Are you feeling fried?
As headlines scream doom and gloom and the baseline for social discourse revolves around everything that is going wrong in the world, it is imperative for our well-being that we learn to push the pause button.
The emotional climate in which we conduct our financial advisory business has shifted monumentally in the last year. There is nothing new about the idea that investors can be irrational. And media has always played a role in how the markets move and people behave. But never has the negativity bias become so pronounced. It appears at times that people have lost their ability to think independently, to behave rationally and to discern truth from fiction. On a daily basis we are asking people to take a deep breath, step back and think things though. Push the Pause Button. And it is not easy.
One of the reasons it is becoming difficult to press pause is linked directly to the exponentially increasing amount of time people are spending, thus decreasing our ability to turn off our phones, close our laptops and move away from screens.
We have all have experienced this. There is something oddly magnetic about the infinite scroll whether it’s checking the markets, catching up on the news or consuming futile content on social media. Let’s look at what may be driving this, and how it quietly affects our habits, attention, and well-being.
The Dopamine Dilemma
Dopamine is a hormone released in our brain and is tied to reward, motivation, and drive. It’s what pushes us to take action: to eat when we’re hungry, to reach out for connection, and yes, to check our phones. But here’s the thing, the digital world has become astonishingly good at hijacking this system.
Social media, breaking news alerts, even investment headlines deliver what scientists call “novel stimuli” that is essentially new bits of information that spike our dopamine. Each scroll or tap is a potential reward. This is why we feel compelled to keep going. It’s not weakness. It’s chemistry.
Doomscrolling: Why It Happens
There’s even a name for this habit: doomscrolling. It’s the compulsion to keep consuming information, especially negative, intense content, beyond the point where it is constructive. We read economic updates, political headlines, or market data and believe we are staying informed and being responsible investors. And although staying informed can be helpful when the stream is constant and emotionally charged,[2]it can wear on our nervous system and affect self-regulation.
Our brains are wired to look for danger and seek safety. But when we’re overwhelmed by a flood of constant input, especially curated by attention-grabbing algorithms, the result can be anxiety, depression and fatigue instead of insight. The reality is that the algorithms today don’t just deliver information. They shape it based on what keeps us engaged. And what tends to keep people engaged? Emotion, outrage, shock, and fright. These digital cues whisper what we want to hear, and fear, not what we necessarily need.
The Cost of the Constant Hit
While dopamine gives us that short-term buzz, it’s serotonin that delivers lasting happiness. Serotonin is yet another hormone, built through deeper activities: being outdoors, meditation, pursuing long-term goals, and spending time in meaningful conversation. When we rely too much on dopamine-based activities, like constant scrolling, we start to notice subtle costs: trouble focusing, lower patience, heightened impulsivity due to diminishing emotional control, and even less satisfaction from things that used to bring us joy.
In younger generations, there's now widespread awareness of this dynamic. They speak openly about "dopamine detoxes" and use tools to limit screen time. But for many in a more mature demographic, the safeguards aren't always clear or easy to apply. The result? A kind of silent burnout, draining our energy, attention, and mental clarity.
Why This Matters Financially
Investing, retirement planning, and financial decision making require clear, calm thinking, and patience. When one is in a loop of dopamine-driven behaviors, we are more likely to make reactive choices, especially during heightened market volatility. It is almost impossible to pause and reflect when the brain is being systematically trained to react as if there is imminent danger. Terrible, life altering financial decisions can be made when we are hijacked by fear.
What We Can Do
● Curate your feed: Unfollow what drains you. Keep what uplifts and educates.
● Digital detox: Try one day a week offline or use app timers.
● Return to nature: Time outdoors naturally boosts serotonin.
● Pause before reacting: Whether it’s a headline or a market dip, take a breath.
AtSophia Financial Group, we are not just watching the numbers. We are paying attention to the emotional and mental load that comes with them. And we implore you to do the same.
For further information on this topic read: Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke or listen to Andrew Huberman on Spotify.