Why don't social media help the brain really rest?
Psychologist Neha Cadabam, an expert working at Cadabams Hospital, India, said that the brain can only recover from stress when the level of stimulation is reduced. “To truly rest, the brain needs quietness. Meanwhile, social networks continuously introduce new information flows, emotional signals, opinions and comparisons,” she shared.
Constantly receiving information keeps the brain in a state of vigilance, reducing concentration and creating a feeling of "brain fog" the next day. This phenomenon is especially common in young people aged 20 and 30, who are facing career pressure, success expectations and the need to maintain personal image in the online environment.
Even during rest, the mind continues to measure achievements, compare itself, and track other people's progress. Over time, sleep becomes shallower, concentration declines, and emotions gradually become calloused instead of balanced.
Dopamine, "brain fog" and an endless vicious circle
Another reason why social media browsing is difficult to stop lies in the brain's reward system. According to Neha Cadabam, each view, like or new content creates short-term dopamine waves, causing the brain to constantly search for new sensations next. "The brain no longer seeks rest, but seeks stimulation," she explained.
Therefore, many people continue to surf the internet even when they are tired or bored. As a result, they wake up with a feeling of lightheadedness, even though they have been lying in bed for many hours, because the brain has never been truly restored.
Experts believe that the solution is not to completely give up social networks, but to use them consciously. Creating a quiet space between working hours and surfing the internet, setting up a screen-free space at home, protecting one hour before bedtime and paying attention to the feeling after using social networks are important strategies.
Prolonged fatigue, insufficient sleep and difficulty concentrating are not personal failures, but signals that the brain is overloaded," Neha Cadabam emphasized. Listening to these signals early will help prevent more serious exhaustion and protect long-term mental health in the digital age.
