Following a strict routine, you wake up, still slightly groggy and dazed from your slumber. The first thing you do is pick up your phone and scroll through various social media apps. But why is the human mind so prone to drawing attention to cellular devices?
Dopamine, commonly known as the “feel-good hormone,” is a chemical messenger in the brain that acts as a stimulant for all things happy. Prior to the development of phones and related devices, the release of dopamine was often traced back to learning new skills. According to the National Institutes of Health, phones have now replaced the source of dopamine, claiming they offer “an alternative route to the dopamine rush by providing us with a constant, easily accessible source of information.”
English teacher Christine Day stated how the multimillionaires behind social media apps have “created the algorithms” for a demographic of young, susceptible individuals, which in turn constructs social media “to be addictive.”…