When Scrolling Makes You Feel Worse but You Still Do It
You pick up your phone for a “quick break.” You open Instagram . Then maybe TikTok . Then somehow you’re on Facebook . Forty-five minutes later: You feel behind in life. You feel less attractive. You feel like everyone is doing better. You’re slightly anxious. And yet… tomorrow, you’ll do it again. Why? If it makes you feel worse, why does your brain keep going back? Let’s break this down psychologically - not from a “just delete the app” perspective, but from what’s actually happening inside your nervous system. 1. The Dopamine Trap: It’s Not About Happiness Scrolling isn’t about pleasure. It’s about anticipation . Social media runs on what psychology calls variable reward reinforcement - the same system used in gambling You don’t know when you’ll get: A like A DM A funny reel A validation comment Something mildly shocking Most posts are neutral. Some are annoying. But occasionally - you get a hit. That unpredictability relea...
