking for something to make us feel a certain way. Something specific, that we won’t know until we find it. A specific kind of rush or feeling that’s constantly changing. And since we don’t know when we will find it, we constantly keep searching.

Maybe it’s the perfect motivational quote.

Maybe it’s a funny video.

Or whatever.

It’s called the “random reward pathway.” Meaning, we don’t know when we will receive the reward, which is why we don’t give up. Maybe it’s the next video. Andrew Huberman likened it to a dog digging in the ground for a bone. But it doesn’t stop. You look over and see it digging digging digging for hours on end. If you saw that sight you would assume something was wrong with it. Ok, but have you ever really watched someone mindlessly scroll social media? I mean, really observed them? Yeah, that’s about how we look.

We are playing “spin the wheel” with our time. We are gambling. But with something much more valuable than money. Our time. Hoping to win big with a 1.7-second feeling of excitement before…swipe. Hoping to drown our problems and our emotions. Hoping the next video will inspire us to action.

The scary part? The algorithms are absolute geniuses at this. They know how long you will go before you need the next hit. They’ve learned based on your behavior. They know they need to shock you, anger you, or motivate you to keep you here. Just when you are about to leave they feed you a big hit. And as soon as that dopamine starts to drop, we become determined for the next one.

I recently watched a video of someone who said he’s glad more and more people are becoming addicted to social media. He said, “The more people get sucked in, the easier it is for us to get ahead. The bar is lower than it’s ever been.”

My first reaction? That’s appalling.

My second reaction? He’s right.

I’m not sure if that should fill me with excitement, dread, sadness, or all three. I know one thing though. No one is forcing us. Sure the deck is stacked against us, but it’s still our decision.

No excuses. There are plenty of resources.

Create your own luck.

Stop spinning the wheel.

12:03am.

Who specifically in your life needs to read this? I wish I’d had a post like this a few years ago. Share it with at least 1 person.