Concerns about stress at work, anxiety in teenagers and rising mental health issues have made many people look more closely at their daily digital habits. New research comparing social media use with nicotine dependence suggests that compulsive scrolling may have far more serious effects on the brain than many assume, raising questions about how young people and adults are being affected by the constant pull of their phones. The findings were published in Intersect.
The study examines how addictive behaviours form when people rely on online platforms for connection, entertainment or distraction. It highlights the real world impact of addiction-like patterns seen in teenagers and adults, who often describe an inability to switch off or resist the urge to check messages and notifications. These habits are linked to disrupted sleep, lower mood and increased stress, placing social media use within the broader discussion about mental health problems across age groups.
Eloise Skinner, an existential therapist, notes how these behaviours have become widely accepted. She explains, “The public acceptability of social media use and normalisation of addictive patterns like doomscrolling can make it extremely challenging to break usage habits in this area.”
Researchers found that the pathways associated with nicotine addiction show striking similarities to those linked with excessive social media use. Nicotine is known to stimulate the release of dopamine, creating strong reward loops in the brain that make habits difficult to break. The study suggests that social media platforms influence similar systems. When individuals check their phones and discover a notification, dopamine levels rise quickly before falling, prompting repeated checking in search of another reward.
This pattern, which resembles the reward cycle observed in substance use, may explain why many people experience a compulsive need to stay online. “These phone habits can be so hard to break because it is about more than the phone. This issue is a reflection of a much deeper underlying problem: many people feel more disconnected than ever,” says Marie Fleming Grant, a hypnotherapist specialising in addiction patterns. “The colours, sounds and stimulation impact the human energy system, giving it food and serving to fill the gap of unwanted emotions such as anxiety, loneliness, fear or anger. When the phone replaces those emotions, it can be extremely difficult for people to put the distraction down, because doing so can feel very confronting and challenging. It is the same pattern we see with all addictions, including nicotine dependence.”
Skinner also comments on why these habits persist. She says, “Since social media does actually address a fundamental human desire to connect with each other and form a sense of community, it can be easy to get hooked on the dopamine release that comes with notifications and new connections online.”
Brain imaging studies cited in the research show that individuals with problematic online behaviour display activity in the same neural regions associated with addiction to substances such as nicotine. In some cases reduced levels of key neurotransmitters were observed, indicating a measurable impact on emotional regulation and anxiety.
The study also highlights the social and psychological factors that contribute to heavy digital use. Feelings of exclusion, pressure to perform online and constant comparison with others play a notable role, especially among young people. Many report distress when posts receive little engagement or when they see others living what appears to be happier or more successful lives. Adults are not exempt from these effects, with a significant proportion describing a fear of missing out that keeps them checking platforms throughout the day.
Skinner expands on the emotional consequences of relying too heavily on digital interaction. She explains, “Unlike real life connections, hoping to fulfil all of our connection related needs online can leave us feeling flat, empty and unsatisfied because connections online are typically formed on a more superficial level, and often do not provide the same long term satisfaction as an in person connection.” She continues, “This sense of unfulfillment can lead us to chase even more dopamine hits in the same way, increasing addictive patterns over time and forming a cycle that can be difficult to break.”
While nicotine addiction has been the focus of global public health campaigns for decades, large scale efforts to reduce social media addiction remain limited. Attempts to introduce policies that restrict addictive features such as infinite scrolling have faced resistance, largely due to concerns about regulation and personal freedom. Some proposals in the US aim to make companies more accountable for the design of their platforms, while other ideas include limits on notifications or structured time caps similar to those seen in gaming regulations abroad.
The researchers argue that although social media addiction has traditionally been viewed as a mental health issue, the biological evidence shows it should be treated with the same seriousness as substance addiction. “This is an issue that must be dealt with in order for society to move forwards in healthy ways, particularly with the rise of AI and technology in our lives,” adds Marie Fleming Grant. They note that more detailed data are needed from social media companies, which currently disclose little information about how engagement features are designed. Greater access to usage data, combined with further brain imaging research, would help deepen understanding of how digital platforms shape behaviour.
