Mental Health and Digitalism are Opposites; Solutions Should Reflect That

Digitalism and mental health are opposites.

Our smartphones are causing an insidious mental health crisis, and there’s a lot of evidence to back this up. Studies have shown that our constant engagement with social media is wreaking havoc on our brains, leading to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.

Other factors undeniably influence the widespread demise of mental health, but digitalism, smartphones, and social media are core contributing factors. Meanwhile, many entrepreneurs have gravitated towards building digital solutions to fix mental health. The more we’ve looked into the space, the more we believe solving an issue created by digitalism with more digitalism isn’t the right approach.

At its core, digitalism is rooted in a desire for instant gratification and immediate feedback. Our brains are wired to seek rewards — whether it’s a dopamine hit from social media likes or a financial return from an investment. But when it comes to mental health, this desire for instant gratification can have disastrous consequences.

Digitalism and mental health are fundamentally at odds with each other, and it’s time we start addressing this disconnect if we are serious about solving the mental health crisis. The products we build to solve mental health should reflect this fundamental fact.