Learn about digital drugs - highly effective technology design patterns that hijack your reward, fear, and arousal systems - and how to protect yourself from them.
What are Digital Drugs?
Digital Drugs are highly effective technology design patterns that hijack the human reward, fear, and arousal systems. The most common ones you will encounter are:
- Infinite scroll, algorithmically-driven feed. Also known as the Personalized Recommendation feed (TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Reddit, etc.), this is the most effective of all the digital drugs.
- Digital snacking. Quick, compulsive checks to fill idle moments (email, DMs, headlines, stats).
- Push notifications. Interruptions that steal your attention.
- Gamification. Streaks, loot boxes, season passes, battle passes, daily quests, randomized drops.
- Social Validation. Likes, hearts, views, follower counts, read receipts.
How do Digital Drugs work?
These manipulative technology patterns trigger the human nervous system and endocrine system. By triggering these systems, they control your compulsions to use and stay engaged longer. Much like nicotine, you can experience withdraw like symptoms which end up creating engagement habits that keep you addicted.
- Dopamine — novelty + variable rewards → "just one more" (infinite scroll, likes, loot boxes).
- Cortisol — threat/urgency cues → vigilance (breaking news, doomscrolling, red badges, work pings).
- Oxytocin — social bonding → warmth & belonging (group chats, AI companions, streaks).
- Adrenaline — arousal/competition → spikes (live trading, PvP, live auctions, flash sales).
Protect yourself from Digital Drugs
- Disable Notifications. Email and messenger notifications are a non-stop attention stealer. Disable them along with any other notifications you get, and set aside time when you specifically check those things.
- Dedicate time. Set 1–3 daily windows for email/news/social instead of grazing all day. ScienceDirect
- Put friction in the way. Log out, remove home-screen icons, unplug your TV. Any friction you introduce will help you reduce engagement.
- Stay away from the infinite feeds. Once you engage with them, its easy to lose track of time. If you must use them, set a timer to steal your attention back.
- Night hygiene. Use Dark mode or Night Mode on your phone and computer. This reduces the blue light that suppresses your sleep system. Additionally, stop screens 30–60 minutes before bed if sleep suffers. AASM PMC
- Morning intention. Social media and news feeds are dominated by provocative things. Be mindful about what digital information you consume first thing in the morning -- it could impact your entire day. Don't engage with your phone immediately after waking up.
- Go grayscale. Consider using grayscale on your phone, especially when using social media, videos and news. Many phones allow you to setup a hotkey to quickly enable and disable grayscale. Evidence has shown this is an effective way to reduce stimulation. PMC
- Stop Digital Snacking. Replace your digital snacking habit with something useful. Use Cognitive-behavioral therapy to notice → Name the trigger → Swap the behavior (e.g., 10 breaths / walk / stretch) → Reward. PubMed PMC Nature Also consider meditation to improve your ability to cope with the lack of stimulation.
Bonus: Digital Detox
A digital detox can help your body reset and help you start the process of breaking bad habits you have with technology. So much of our engagement with technology is mindless from habitual use. If you can't find your phone or you forget it at home, does your anxiety immediately rise? Try a 72 hour detox, starting on a Thursday put your phone away when you go to bed, stay off your computer, tablet, TV and phone. Don't engage with it again until Monday morning.