THERE’S NO DOUBT that media consumes a large portion of our lives. Like most things, there are pros and cons to joining platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook. And, in classic internet fashion, the internet has come up with the cure for the cons of the internet: a process called dopamine detoxing.
Don’t get us wrong, media has its healthy purposes: it helps us stay connected to family and friends, and provides a quick venue to dispense valuable information, or alert us on local and national current events. Of course, it has its downfalls, too.
We’re well aware that spending too much time in front of the television can have adverse effects on our cardiovascular health and weight. Several studies over the past decade have shown the negative impact social media consumption might be having on our brains. New studies have found that newly popular short-form video (like the minute or less length clips you’ll find on TikTok and Instagram Reels), could possibly have detrimental effects on our attention span. Readily available pictures of mainstream ideas of beauty have caused us to be more self-conscious than ever. “Social media is the number one thief of human happiness currently,” says psychiatrist and MH advisor Drew Ramsey, M.D.
It feels a bit like an oxymoron—taking to the social to discuss quitting, well, media. But, the trend is picking up steam anyway: search dopamine detox on Instagram and you’ll find roughly 15 thousand posts discussing the trend of improving your mental wellness by quitting getting instant pleasure from things like social media and other internet use.
It raises the question, though: does dopamine detoxing work? We spoke with a few experts to see how the trend stacks up.
What Is a Dopamine Detox?
Dopamine detox is “a pop culture idea, which [involves] abstaining from activities that stimulate a lot of pleasure, such as social media, gaming, porn, and certain foods,” in an attempt to decrease dopamine in the brain, says David Puder, M.D., psychiatrist and host of the Psychiatry and Psychotherapy podcast. Many of the dopamine detox plans you find on the internet focus more heavily on detoxing from social media than the other activities.
How does this relate to dopamine, though?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain, working as a chemical messenger to send signals from neuron to neuron to aid in functions like memory, movement, pleasure rewards, motivation, attention, and learning, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It also acts as a hormone in the body. When released into the bloodstream, it regulates blood flow, insulin creation, and promotes gastrointestinal movement. Most famously, it’s known as the “feel good” hormone, because it is released to initiate feelings of pleasure.
Things like social media, video games, sugary foods, and porn all cause dopamine surges that wear off a little after you’re done with the stimulation, leaving you wanting more. Inconsistent levels have been linked to several disorders, including ADHD, addiction, and depression. Consistently high dopamine levels are associated with sleep disruption, poor impulse control, and aggression.
The dopamine detox trend attempts to mitigate too much dopamine by removing things that cause its surge for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. These activities are advised to be replaced with things like walking, journaling, and hanging out with loved ones.
Do Dopamine Detoxes Actually Work?
As with most internet trends, there’s no formal scientific backing to prove that dopamine detoxing actually improves your dopamine regulation and betters your overall health.
Many of the popular internet posts regarding dopamine detoxing suggest reducing dopamine-inducing stimuli for 24 to 48 hours. But, it takes about a month for dopamine levels to balance out after quitting something that is otherwise dopamine inducing, according to Stanford Medicine. So, these quick and dirty dopamine fasts may not be very effective. Plus, some of the dopamine-surging stimulation that some posts suggest eliminating, like exercise and sex, can actually be very good for you.
It’s important to understand, too, that bettering our mental health isn’t as simple as adjusting a single factor. “We have to remember that there are 10 billion neurons. The astronomical complexity of this cannot be reduced to pop psychology,” says Puder. “It’s more complex than just dopamine.”
What Are the Benefits of a Dopamine Detox?
Again, there’s no scientifically backed benefits of dopamine detoxing specifically, but some scientific studies have looked into the effects of taking breaks from media.
Studies have shown that limiting time on social media can improve lifestyle habits, which may in turn promote happiness. For example, deleting Instagram off your phone can eliminate your bedtime hour-long scroll session, which may allow you to fall asleep faster. You may get better sleep then, which will leave you more energized and alert the next day. If you delete TikTok off your phone, you’ll open up more time in your day to hit the gym or go for a walk. There’s good evidence that cutting back on time spent in front of the television can promote a healthier weight by reducing the amount of sitting time in a day, according to Harvard Health.
Too much of anything for you can be bad, but completely nixing things that bring you pleasure may not be healthy, either. If you’re the only person in your community quitting social media, for example, you may feel isolated if you don’t make an effort to connect with people in other ways, like through messages and phone calls, Puder says.
How to Dopamine Detox
The more popular dopamine detox plans emphasize eliminating all alcohol consumption, exercising, internet, movies, music, phone, social media, sugary and processed foods, and video games for 24 to 48 hours.
There are healthier, more sustainable ways to reduce your consumption of these outlets, though. For example, in regards to social media, try deleting your social media apps from your phone for a few days, Ramsey says. “It’s kind of like removing all the alcohol from your house to stop drinking.”
Prioritize short, digital detoxes on occasion, too. Think about it in the same way we think about eating windows, Ramsey says. “When people are trying to really get control of eating behavior, they’ll have a modified fasting protocol where they’ll only eat between, let’s say, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. They can eat what they want with, within reason, during that time, but aside from this time, they’re not going to eat at other hours.”
The same can be true with digital consumption: provide yourself a window of time to watch television, check social media, or play a video game, and then shut it off afterwards.
Another way to limit your consumption is to pick up a hobby that doesn’t allow you to use your phone comfortably, Ramsey says. Go for a hike, go for a swim, start a garden, rock climb, or go for a bike ride. All of these activities would be difficult to do with a phone in your hand, so it’s a great way to cut screen time.
If you do feel the urge to return to social media, Puder suggests evaluating how you use it. Do you actually use it to be social—to message and stay in touch with friends and family from your past? Or is it a form of entertainment in the same way that television or movies are? If you’re not ready to quit social media cold-turkey, figuring out your intention on how you want to use it may help you use it in a way that’s healthier.
“There’s a value in disconnecting from a lot of those things for a period of time, and then reassessing what you want to do when you get back,” says Puder.
The Bottom Line
Too much of pretty much anything can be bad for you—that’s especially true with stimulating activities such as social media and television. There’s scientific evidence that proves that too much of this stimulation can cause issues like a shortened attention span, depression, and anxiety. It’s important to limit your intake to take care of your cognition and mental health.
Dopamine detoxing takes this idea to a bit of an extreme. There are more sustainable ways to limit your screen time, like participating in activities that make it challenging to use your phone, or limiting the amount of time you allow yourself to check your social media apps during the day.
Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.
