Scroll, Like, Hormone Spike: Social Media's Secret Influence on Human Chemistry..

Human beings are updated with incredible technologies and the era known as digital. Also social media has become the most important part of our daily lives, now social media has become most popular way to connect, share information and communication, yet we have involve ourselves deeply in the world of comments, likes, and scrolling feeds, and there is a hidden player at work in human body and that is hormones. There is a relation between hormones and social media. It is very interesting and complex together, it generally gets ignored by us but can impact intensively on human health.

In this article we will delve into the depth of the connection of hormones and social media and solutions for maintaining healthy well-being and overall health.

Table of Contents

The Dopamine Rush: Seeking attention online:

As we know social media platforms are there to give you a sense of pleasure which triggers your feel good hormones that is dopamine, when we get likes, comments, notifications on our posts it gives you happiness and pleasure of being rewarded.

And in the long term this instant fulfillment can lead you to addictive behavior towards social media.

Additionally, sensitivity of dopamine can decrease with time if excessive stimulation of dopamine occurs because of social media it disrupts the natural dopamine secretion.

And when trying to avoid such things it might contribute to emptiness or anxiety. As a solution we need to be mindful about consuming social media and define its limits and know yourself when you are seeking online attention in an addictive nature.

Cortisol and the Stress of Comparison:

While dopamine makes the urge to use social media, cortisol enters into the game as a “stress hormone”. Scrolling feeds unwantedly triggers social comparison of you with others which leads to worries and elevated stress levels. The continued use of social media edited images and filters can give you a sense of happiness but it also creates an unrealistic benchmark.

To overcome these stress issues caused by cortisol level, it's important to practice self-compassion and realize that social media is just an illusion you have real life to live and enjoy.

We need to set our boundaries on social media at the time of usage, and being mindful about it is very important to keep yourself happy and away from social media consequences.

Hormones imbalance

Oxytocin and the illusional trap of Connection:

Oxytocin which is also known as the love hormone Plays significant role in creating social connections. Oxytocin can be released by a sense of false connection you are having at social media in the long term which can harm your emotions. Those virtual connections can make you happy by releasing oxytocin in your body for a short duration, by making you feel connected even if your virtual friends are physically distant.

But, these connections we are making on social media cannot be a perfect substitute for genuine interaction with friends, families or loved ones.  If you are looking for a loving relationship physical touch, eye contact, is important to nourish your relations.

And to achieve this you need to spend quality time with your loved ones offline. Also try and practice mindfulness by engaging in social activities and programmes.

Ways to balanced digital lifestyle:

Do Mindful consumption of social media:

Unfollow accounts that give you negative feelings or make you uncomfortable. Find out the best sources which match your education or what you are doing. It can be inspirational, educational and uplifting accounts.

And practice mindful scrolling by prioritizing your mental health and overall wellbeing

Set your time for Digital Detox:

Set your boundaries for the usage of social media and also be mindful about the time consumption in scrolling feeds. And use this time in nourishing your hobbies, doing exercise to take walks for physical fitness, and your time with loved ones, also to explore the beautiful nature.

Interaction with loved ones/real Humans:

Engage yourself more in interactions with family, friends, loved ones. Foster your valuable time in building real life connections and improve the relationships and connections.

Useful Contents:

you should use social media as a platform to learn new things, as a source of information, for better connection with long distance genuine friends, for personal growth, for your business or marketing purposes and most of all for inspiration and motivation. You should follow accounts which give us valuable insights.

Observe yourself:

Regularly observe your time of being active on social media, know if it is consuming your time and health. Make yourself aware and adjust about usage patterns based on your observation.

Hormones

In the bottom line: 

The relationship between human hormones and social media is really complex and fascinating. They play together internally and it impacts on human health and overall well-being. However social media is not doing any harm but usage of it should be under your control by managing both your real and reel life.

By being mindful about usage of social media you can harness and take its full benefits by preserving your mental health and overall sense of wellbeing.

Our hormones need attention but triggering them naturally is good for our health as it plays a vital role in managing your emotional and mental health.