A dopamine detox does little for your brain chemistry

Swearing off social media may well improve your mood, but probably not because it resets your dopamine levels

- DR CHRISTIAN JARRETT

The internet is currently awash with articles, videos and podcasts promising to help you “reset your brain reward system” and rediscover the joy in life’s simple pleasures.” Lowering your current level of stimulation, they claim, will help you not only regain your ability to focus, but also become more productive.

The practice has come to be known as dopamine detoxing and, according to its advocates, the reason so many of us are easily distracted and apathetic is because of the over-availability of short-term rewards. Temptations such as social media, video games, junk food, online shopping, coffee and alcohol have burnt out our brains’ dopamine-based reward systems.

The near-constant buzz of these hits has depleted our dopamine levels, leaving us unable to focus on what matters or appreciate the finer things in life.

The basic idea behind a dopamine detox is to cut out all the quick and easy pleasures in our lives for a certain period of time — some detox programmes suggest starting with a single day, before building up to weeks at a time. This, supposedly, will help bring your dopamine back up to a healthier level.

Dopamine detox proponents are tapping into our collective anxiety that attention spans are shortening amid the constant lure of instant gratification, whether it’s bingeing on Netflix shows or playing games on our phones. As is often the case with these kinds of pop psychology fads, there’s a kernel of truth to the notion, but also a lot of oversimplification and, at times, a cartoon-like interpretation of neuroscience.

“The function of dopamine is complex and nuanced”

DOPAMINE’S DUTY