Dopamine Detox is a ... let's call it a notion that surfaced in 2019. I don't think it's particularly controversial to claim that people in the smartphone saturated developed world are often addicted to social media and the online content mills. Having instant access to infinite content is a mixed blessing. On one hand boredom is theoretically over. On the other hand we have collectively lost control of our attention. All of the wonderful opportunities for self-improvement and spiritual development have been stolen by big tech. Why do we let them get away with this every waking moment of our day? It can only be explained by a crippling addiction to Dopamine.
I am not a neurologist so take what I'm about to say with a grain of salt. Dopamine is the brain chemical that generates interest. Bright colors, music, games, drama, comedy, and all of the other things that generate interest are generating dopamine. The puppet masters of this world control you by constantly offering dopamine in the form of cat videos, rage bait, and Reddit content dubbed over Minecraft parkour in smaller and smaller units creating the constant impulse to engage with content. We must break free by purging ourselves of screen time and pursuing whatever is truly meaningful.
So, how does one actually do a dopamine detox? Delete all social media, get rid of your Steam library, stop watching porn, stop watching Netflix, stop watching TV, stop listening to music, stop listening to podcasts, destroy your phone, destroy your computer, give up drugs, give up alcohol, give up junk food, touch grass, meditate, move to a cabin in the deep wilderness, mail bombs, renounce all pleasure, renounce all desire, renounce livin- huh, what's that? You just want to be less addicted to social media? Well, I guess you could just stop at the first step but you'll never defeat the archons and escape samsara with that attitude.
More seriously, dopamine is one of the most important neurotransmitters animating you and should not be removed. It is probably desirable to disconnect its generation from compulsive behaviors that are likely to seem like wastes of time years (or seconds) down the road and attach it to more productive ends. In practice a dopamine detox refers to any thing that is meant to accomplish that. Unfortunately, this is a meme being transmitted on social media so much of the advice is worse than useless. Combine this with the whole influencer fueled "go hard or go home" attitude of the para-social landscape and it has the potential to be the psychological equivalent of a crash diet. If there is any value to be gleaned from this it's likely to come from making sure that whatever addictions are broken stay broken. Follow through is likely to be more valuable than complete success at the outset. Go into any behavioral modifications with specific, moderate, long term goals.
Love it or hate it, the dopamine detox seems to be here to stay. Google trends shows it to have achieved its highest use at the time of writing.
IRON NODER XVII: ALL'S FERROUS IN LOVE AND NODING