American rapper and actor Joey Bada$$ has shared deep concerns about the psychological impact of constant social media use, warning that society’s dependence on digital platforms could soon be classified as a mental health disorder.
Speaking during a new podcast conversation with former NFL quarterback Cam Newton, the Brooklyn-born lyricist described modern online behavior as “overstimulation,” saying people have become desensitized to real emotions and genuine experiences due to endless scrolling.
“We are overly stimulated. Like every day, we’re taking in so many different images,” Joey said. “The content doesn’t really hit the same anymore because we’re desensitized in a way. Think about how many videos we all watch in a day.”
The 29-year-old 1999 rapper admitted that he often feels the need to disconnect from social media to protect his mental health, predicting that medical experts will soon recognize social media addiction as a legitimate disorder.
“I truly believe that in the next five to ten years, they’ll come up with a diagnosis — a mental health condition — as a result of our overconsumption of social media. I believe that. It’s gonna happen,” he said.
Joey described the modern era as the “first generation living with these devices 24/7,” emphasizing that boredom — once a natural part of human life — has vanished.
“Nobody is bored anymore,” he added. “The gap of boredom is filled with checking your phone endlessly. It’s dopamine. It’s addiction. Your brain is programmed to seeing something new around the clock — that’s not normal.”
