Why Does Constant Access To Technology And Information Overwhelm the Brain?
Researchers estimate that the human brain processes the equivalent of around 100,000 words or 74 GB of data every single day. To put that into perspective, a person living a few centuries ago would need an entire lifetime to absorb that much information. No wonder many of us feel exhausted, distracted, and overstimulated. Our devices, apps, and the endless stream of news and notifications are like an open floodgate that never closes. The question is: how do we use technology in a way that supports us, instead of draining us?
How Overstimulation Shows Up In Adults
The good news is that we are not powerless. While some factors—like traffic noise, crowded trains, or city billboards—are outside our control, much of the overload we experience is a direct result of the choices we make. Do we check our phone the second we wake up? Do we keep notifications on for every app? Do we binge-watch shows until midnight even when we’re exhausted? These are areas where we can step in and set boundaries.
Most people associate overstimulation with children. We hear about kids surrounded by screens, toys, flashing lights, and loud cartoons who end up cranky, restless, and unable to fall asleep. But adults aren’t much different. Our nervous systems may be more mature, yet they still have limits. Constant exposure to information and noise makes us distracted, anxious, and fatigued. You might notice that you can’t concentrate on a single task for long, or that you instinctively grab your phone every few minutes without even thinking. Headaches, irritability, and restless sleep often follow.
The sources of overstimulation are everywhere: the relentless background hum of the city, advertisements shouting for attention, emails and messages piling up, the cold blue light of monitors late at night. Even leisure has become noisy—scrolling through social media or switching between multiple screens doesn’t give the brain the break it needs. Instead of winding down, we overload it even more.
One of the biggest casualties of this lifestyle is sleep. Our bodies and minds rely on deep rest to recover and process the day, yet we sabotage ourselves by cutting into our nights with endless scrolling, streaming, or work. Imagine trying to run a marathon every single day without ever stopping to refuel—eventually the body collapses. The brain is no different.
Practical steps can make a real difference. For example, setting a digital curfew an hour before bed, leaving your phone in another room during meals, or replacing background noise with short moments of silence can significantly reduce the load on your nervous system. Taking a walk in nature, even for 15 minutes, can reset your mind far more effectively than another scroll through Instagram. Choosing one activity to do fully—like reading a book without multitasking—can also remind the brain how to focus again.
The truth is, technology itself isn’t the enemy. It’s the constant, unchecked use of it that wears us down. By creating pockets of silence and intentional disconnection, we give our minds the space to breathe—and in that space, we often find the clarity, energy, and calm we’ve been missing.
Phone Addiction
The smartphone has become the most powerful symbol of our times. It’s with us from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep—and sometimes even in the middle of the night when we can’t resist checking a notification. What was once a tool for making calls has now turned into an all-in-one device: a diary, a navigator, a TV, a wallet, a fitness tracker, and a camera. We rely on it for work, entertainment, communication, and even relaxation. The problem is that this reliance has quietly transformed into dependency. We are not just using our phones anymore—our phones are using us.
It’s no coincidence that February 6th was named World Day without Cell Phones. A special holiday would not exist if phones weren’t dominating our lives. They are everywhere, in every hand, across every generation. Parents hand phones to toddlers just to keep them quiet for a few minutes, while grandparents learn to video call their families or pay bills through mobile apps. In many ways, this is progress—technology connects generations like never before. But it also creates a silent trap: the more we depend on phones, the less capable we are of functioning without them.
Think about how many times you check your phone each day. For many people, it’s dozens or even hundreds. We scroll when we’re waiting for the bus, we scroll when conversations get dull, we scroll before bed, and often the very first thing we do when we wake up is grab the phone from the nightstand. The device is so integrated into daily life that not seeing it within arm’s reach can trigger irritation or even panic. That reaction alone is a strong signal that what we’re dealing with is not simple convenience, but addiction.
This addiction shows up in more ways than one. On a psychological level, social media intensifies our tendency to compare ourselves to others. We measure our own happiness against carefully staged snapshots of someone else’s life: their vacation photos, their fitness results, their new house. Over time, this creates frustration, envy, and a deep sense of inadequacy. On a relational level, phone use eats away at real connection. How many times have you seen a child tug at their parent’s sleeve, only to be ignored because the parent is lost in a glowing screen? How often do couples sit at dinner, each scrolling silently instead of talking? What looks like “being connected” online often translates to emotional absence in real life.
It’s not just children and teenagers who are affected, though they are particularly vulnerable. Students find it nearly impossible to read a chapter of a textbook without pausing to “just check something” on Instagram or TikTok. Even adults notice that their ability to focus on long articles, books, or meaningful conversations has eroded. The brain, trained to expect constant stimulation and dopamine bursts from likes and notifications, rebels against stillness. The result is shorter attention spans, restlessness, and anxiety when disconnected.
This isn’t accidental. Apps are designed to be addictive. Every notification, every swipe, every short video is engineered to keep us hooked for “just a few more minutes.” Companies profit from our attention, so they compete to hold it for as long as possible. The rise of short-form videos is a perfect example—our tolerance for slower, more reflective content has dropped. Why read a five-page article when you can watch a 15-second clip? The problem is that these “quick hits” of entertainment condition our brains to expect constant novelty, making patience and deep focus increasingly rare skills.
The consequences are serious. Many people experience “phantom vibrations,” thinking their phone buzzed when it didn’t. Others admit to feeling sudden waves of panic when their battery dies or when they realize they left the phone at home. Psychologists even compare this behavioral dependency to substance addiction, with phones sometimes called “the cocaine of our time.” While smartphones won’t damage the liver or lungs, they reshape our brains, our habits, and our relationships.
So what can we do? A total break from phones is unrealistic for most of us, especially since many jobs depend on them. But practicing “digital hygiene” is possible and necessary. That might mean creating phone-free zones, like the dinner table or the bedroom. It could be setting app limits, turning off nonessential notifications, or leaving the phone in another room during family time. Some people find success with “digital fasting,” choosing one day a week or even just a few hours a day without screens. Even small boundaries can make a big difference.
What matters most is paying attention to how we feel. Are we restless when we can’t check our phone? Do we lose track of time when scrolling? Do we feel irritable, distracted, or drained afterward? These are warning signs worth noticing. If left unchecked, phone addiction chips away not only at our mental health but also at the quality of our relationships and our sense of presence in the real world.
In the end, the phone should serve us—not the other way around. By taking back control, even in small steps, we remind ourselves that life happens here and now, not just on the other side of a glowing screen.
How to Deal with Information Overload and Excessive Device Use
Taking care of our mental hygiene in today’s world requires conscious choices. Expecting people to abandon their phones altogether is unrealistic—our lives and work are too intertwined with technology. But there are practical ways to limit unnecessary screen time, especially during moments of rest, and they don’t require dramatic lifestyle changes.
Simple steps can make a big difference. For instance, keeping the phone outside the bedroom prevents the temptation to scroll late into the night, which research shows disrupts sleep quality. Others benefit from turning off nonessential notifications so they aren’t constantly pulled into apps by meaningless pings. For some, uninstalling the most time-consuming apps altogether is the most effective approach—TikTok, Instagram, or even certain games. A friend of mine only checks Facebook on a laptop, which forces him to use it intentionally instead of aimlessly tapping on his phone every few minutes. Small adjustments like these can create real breathing room.
The issue becomes even more urgent when it comes to children. While adults struggle with habits, young kids are at risk of long-term harm. A child’s brain is still developing, and screen exposure can interfere with that process in ways scientists are only beginning to fully understand. Studies suggest that excessive screen time can affect gray matter development, which is tied to critical functions like speech, vision, self-control, and emotional regulation. Instead of using a phone to pacify children, parents can encourage activities that support healthy growth: outdoor play, family board games, sports, or even simple creative activities like drawing or building something together. These moments not only protect a child’s brain but also strengthen bonds within the family.
For adults, phone use often operates on autopilot. We pick up the device during a movie, while waiting in line, or even in the middle of a conversation—without realizing it. It’s like muscle memory has taken over. Breaking this cycle means creating friction. Putting the phone in another room, setting it on “do not disturb,” or even keeping it in a drawer can help retrain the brain. At first, it feels uncomfortable, almost like withdrawal, but with consistency it gets easier. Over time, that reflexive urge to check the screen weakens.
Learn to Rest and Take Care of Sleep
Our brains weren’t designed to process endless streams of notifications, videos, and breaking news. When we’re overstimulated, the best thing we can do is disconnect. The key is to deliberately build pauses into daily life. Even short screen-free moments can make a difference—sitting quietly with a book, taking a walk in the park, listening to music without simultaneously scrolling, or simply enjoying silence. Nature in particular has a restorative effect, helping lower stress and reset attention.
Evenings deserve special attention. Calming down before bed can transform the quality of rest. That might mean dimming lights, avoiding negative or overly stimulating content, or replacing late-night scrolling with a calming routine like journaling or reading. Blue light filters on devices help, but the best solution is reducing screen exposure altogether.
Good sleep hygiene is as important as diet and exercise. A cool, dark room supports deep rest, while the absence of late-night notifications prevents the mind from being jolted awake. Just as we wouldn’t drink strong coffee right before sleep, we should treat digital stimulation with the same caution.
The reality is that we can’t shut down the digital world—it surrounds us. But we can decide how we interact with it. By consciously reducing unnecessary stimulation and prioritizing moments of true rest, we give ourselves the chance to recover from information overload and restore balance.