April 29, 2025, 9:23 am | Read time: 6 minutes

Why does a walk often make us less happy than a funny video on our phone? Why do some things suddenly feel exhausting, even though they used to bring joy? The answer lies deep in the brain and starts with the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can be addictive.

Between Smartphone Use and Dopamine

So, what do you do when you’re sitting in the doctor’s waiting room? After a long day, do you collapse onto a train seat? Or stand at home by the stove waiting for the pasta water to boil?

These are all situations where many of us might reach for our smartphones to see what’s happening on social media. From a psychological perspective, this behavior can be explained as follows: Video clips entertain and distract us. They provide our brains with a quick hit of happiness that comes on fast but fades just as quickly.

Dopamine is responsible for this — a natural neurotransmitter that generates positive feelings and influences our behavior. Other impulses, such as reaching for chocolate, coffee, or online shopping, activate the reward system in a similar way.

What Exactly Is Dopamine?

Dopamine is one of the body’s central chemical messengers. It is produced in the nervous system and within the adrenal medulla. In the human body, dopamine performs various functions: It aids in movement control, influences drive and motivation, and enhances the feeling of anticipation.

Since dopamine plays a key role in positive feelings, it is often referred to as the “happiness hormone.” Its release causes the heart to beat faster and blood pressure to rise, thus also triggering physical reactions. Additionally, it is the biochemical precursor to the stress hormones norepinephrine and adrenaline.

A persistently high dopamine level in the blood can sometimes indicate a usually benign tumor. Conversely, a low concentration generally has no medically relevant significance.²

When Dopamine Becomes Constant Stimulation Through Smartphone Use

What creates a short-term sense of well-being can become overwhelming in the long run — namely, when the brain enters a state of constant activation due to too many stimuli. “The high amount of dopamine can then exacerbate psychological burdens such as stress, inner unrest, or concentration problems,” says Häfner, the medical director of the Klinik am schönen Moos in Bad Saulgau.

The result: One feels internally overstimulated and constantly needs new impulses to feel joy. “Comparable to an addiction mechanism,” says the expert.

Smartphone Addiction: When Digital Use Becomes a Burden

Even though smartphone addiction is not yet an officially recognized disease, it describes a widespread phenomenon: a compulsive behavior where the mobile phone is used excessively and continuously, even when it leads to negative consequences in daily life.

It’s rarely about the device itself, but rather the content: push notifications, social media apps, news, or games create a constant flood of stimuli.

The transition from healthy use to problematic behavior is often fluid. It becomes particularly problematic when digital stimuli displace other areas of life, such as hobbies, relationships, or professional performance.

Study Shows: Smartphones Are Used Far More Often Than Thought

A 2015 study examined the usage behavior of 23 people aged 18 to 33. Over a two-week period, a special app objectively recorded the participants’ actual smartphone use.

It was observed that participants reached for their phones an average of 85 times a day — much more frequently than they had estimated. It was also notable that more than half of these uses lasted less than 30 seconds. The study suggests how automated and unconscious the usage behavior of many people already is — and that subjective assessments often underestimate reality.³

Consequences of Digital Overstimulation from Smartphones

Physical Complaints

• Sleep disturbances due to screen light in the evening
• Neck and back pain from frequent sitting and poor posture
• Eye strain and increasing vision problems

Social Consequences

• Withdrawal from social contacts
• Neglect of family or friendship relationships
• Decreased performance in school, training, or work

Psychological Effects

• Concentration problems and reduced attention span
• Increased risk of mental illnesses
• Irritability, emotional exhaustion, or depressive moods

Self-Test: How Healthy Is My Smartphone Use?

Whether smartphone use is already taking on problematic traits can be assessed with a few questions:

• Do you often spend more time on your phone than originally planned?
• Are hobbies or social activities neglected in favor of smartphone use?
• Are there already negative impacts in daily life — such as in work, studies, or personal life?
• Do you often reach for the device out of habit or boredom, without a specific reason?
• Do you feel restless or irritable when the smartphone is not within reach?

If several of these points apply, it may be worthwhile to critically examine your own usage behavior — even though this does not replace a medical diagnosis.⁴

Smartphone Break Instead of Overstimulation — How a Dopamine Detox Can Help

A so-called “dopamine detox” can help regain inner calm. It’s not about suppressing joy — but reducing artificial overstimulation so that genuine joy can have space again.

These steps can help in everyday life:

• Consciously put the smartphone away in the evening
• Disable push notifications
• Consume music or podcasts intentionally and not constantly
• Rediscover analog activities like reading, drawing, or walking
• Deliberately shift tasks like alarms or scheduling to analog alternatives

Consciously avoiding other quick dopamine hits — such as from coffee, sweets, or online shopping — can also relieve the nervous system.

More on the topic

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Jumping Squats Why Jump Squats Are So Effective and What to Watch Out For

Less Smartphone, Less Dopamine — More Room for Genuine Joy

The path to a more conscious handling of digital stimuli is often unfamiliar — but rewarding. “We notice that our perception sharpens again, and the joy in everyday things returns,” says Häfner.

Reducing stimulus consumption can not only decrease stress but also strengthen psychological resilience — and thus provide more inner balance in the long term.