There are two types of people in the world: those who thrive on notifications, and those who see a red dot on their phone and immediately spiral into an existential crisis. I, proudly, belong to the second group.
Here’s the thing, every buzz, ping, or vibration doesn’t feel like “a message from the universe.” It feels like the universe handing me a tiny panic attack. Psychologically, it makes sense: studies show that constant notifications activate our fight-or-flight response. Translation? My brain thinks an email from “HR Updates” is as dangerous as a tiger.
And don’t get me started on work emails. Nothing ruins a perfectly calm evening like your lock screen casually spoiling tomorrow’s nightmare: “Meeting rescheduled to 8am.” That’s not a notification, that’s a jump scare.
The Psychology of a Ping!
Here’s where it gets interesting. Notifications are essentially little dopamine slot machines. Each buzz promises “something important”, maybe it’s praise, maybe it’s drama, maybe it’s just another 25% off shoes you don’t need. Your brain doesn’t know the difference. It just learns to chase the sound.
But there’s a darker side. Psychologists call it “anticipatory stress”, the constant tension of not knowing what’s behind that red dot. Is it a crisis? Is it spam? Until you check, your brain is on high alert. This is why a harmless “ding” can send your heart racing before you even look at the screen.
What it really means is this: notifications keep us in a state of hyper-vigilance, as if we’re always “on call.” That level of availability isn’t natural. It’s exhausting. Humans weren’t designed to be emotionally hijacked by a discount code at midnight.
So What Now?
Here’s my radical suggestion:
- Silence the pings. Turn off non-essential notifications, your brain deserves quiet.
- Batch your checking. Emails aren’t oxygen; they don’t need hourly refreshes.
- Protect your dopamine. Save it for things that matter (a text from a friend, a great playlist, or yes, the memes).
Because in the end, notifications are like mosquitoes: one won’t kill you, but a swarm will drive you insane. And sanity is worth more than being “always available.”
Until then, my phone is on Do Not Disturb. Not because I don’t care, but because I actually care about my brain.
