In today’s world, they are only able to find a world that delivers the outcome as quickly as it is requested. From effortlessly scrolling through our newsfeed to swiping right on a TV series marathon or hitting ten grand in an online casino on this website, our brains are regularly flooded with dopamine – the happy hormone. But what happens for this unending digital immediacy to re-script the very circuits of motivation and decision making?
A Review of Dopamine Modulation of Reward and Addiction
The molecular drive shown below demonstrates that dopamine has a significant function in how one learns to repeat behaviors that are rewarding or exciting. Las Vegas has people instantly know that they are in a casino when they spin a roulette wheel or see a slot machine light up because these feelings make the brain and the body tingle with excitement. Thus, following and likes on social networks, as well as app responses, stimulate the same processes as rapid rewards.
But over the long-term this change in stimulation rewires the brain’s reward system. The more of them we get, the less ability our brains have to respond to rewards and make us feel happy: we need more and more, and more frequently. This is why little by little, gamblers chase their losses and why users of today’s tech products binge on gadgets and apps to the point that it feels out of their control.
The Casino Connection
With regard to this conditioned behavior, casinos, and gambling platforms are past masters at leveraging. These include smaller rewards whereby a game nearly rewards its user or large rewards that are given occasionally to keep the game’s user engaged. These mechanisms imitate how apps as well as video games are designed such that they provide certain unpredictable stimuli to maintain our focus.
Signs of a Dopamine Overload
To recognize if instant gratification is reshaping your brain’s reward circuits, watch for these signs:
- Diminished Enjoyment: Things you used to enjoy doing no longer bring as much pleasure, because there is no release of dopamine.
- Constant Checking: It could be an online gambling site or an Instagram, you get the urge to refresh Continually.
- Craving Escalation: You require more frequent or high risk association in order to get that buzz.
- Avoid spending too much time with casinos and technologies to avoid getting overstimulated.
- Change impulsive behavior with long-term values which include hobbies or exercise as a way to change the routine.
Focus on mindfulness if you want to learn how to stop reacting impulsively.
In order to Break the Cycle free from the dopamine trap requires intentional actions:
Conclusion
People are obsessed with technology, and gambling is associated with the same brain stimuli and can easily addict us. The first step towards regaining control of the actions we make, and thus, making the right choices that are more beneficial to our mental and psychological health, is to understand that it is dopamine that is leading us on.