Dramatic claim: a renowned neuroscientist warns that today’s social media design is quietly reprogramming young minds through rapid dopamine surges that fuel instant engagement. The concern centers on how doomscrolling could be reshaping brains over time, especially in children.
Susannah Tye, who leads a research group at the Queensland Brain Institute, supports News Corp Australia’s Let Them Be Kids campaign to cut off access to social media for under-16s starting December 10. Her stance comes from personal experience as a mother, coupled with her scientific perspective.
Speaking from a mother’s viewpoint, she described watching her own children respond to these platforms in real time. “Even while applying everything I know from neuroscience, I can see the brain’s reward systems activating during use and the effects of withdrawal afterward,” she explained. “There’s real concern about potential damage during formative years, and our understanding of how this affects vulnerable children—especially those who are neurodivergent—remains incomplete.” She emphasized that until protective measures are clearer, withdrawal appears to be the only viable option. “Kids, particularly those in the younger generation, are being targeted earlier and with increasingly sophisticated methods.”
Anna Lembke, a medical director at Stanford University, has drawn an analogy between smartphones and a modern hypodermic needle that delivers a constant stream of digital dopamine.
Tye described the immediate dopamine spike experienced when scrolling through TikTok or Instagram, noting that the brain’s architecture marks anything attention-grabbing as important through dopamine release. This neurotransmitter is tied to attention and responsiveness, she explained.
Yet dopamine is not exclusive to pleasure or reward. Commonly linked with highs from substances or sugary foods, it also surges in response to stress or negative events—the brain flags salient, significant moments regardless of their valence.
The risk is particularly acute for youth, whose developing brains may bear long-term consequences from sustained social media exposure, the associate professor warned. While research is ongoing, the concern is that doom scrolling could subtly alter neural circuits over time.
The brain’s plasticity means frequently used networks strengthen while those less engaged may weaken. Prolonged cycles of fast, emotionally charged online content could reinforce limbic system activity—our “survival brain” that governs rapid, impulsive reactions. In turn, higher-order networks responsible for critical thinking, sustained focus, problem-solving, and adaptive decision-making might receive less attention.
If these patterns persist, the result could be a diminished capacity to think clearly and navigate an increasingly complex world. According to Tye, this isn’t just about momentary distraction; it’s about shifting long-term cognitive balance.
While more investigation is needed, early signals suggest meaningful red flags about how social media use may influence brain development and long-term brain health.
