I once asked a small group of people whether they ever missed checking their preferred social media account for a day. You’re right, they haven’t.
And haven’t you too?
As far as I can remember, there’s never a point within the day that you’ll never find me holding my phone. Do you also find yourself the same way?
From Digital Addictions Are Drowning Us in Dopamine:
Our brains evolved this fine-tuned balance over millions of years in which pleasures were scarce and dangers ever-present. The problem today is that we no longer live in that world. Instead, we now live in a world of overwhelming abundance. The quantity, variety and potency of highly reinforcing drugs and behaviors has never been greater. In addition to addictive substances like sugar and opioids, there is also a whole new class of electronic addictions that didn’t exist until about 20 years ago: texting, tweeting, surfing the web, online shopping and gambling. These digital products are engineered to be addictive, using flashing lights, celebratory sounds and “likes” to promise ever-greater rewards just a click away,
It’s even frightening to think what kind of people we’re becoming just by considering how we often become antsy when we’re not holding our phones. It might be difficult (at first) but never impossible.
From Digital Addictions Are Drowning Us in Dopamine:
Not everyone plays videogames, but just about all of us have a digital drug of choice, and it probably involves using a smartphone—the equivalent of the hypodermic needle for a wired generation. Reducing phone use is notoriously difficult, because at first it causes the brain’s pleasure-pain balance to tilt to the side of pain, making us feel restless and cranky. But if we can keep it up long enough, the benefits of a healthier dopamine balance are worth it. Our minds are less preoccupied with craving, we are more able to be present in the moment, and life’s little unexpected joys are rewarding again.
jessa 