Scrolling Ourselves Sick: The Hidden Cost of Constant Connection

Social media platforms are designed to hijack our brain’s reward
system, keeping us hooked through endless dopamine hits. This
constant stimulation fragments our attention, reshapes our
behavior, and can lead to burnout, anxiety, and even
addiction—especially in developing brains. The more we scroll, the
more we crave quick hits of novelty, making it harder to tolerate
boredom or engage in deeper, more meaningful tasks. And while
adults may struggle, kids are even more vulnerable, facing
emotional dysregulation and long-term brain changes. The good news?
Awareness is the first step toward reclaiming agency and creating
healthier boundaries in a world built for distraction. Jonathan
Haidt is a social psychologist, bestselling author, and professor
at NYU’s Stern School of Business. His research focuses on the
moral foundations of culture and politics, exploring why good
people are divided by religion, ideology, and values. He is the
author of The Happiness Hypothesis, The Righteous Mind, and The
Coddling of the American Mind (co-authored with Greg Lukianoff),
and has given four widely viewed TED talks. Haidt is also a
co-founder of Heterodox Academy, the Constructive Dialogue
Institute, and Ethical Systems—organizations that promote viewpoint
diversity, constructive disagreement, and ethical leadership. Since
2018, he has turned his attention to the mental health crisis among
teens and the role of social media in political polarization. His
latest book, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of
Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, was published
in 2024. In 2019, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences. Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer
science at Georgetown University. In addition to researching
cutting-edge technology, he also writes about the impact of these
innovations on our culture. Newport is the author of six books,
including Slow Productivity, Digital Minimalism, and Deep Work. His
work has been featured in many publications, including the New York
Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Economist, and he has been
writing essays for his personal website (CalNewport.com) for over a
decade. He has never had a social media account. Tobias
Rose-Stockwell is a writer, designer, and media researcher whose
work has been featured in major outlets such as The Atlantic,
WIRED, NPR, the BBC, CNN, and many others. His research has been
cited in the adoption of key interventions to reduce toxicity and
polarization within leading tech platforms. He previously led
humanitarian projects in Southeast Asia focused on civil war
reconstruction efforts, work for which he was honored with an award
from the 14th Dalai Lama. He lives in New York with his cat
Waffles. This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers. Head to
bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN10 to save 10%.
Full-length episodes can be found here: How to Protect Your Child’s
Mental Health from the Dangers of Social Media How Social Media May
Be Ruining Your Life How Social Media And AI Impacts Our Mental
Health: Reclaiming Our Minds And Hearts And Healing A Divided World