Studies are showing that we are on screens now more than ever. Screens are essential pandemic tools for work, play, relationships but at what cost? Screens can have negative side effects on our mood, relationships, and ultimately neural chemistry. Without an intentional focus on personal needs and experiences, keeping technology in its place can thread the needle of needs for pandemic safety, relational and professional connection without being captive to the screen itself.
Starting with mood, screens can lead to fatigue and an overall flatness in daily living. Waking up to get back on the computer, to hear another Zoom introduction then back to work on emails… is a flat life. Our mood can respond to our situation when it is not what we hoped for, traumatic and/or draining. Also, while being hit with doses of dopamine in bright colorful screens for 3 or 5 or 8 hours (or more, let’s be honest) each day can lead to dopamine withdrawal when you try to play cards or go on a walk and see normal hues of colors that don’t change rapidly on demand like they do on Instagram or YouTube. You know you are experiencing some dopamine withdrawal when you are doing something that is pleasurable and it feels opaque, grey, and dull compared to going back to Netflix or Hulu, or Instagram. I know for me, when I have been on a screen for the majority of the day, the best thing for me is to go outside, but I don’t necessarily want to. What I want to do is to spend more time on another screen to make me feel more dopamine instead of the withdrawal of dopamine which impacts my mood. More on neural chemistry below.
It is also worth noting that we are electromagnetic beings and feed off of the energy from other people, especially when we are physically near others. So, this is part of the reason why Zoom and FaceTime dates are not as exciting as real-life meet-ups. Adding to the complexities of the Pandemic, longing to see friends/family/loved ones in life weighs us down through the video screen. The suggestion here in light of a pandemic situation would be for quality over quantity. Seeking relationships that endorse the best part(s) of you and making intentional time with those people (physically and digitally). Emotionally connecting with people who care for you and endorse the best parts of you are essential for thriving relationships, which can happen with or without a screen. Being in a relationship with one another takes hard work, especially when relationships thrive off of communication, forgiveness for wrongs, and focus on the other person while sharing our deepest parts of ourselves. With a screen, all that is done to connect is a 2-millimeter movement of a thumb in repetitive motions while we lounge our bodies on the couch or warm bed. This amount of energy is drastically less when we consider the time and intention it takes to get ready and intentionally focus on a relationship for an hour (or more) at a time. So from an energy efficiency perspective, you will get more feel good inside you by scrolling on a screen, but the hit of feel-good chemicals do not last.
Most of the apps we use play on our desire to feel good. The invention of the Like button, as well as scrolling, is well documented to keep us on technology as opposed to creating efficiency in our lives and connect with others. Related, there is some conversation about dopamine fasting, which is unfounded in the scientific literature, here is a link to a Harvard article discussing the miss-application of scientific findings. You need dopamine, and screens give you lots of it on command, but it can also cause some internal fatigue when you are on a screen too long. The adage: too much of a good thing is not a good thing, also applies here. Here is an article from the Australian government outlining the effects of too much and too little dopamine and how to naturally create steady and stable deposits of dopamine.
With all this in mind, good boundaries with your technology can help you avoid turbulent mood, strained relationships and get your needs met. Some boundaries that could be helpful include:
Grey screen instead of color
Having scheduled downtimes away from technology (suggested 1 hour per day, 1 day per week, 1 week per year)
Spending time in nature regularly
Download Journal: Technology In Its Place
Resources to consider:
Too Long/Didn’t Read: Screen time can negatively affect your mental health, relationships, and neurochemistry.
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