A Review of the Psychological Effects and Neurocognitive Mechanisms of Yoga in Modulating Social Media and Internet Addiction

Erfan Shakibi
Holistic Yoga Teacher
Academic Member of the International Holistic Yoga Therapy Institute (IHYTI)
Member of the Psychology and Counseling Organization of Iran
M.A. in Psychology
www.ihyti.com

Abstract

Problematic smartphone use and social media addiction have become major mental health challenges in the digital age. Recent research indicates that this behavioral disorder is rooted in an imbalance between a hypersensitive reward system, based on the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, and an immature executive control system, based on the prefrontal cortex. This systematic review was conducted to examine the psychological effects and neurocognitive mechanisms of yoga and its role in modulating social media and Internet addiction.
A review of studies published between 2020 and 2026 indicates that yoga operates through two complementary pathways: bottom-up regulation, through modulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increased vagal tone, and top-down regulation, through strengthening prefrontal connectivity and inhibiting impulsive reward-seeking behaviors. At the molecular level, evidence suggests increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) following yoga practice, providing a basis for neuroplasticity and the restoration of networks involved in addiction. Furthermore, recent randomized clinical trials have reported significant reductions in problematic smartphone use following yoga interventions.This article presents an integrated model of the neurocognitive mechanisms of yoga and provides a theoretical framework for designing evidence-based interventions in the field of digital addiction.

Keywords: Yoga, Social Media Addiction, Internet, Prefrontal Cortex, Default Mode Network, HPA Axis, Neuroplasticity.

Introduction

Problematic smartphone and social media use has become a major public health challenge over the past decade. A recent meta-analysis involving more than 5,000 students reported a prevalence rate of 41.93% for this phenomenon, which has been strongly associated with chronic stress, depression, and academic decline [1]. Social media addiction is characterized by symptoms such as compulsive engagement, withdrawal symptoms, and impairment in daily functioning, and is rooted in the specific neurobiological context of adolescence [1].
Neuroscientific research indicates that social media addiction arises from a “developmental mismatch” in the brain: on the one hand, the brain’s reward system, particularly the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc), becomes hypersensitive to immediate social feedback such as “likes” and notifications; on the other hand, the prefrontal cortex (PFC)-based executive control system has not yet reached sufficient maturity [1]. This imbalance provides the basis for impulsive behaviors and the vicious cycle of compulsive social media use.
Across all behavioral addictions, three brain circuits become simultaneously dysregulated: the reward circuit becomes hypersensitive, the stress circuit becomes chronically activated, and the executive control circuit becomes weakened [2]. Within this framework, social media platforms modulate neural pathways through reward-reinforcement mechanisms in ways that reinforce excessive use [3].
Although cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) remain the gold standard, recent evidence suggests that these interventions face limitations in addressing the multidimensional aspects of addiction, particularly the physiological dysregulation of stress and reward systems [1]. This gap highlights the need to examine holistic interventions such as yoga, which simultaneously influence physical, psychological, and neural dimensions [4].

2. Findings
Neuroimaging research in recent years has substantially advanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying yoga. A study by Goodrick et al. (2025), using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in 27 healthy adults, demonstrated that all active yoga postures (asanas) significantly increased prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity, particularly in the right hemisphere [5].
This finding is significant because the prefrontal cortex plays a central role in executive control, response inhibition, and emotion regulation—functions that are substantially impaired in social media addiction. One of the most interesting findings of this study was a marked reduction in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the left medial prefrontal cortex, a region that forms a central component of the default mode network (DMN) [5].
This network becomes active during resting states of the brain and is associated with rumination, negative self-referential processing, and traumatic memory; activity that is markedly elevated in individuals with depression, anxiety, and digital addiction [5, 6]. Encouragingly, yoga practice was able to reduce these hyperactive connections. In other words, by “calming” the network that keeps the mind engaged in repetitive and anxiety-provoking thoughts, yoga facilitates self-regulation and present-moment awareness.
Broader studies have also demonstrated that yoga, through its effects on the dynamics of visual, insular, and frontal networks, improves attention and decision-making and provides a multi-network basis for mental concentration [7].
Social media addiction is characterized by dysregulation of the mesolimbic reward system, in which immediate rewards such as likes and comments reinforce compulsive behaviors through dopamine release [1, 3]. Yoga reconstructs and improves this system through morphological and dopaminergic changes in regions associated with the reward circuit [8].

Behera and Bandyopadhyay (2026), drawing on the shared neurobiological mechanisms of addiction, argue that yoga provides a holistic approach to the treatment of digital addiction by modulating neural circuits involved in addictive behaviors [9]. The efficacy of yoga in substance dependence provides a strong theoretical basis for its application to smartphone addiction [9].
In fact, yoga operates through two complementary pathways: the bottom-up pathway, which modulates stress responses by reducing HPA-axis hyperactivity and increasing vagal tone [1]; and the top-down pathway, which enhances cognitive control and inhibition of impulsive behaviors by strengthening prefrontal connectivity [1, 5].
At the molecular level, yoga increases BDNF and GABA, thereby providing the neuroplastic foundation necessary for the restoration of neural networks involved in addiction [1].
Recent clinical trials have also confirmed the efficacy of yoga. A study involving 150 university students demonstrated that 10 weeks of yoga significantly reduced problematic smartphone use, and this effect remained stable for up to two months [10]. Other studies involving adolescents have reported reductions in Internet addiction, anxiety, and depression following yoga interventions [11, 12, 13].
A network meta-analysis of 24 trials identified yoga as one of the most effective mind-body interventions for reducing symptoms of Internet addiction [14]. Asynchronous online yoga has also been shown to be an acceptable and feasible intervention. A study involving 40 adults found that 85% of participants completed follow-up assessments and demonstrated significant reductions in stress and sleep disturbance [15].
Synchronous yoga is more effective for improving fatigue and pain-related quality of life, although both approaches improve quality of life [16].
The effects of yoga extend beyond reducing addiction and contribute to improved mental health. A study involving 1,185 individuals found that online yoga practitioners had lower levels of stress, anxiety, and depression [17].
An 11-minute online Yoga Nidra practice also reduced depression and was associated with decreased cortisol levels [18]. A meta-analysis confirmed a moderate effect of yoga in reducing perceived stress [19].
Despite the promising evidence, several challenges remain, including small sample sizes, short follow-up periods, variability in intervention protocols, and lower adherence in online interventions [1, 15]. In addition, digital addiction has not yet been formally recognized as a disorder in the DSM-5. Neurocognitive recovery requires a synergistic “home-school-community” model that addresses environmental support beyond the individual [1].

3. Discussion and Conclusion

The findings of this study indicate that yoga has considerable potential to modulate social media addiction through multiple neurocognitive mechanisms. These mechanisms can be explained within an integrated three-level model:
Level One: Neurocircuitry Modulatio
Yoga restores the balance between the executive control system and the reward system by increasing prefrontal cortex activity, particularly in the right hemisphere, and reducing functional connectivity within the default mode network [5]. These neural changes provide the foundation for improved response inhibition and reduced impulsive reward-seeking behaviors.
Level Two: Neurochemical Modulation
By increasing the expression of BDNF and GABA, yoga provides the molecular basis necessary for neuroplasticity and the restoration of neural networks involved in addiction [1]. These molecular changes contribute to the restoration of healthy reward-prediction-error processing, which is severely disrupted in addiction.
Level Three: Psychophysiological Modulation
Through reducing HPA-axis hyperactivity and increasing vagal tone, yoga restores physiological homeostasis and modulates stress responses that play a key role in the addiction cycle [1].
What distinguishes this model from other interventions is the simultaneous effect across all three levels. Whereas cognitive-behavioral interventions primarily focus on the cognitive level and pharmacological interventions primarily target the neurochemical level, yoga, as an “embodied cognitive training,” simultaneously influences all three levels [1].However, several critical points should be considered.
First, most of the available evidence has been derived from studies with small sample sizes and without active control groups, meaning that placebo effects cannot be ruled out. Although the study by Renner et al. (2025), using a music control group, has partially addressed this limitation, larger trials with active controls are still needed [18].
Second, the precise mechanisms through which yoga affects the dopaminergic system remain insufficiently understood, and most of the available evidence is indirect [8]. Future research using more advanced neuroimaging techniques, such as PET or higher-resolution fMRI, may help clarify these mechanisms.
Third, the issue of the effective dose—namely, how much yoga, what type of yoga, for which population, and at what level of addiction severity—is still not clearly established. The considerable variation in yoga protocols across studies makes the development of a unified clinical guideline challenging.
Based on the findings obtained in this study, this review demonstrates that yoga, through multiple neurocognitive mechanisms—including modulation of prefrontal cortex activity, reduction of functional connectivity within the default mode network, regulation of the HPA axis, and increased expression of BDNF and GABA—has considerable potential for modulating social media addiction.
Recent randomized clinical trials have also confirmed significant reductions in problematic smartphone use following yoga interventions. Nevertheless, further research is required to translate these promising findings into practical clinical guidelines.

Future research directions include:

1. Large-scale clinical trials with long-term follow-up to confirm the durability of yoga’s effects on digital addiction.

2. Higher-resolution neuroimaging studies to clarify the precise mechanisms through which yoga affects the reward and executive-control systems.

3. Direct comparative studies between yoga and other interventions, such as CBT, mindfulness, and pharmacological interventions, to determine the optimal role of yoga across different levels of addiction severity.

4. Development of standardized yoga protocols with clearly defined dose, type, and frequency for different populations, including adolescents, adults, and specific subgroups.

5. Investigation of synergistic “home-school-community” models, in which yoga is designed not as a standalone intervention but as part of a comprehensive biopsychosocial-environmental approach [1].
Ultimately, given the increasing prevalence of social media addiction and its serious consequences for mental health, the development of evidence-based yet holistic interventions such as yoga is not a luxury option but a public health necessity.

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