Mar 23

Mar 23 On Short-Form Content & Dopamine

Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels.

You’ve probably heard of popcorn lung. But, have you ever heard of popcorn brain? “Popcorn brain,” a term coined by researcher David Levy, describes the brain “popping” from one task or thought to another. “Popcorn brain” is not a diagnosis that is recognized by the American Psychiatric Association or the American Psychological Association. However, it is a term that can be used to describe various mental states that come from the rapid consumption of content.

As of 2026, the average adult attention span is 47 seconds. This is a rapid drop from 2.5 minutes in 2004. With the overwhelming tasks that we face daily, it may seem right to multitask. However, reports have shown that multitasking leads to extreme stress and fatigue. While it may seem like multitasking is easy while you’re in the right state of mind, it’s highly demanding for the brain. This causes “attention fatigue,” which increases distractibility and difficulty focusing.

An endless network of short-form videos are designed to keep you in a cycle of reward. Each new form of entertainment or “scroll” is registered in your brain as a reward. Dopamine, the chemical that affects reward and motivation, is constantly spiked, fluctuating well above baseline level. To put it into perspective, a dopamine baseline level is when a human is in a rested and calm state, usually the case in the morning.

If you ever feel like the hardest part about any task is just getting started, dopamine levels back this up. Focusing on a sustained task keeps the brain’s dopamine at a steady baseline level, which is why it can feel rewarding to finish the task after a sustained duration of focus. However, to achieve this, dopamine levels must drop back to baseline to maintain focus.

How Can We Fix It?

Use “out of sight, out of mind” to your advantage!

Put your phone or other distractions in another room, or simply hide it from view. Turn on Do Not Disturb to ensure you won't feel inclined to check a notification.
If there’s a particular app you want to limit, turn off all notifications. This way, you’re not getting reminded to constantly check the app.
Keep your home screen limited to just one page. If you have the option to remove an app from your home screen but keep it installed on your phone, this is the best way to forget about certain apps.

Make your phone boring.

Go to the “Filter” section in the Settings app of their phone to turn everything black and white, as your color receptors are tied to dopamine levels. This makes your phone a not-so-fun place to be.

Practice delayed gratification.

Delayed gratification is the ability to resist short-term pleasures and dopamine spikes to achieve greater long-term rewards. According to SimplyPsychology, children were offered one marshmallow now, or two if they waited in the Stanford Marshmallow Test. Researchers were driven to explore how exhibiting early signs of self control could relate to success in the future. These children were followed over decades after the experiment. Initially, the children that chose to wait saw better outcomes in test scores, social skills, and physical health. While later research showed that various environmental factors contributed to children's life outcomes and initial answers, delayed gratification is still an essential skill for long-term goals and future outlook—especially for those past their childhood years. Continuous scrolling and consumption of short-form content is comparable to the Marshmallow Test. Every time you scroll instead of wait, your brain is becoming more and more accustomed to gaining instant rewards instead of working and waiting towards bigger ones. Regardless of your environment or your self control contributing more to your gratification delay, there’s always steps to take if you want to strive for more productivity. While you may not be able to control your environment, you can control your ability to delay gratification.

Stick to “clean” dopamine sources.

These are your non-artificial sources of dopamine, the way our ancestors got their dopamine. Dopamine levels are raised steadily in response to these stimuli rather than an instant spike that’s attributed to short-form content.

Exercise (walking, yoga, lifting)
High-protein foods rich in tyrosine (eggs, dairy, nuts, lean meat)
Sleep
Cold showers
Sunlight exposure
Meditation
Music
Completing small goals

So, next time you have a long day and just want that quick rush of dopamine and rewarding feelings, try taking a walk or completing a small task! This way, you’ll avoid that dreaded dopamine crash and stay at a sweet and steady level. It’s better for your brain health as well as your productivity and ability to focus in the long run.