Doctor explained why you feel emptiness after being glued to social media

Modern people spend more and more time on social media. Scrolling through feeds, watching stories, and endless videos have become a familiar part of everyday life.

But often after such rest, people complain of feeling tired, irritated, and even internally empty. Doctors and psychologists explain this phenomenon from the perspective of how the brain and psyche work.

Why social media depletes the brain

Each new notification, image, or video activates the dopamine system. The brain gets a brief surge of pleasure, but it quickly disappears, and the person reaches for the phone again. This resembles an addiction mechanism - the more time we spend scrolling through feeds, the harder it is to stop. At the same time, such leisure doesn't bring deep satisfaction, which causes a feeling of emptiness.

Comparison with other people

Social media creates an illusion of a perfect life: beautiful photos, successful projects, travels. Subconsciously, a person begins to compare themselves with this image, which lowers self-esteem and creates a feeling of inadequacy. Even if life is going well, the picture on the internet can make you feel worse.

Information noise

The brain becomes overloaded from the constant flow of information. Social media feeds are unstructured: news, humor, tragedies, and advertisements are mixed together. Such chaos doesn't give the psyche a chance to rest. As a result, irritability, loss of concentration, and fatigue resembling exhaustion appear.

Why the feeling of emptiness occurs

When we spend time on superficial content, the brain doesn't receive real nourishment: there's no development, learning, or deep emotions. Unlike communicating with loved ones, reading a book, or engaging in a live hobby, social media only imitates a rich life. That's why after long periods of "zoning out," a person feels that time has been wasted.

How to reduce the negative effect

Limit time on social networks using timers and controller applications.

Replace part of online activity with offline activities - walking, sports, meetings.

Filter content: subscribe only to useful and inspiring pages.

Put your phone away completely before bed so the brain can switch off and rest.

The feeling of emptiness after social media is not laziness or weakness of character, but a natural reaction of the brain to overload and the illusion of pleasure. Understanding this mechanism, you can consciously control your time online and fill your life with real experiences that truly bring joy.