Thank you for this very important and well-written article. You have a marvelous way of explaining how addictive are online activities of any kind and from any source. But especially via our little phone. The way you've described this new assault on our deteriorating ability to have meaningful community interactions and human connections. I forgot about the effect of having our minds and eyes engaged with electronics - the "dopamine" hit of instant gratification. We used to get this by spending time on our computers. On the phone now, it's even worse. I pray that all of us who are getting glued to our little phone or scrolling on our laptops, will start creating a strict time schedule for such "pleasures." For myself, I am getting better at that.
Yes! "When the brain gets used to constant stimulation, normal life starts to feel boring. Real growth feels slow. Real relationships feel demanding. Real success feels too far away. The brain starts preferring quick dopamine instead of meaningful progress."
I couldn't agree more. I don't disagree with a single statement. I am 75 and I have had a computer since 1989, and even before the internet was available, I was totally addicted to it.
However, I never completely lost myself to it. I always knew I had addictions. It wasn't an unconscious thing for me.
In a way, this is old news. We've known about dopamine for a while. Before the internet we had overeating and sex addiction and TV addiction. Even exercising too much can be an addiction. All of those are better, I might add, than being addicted to drugs.
But thank you for reminding us of something we sometimes forget.
Thank you for this very important and well-written article. You have a marvelous way of explaining how addictive are online activities of any kind and from any source. But especially via our little phone. The way you've described this new assault on our deteriorating ability to have meaningful community interactions and human connections. I forgot about the effect of having our minds and eyes engaged with electronics - the "dopamine" hit of instant gratification. We used to get this by spending time on our computers. On the phone now, it's even worse. I pray that all of us who are getting glued to our little phone or scrolling on our laptops, will start creating a strict time schedule for such "pleasures." For myself, I am getting better at that.
Yes! "When the brain gets used to constant stimulation, normal life starts to feel boring. Real growth feels slow. Real relationships feel demanding. Real success feels too far away. The brain starts preferring quick dopamine instead of meaningful progress."
Excellent post!
This is so true !!
I couldn't agree more. I don't disagree with a single statement. I am 75 and I have had a computer since 1989, and even before the internet was available, I was totally addicted to it.
However, I never completely lost myself to it. I always knew I had addictions. It wasn't an unconscious thing for me.
In a way, this is old news. We've known about dopamine for a while. Before the internet we had overeating and sex addiction and TV addiction. Even exercising too much can be an addiction. All of those are better, I might add, than being addicted to drugs.
But thank you for reminding us of something we sometimes forget.
This explains a lot. Thank you.
Excellent essay. Hope it gets a wider readership.
This is brillant.