May 2026 letter - Dopamin
I wanted to write about this important topic after a recent experience. I went to our local cinema, to watch a film with my daughter for the first time in a long time. Next to my daughter was a family of four, parents and two teenage daughters. The movie wasn't even halfway through when they all started to reach towards their phones. The dad kept taking his phone out of his bag on the floor to check it. Both girls also kept checking their phones all the time. Then something fell on the floor and they searched for it with the light on their phone. They all seemed restless, tossing and turning in their seat. It felt like the whole family couldn't concentrate on the film at all.
Well, this is quite common these days, especially with children and young people. Many people can't concentrate long enough to watch a film or even read a book, and this only keeps getting worse. So many people walk around with their phones in their hands on the street, and they don't even have time to talk at dinner, but the phone has to be on display. The reason is at least partly the social media and the problems it causes in regulating dopamine.
Dopamine
Dopamine is the so-called feel-good hormone that affects the mind, mood and body together with oxytocin, serotonin and oxytocin. It is also a neurotransmitter, which means that it carries messages between nerve cells.
Dopamine particularly affects the brain's reward system, feelings of motivation, mood and also motor functions. It is released when we achieve a certain goal, experience something pleasant or expect something exciting to happen. Dopamine helps you concentrate, learn and plan.
Modern lifestyles, environmental toxins and poor eating habits affect dopamine regulation and cause disorders, which in turn affect, among other things, the ability to concentrate.
When the delicate signal balance of the brain is disrupted, various neurological and psychiatric problems can result.
Oxidative stress and inflammation in the body disrupt dopamine regulation. Processed foods containing artificial additives (e.g. aspartame, monosodium glutamate) exacerbate this by overstimulating nerve cells, leading to cell damage and impaired attention. Children are particularly susceptible; studies have linked these additives to ADHD-like symptoms, such as hyperactivity and poor concentration. Dopamine imbalances often start gradually, and many people don't notice the symptoms so easily. Signs may include a lack of motivation, difficulty getting started, and difficulty concentrating. They may constantly crave new stimulation, whether it's coffee or scrolling on the phone, but nothing really satisfies them.
Social media and concentration
What has recently made the problem even worse is social media. Short-form content on today’s social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels) and the constant notifications that pop up on our screens are specifically designed to cause dopamine problems, which in turn causes a strong addiction in users. These platforms provide rapid and variable dopamine spikes that train the brain to crave constant stimulation, novelty, and rewards, which weakens its ability to stay focused on slower, less stimulating tasks. The brain releases dopamine continuously when it encounters this new or stimulating information. The continuous, rapid dopamine spikes can lead to slower, more focused activities, such as reading a book, becoming boring. It takes more and more stimuli to achieve the same pleasure. People no longer experience pleasure from the same things they used to, such as enjoying looking at the sunset. The only thing that interests them is their phone. This increases susceptibility to constant, fast-paced stimulation from digital media more and more, and the situation only gets worse.
How to make it easier
Improving your concentration means significantly reducing the constant, immediate, and frequent “dopamine rewards.”
Digital detox: Taking breaks from social media and disabling non-essential
programs helps to return the brain’s reward mechanisms
to normal.
Doing one thing at a time: Practicing strengthens the ability to focus on one thing
at once instead of multiple tasks.
Leave your phone outside your bedroom at night. Many people start and end their day
by checking their phone. Avoid this by leaving your phone out of the bedroom entirely.
Remove notifications. Different notification sounds keep the dopamine expectation constantly active, because each “ping” interrupts what you’re doing and forces the brain to react.
Setting specific times to check social media or apps would be a better idea, rather than doing it constantly.
Physical activity: Engaging in exercise and other less digital activities can provide lasting a more and less addictive source of dopamine.
Supporting methylation also helps here: B vitamins (especially B6, B9, B12) are very important for dopamine synthesis. Deficiencies weaken the production of neurotransmitters.
Mineral balance: Zinc and magnesium deficiency is common, for example, in connection with ADHD; nutritional supplements can help a lot.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA), which are essential for the integrity of nerve cell membranes, improve dopamine signaling and reduce inflammation.
Let's throw in a challenge: can you go without your phone and social media for a whole day? It's worth a try, it's surprisingly difficult for many people.
