Are you wondering if Instagram reels are bad for your dopamine?

Or if YouTube shorts are bad for your dopamine system?

What about TikTok or Facebook reels?

Well, I thought I'd share a newsletter I sent to my Subscribers as an email here, in blog form as well. 

So that you can read and make up your own minde. 

Here you go...

Are Shorts And Reels Bad For Your Dopamine? 

Hi all!

There's something I have wanted to talk with you about for a while now.

And I don't feel comfortable doing it on social media platforms.

Why?

Well, because it's about Instagram reels, TikTok, Facebook reels and YouTube shorts. 

Yeah, those rapid clips that are all max one minute long. Often times just 15-20 seconds.

Consuming too much shorts and reels are not good for our dopamine system...

I sincerely believe that they are not good for our dopamine system.

Now, don't freak out yet, because there's a difference how you consume them, but...

...if I were to start to advocate against them on social media platforms, the very place that's trying hard to introduce them, you can bet your bottom dollar that they would not be happy about that.

And I would run the risk of getting deleted. 

However, I still want you to know this, so that's why I'm sending you guys an email about it.

So, why are YouTube shorts and social media reels bad for your dopamine, then?

Well, it's not like watching a bit every now and then will destroy you, or something like that, but...

God damn it!

We were ALREADY suffering from a severely impaired attention span, due to all the moder world's stimuli, even before things like shorts came along.

Most of us can no longer consume long for content simply because it's just not stimulating enough.

And now on TOP OF THAT, we start consuming something that HAS TO BE max 1 minute long.

Honestly, do you think that will help or hurt our situation?

Well, one thing's for sure, it most certainly won't help it. 

Just exactly how bad are Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and other social media reels for you?

So, now you may be wondering if I myself watch YouTube shorts, Facebook reels, TikTok etc?

Sometimes I see a few YouTube shorts, and here's the deal, I don't think it's bad if you intentionally watch a few that your favorite Youtuber uploaded. E.g say you got a notification from content creator and his or her video was a short. 

Well, no big deal. I sometimes consume it like that as well.

If you get dragged along by the feed for a very long time, it can be a problem...

However, if I go to the short section on YouTube, I quickly get dragged along by the feed there, and start consuming one after the other. Then I tend to get stuck there. 

And if that happens I quickly go, "to hell with this, this is not good!" and I leave the feed.

Why?

Because novelty spikes dopamine pretty high. 

Watching shorts is like digital edging...

And with shorts you can see more new things in less time.

In a way, it's kind of like edging.

Digital edging. 

You're keeping your dopamine levels high, while you get dragged along, not by your intentions, but by the feed. 

Watching shorts can mimic a porn addiction behavior...

It also mimics the way many people watch online porn. I.e. jumping from video to video in a constant dopamine driven chase to find the next best thing. 

This might scare you...

And sure enough, even though I consider myself being free from porn today, if I stay too long on the YouTube shorts feed, I can feel how the old sensitized porn pathways in my brain starts lighting up.

That is scary!

I see this with many of my 1-on-1 coaching clients as well.

And I fully believe, the more time you spend on the YouTube shorts feed, the harder it will be for you to stay away from p**n relapses. 

Because for many guys, that rapid jumping mimics p**n surfing. 

Can watching YouTube shorts desensitize your dopamine system? 

Now, what if it does NOT make you relapse, is it still bad?

Can YouTube shorts still be bad for your dopamine? Or can Instagram reels be bad for your dopamine system? Facebook reels? Etc...

Well, probably not in moderation, and if you mindfully just watch a few. 

But, man, if you regularly spend a lot of time there, getting dragged along by the feed, I fully believe it can desensitize you a bit, yes...absolutely!

I refuse to do it myself...

Because I want my brain to be healthy.

I also don't want to reactivate my old porn pathways. Because God forbid I start sinking back into my old porn addiction. 

I won't do it. 

And don't get me started on TikTok and the other social media platforms.

TikTok is absolutely horrible for your dopamine

I think I visited TikTok 2-3 times in my life and I was almost shocked at how it's constructed. That if anything, is a dopamine trap like I've never seen. 

The most ironic thing about shorts and your dopamine system...

And the most ironic thing about all of this is that, many of the content creators who pretend to have your best interest at heart, are making shorts for you.

All while they are talking about how you should avoid dopamine desensitization!!!

See the irony there?

Sure, they make more money like that, but how can they at the same tine pretend to have your best interest at heart?

Blows my mind!

Your life, your rules...

Now, of course, as always, I say, it's your life and your rules. So I'm not here to judge or make any rules for you. 

But a lot of guys have been asking my opinion about this and, well, now you know.

I just can't recommend watching a lot of shorts. 

And now you also know why I don't make shorts myself.

No, it's not because I don't want to be on camera. In fact, I'm on camera all the time in my Dopamine Focused Fasting course, and I already have a few normal YouTube videos out where I appear on camera, so it's not that.

Sure, I'm also trying to make money online, and nothing wrong with that.

But since I talk about dopamine healthy things, I refuse to do it at the expense of my subscribers dopamine system.

Anyway, that's my opinion on the matter. 

Hope you're all having a great weekend. 

Please stay strong and please stay healthy.

Much Love,

-Scandinavian Bob

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