#321 The Ayurvedic Psychiatrist Who’s Helping Millions Break Free from Internet Addiction | Dr Alok Kanojia

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Oct 29, 2025

Join Dr. Alok Kanojia, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, as he dives into the complexities of internet addiction and mental health. He discusses the brain's dopamine loops that keep us hooked on our devices and shares signs of unhealthy online habits. Learn about practical strategies for creating healthier tech boundaries, the role of meditation and Vedic philosophy, and how to navigate parenting in the digital age. Plus, hear his personal journey from gaming addiction to mindfulness practices.

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INSIGHT

Two Competing Brain Systems

The brain has competing systems: rational cortical structures versus primitive dopaminergic circuits like the nucleus accumbens.
Phone use activates primitive reward circuits, creating cravings that oppose rational intentions.

INSIGHT

Dopamine As A Finite Daily Resource

Dopamine is a limited daily resource that early consumption reduces motivation later.
Starting the day with high-reward tech squeezes available dopamine for meaningful tasks.

INSIGHT

Tech Numbs Emotional Motivation

Tech both rewards and numbs emotions, reducing motivation driven by feelings like guilt or anger.
This global emotional numbing makes everyday activities feel unrewarding and drains drive.

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Why is it so hard to put our phones down even when we know they’re making us anxious? Today we’re going to unpack the neurochemistry of why we get hooked on devices and games, and how to reclaim our mental wellbeing from somebody who’s helping millions of people do this everyday.

This week I’m joined by Dr. Alok Kanojia, Harvard-trained psychiatrist and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, to discuss digital devices, the science behind dopamine loops and how to develop a healthy relationship with our phones and more.

We explore:

📲 The brain circuits behind digital addiction (dopamine, the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens + more)

⚠️ Signs your online use is tipping from healthy to harmful

👨‍👩‍👧 Parenting in the digital age how to set boundaries without battles

🧘 The surprising role of Vedic philosophy, meditation, and yoga in rewiring the brain

🔑 Dr. K’s top tools for building a healthy, long-term relationship with technology

If you’ve ever asked yourself “Am I addicted to my phone?” or struggled with screen time limits, this conversation blends science, psychiatry, and ancient wisdom to give you practical strategies for balance.

We also take a massive tangent at the end of this podcast to talk about his spiritual side, the vedic teaching around personality traits and how Alok balances his beliefs about other worlds with a purely science informed approach. This is something I’m personally very interested in and while it’s a slight departure from the rigorous evidence based medicine approach we usually maintain on the DK podcast, I wanted to share this personal perspective with you all.