Science Weekly How to stop doomscrolling and reclaim your brain
31 snips
Jan 18, 2024 Catherine Price, co-writer of Reclaim your brain newsletter, investigates the science behind excessive phone use. Prof Barbara Sahakian explains why we are drawn to bad news on our phones. Topics include app addiction, the impact of smartphones on attention and memory, negative effects of doomscrolling on mental health and brain function, and strategies to stop doomscrolling and redirect attention.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Catherine Price's eBay Habit
- Catherine Price's problematic app was eBay, where she compulsively scrolled for vintage doorknobs.
- She realized this habit negatively impacted her relationship with her daughter during late-night scrolling.
Phones Harm Focus and Memory
- Phones fragment our attention, reducing our ability to sustain focus.
- They interfere with memory by disrupting the brain's process to move short-term into long-term memories.
Dopamine Drives Phone Addiction
- Dopamine triggers from phones make our brains want to repeatedly check for new information.
- Techniques borrowed from slot machines create addictive intermittent rewards in apps.