Dopamine trap: how we replace real achievements with fake ones
Miscellaneous / / April 04, 2023
Evolution gave us a hormone to motivate us, and we're wasting it on the wrong things.
What is dopamine and how does it work
Dopamine is a hormone anticipation of pleasureb. Knutson, G. W. Fong, C. M. Adams, J. L. Warner, D. hommer. Dissociation of reward anticipation and outcome with event‑related fMRI / NeuroReport and part of the reward and motivation system.
Dopamine is released, in particular, when a person tries something new or aspires to some heights. Moreover, the feeling of pleasure caused by the hormone, although strong but short livedThis is why our phones are making us miserable: happiness isn't the same thing as pleasure, and our brain knows it / Insider. The feeling “I want more!” is responsible for motivation. Therefore, the next release of dopamine is desirable to receive as soon as possible. There is a kind of addiction that makes you chase after a new and new dose.
In general, production dopamine is a very rewarding process. When a person sees a goal, thanks to hormonal nourishment, he focuses on it and goes towards it in order to achieve and get his pleasure. This forces you to put in a little more effort to overcome higher barriers. For example, chasing a mammoth, although quite edible roots grow near the cave. Or seek the location of the first beauty of the tribe, although there are women and more accessible.
In this scenario, dependence on dopamine does not look dangerous. Centuries ago, a person had to make a lot of effort for the sake of pleasure. And without hormonal support, it would be difficult to find motivation for such accomplishments.
But what happens when dopamine becomes cheap? Scientists James Olds and Peter Milner experimentJ. Olds, P. Milner. Positive reinforcement produced by electrical stimulation of septal area and other regions of rat brain / Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology. They implanted an electrode into the rat's brain, the effect of which stimulated the production of the hormone. The animal itself could press the button to receive a dose of dopamine. What it was doing, forgetting about food, water, sleep and other basic needs. people in similar experimentR. J. Heath. Electrical self-stimulation of the brain in man / American Journal of Psychiatry behaved a little more rationally.
How do we fall into the dopamine trap?
It is unlikely that anyone will be able to get electrodes into the brain now. But there are plenty of other sources of cheap dopamine. Here are some of them:
- Computer games. And smartphone games too. Passing a level, getting an achievement - all this is an easy way to earn dopamine. And gamers can use it continuously, like that rodent from the experiment. For example, in Guangzhou, a teenager almost diedHow Tencent blurred the lines of gaming, social networking in Honor of Kings / South China Morning Post, because I played Honor of Kings for 40 hours. The child had a stroke.
- Social media. When a person posts a post and gets a response virtual strokes in the form of likes and comments, the same dopamine is thrown out. Former Facebook employee* Chamath Palihapitiya even confessedChamath Palihapitiya, Founder and CEO Social Capital, on Money as an Instrument of Change / Stanford Graduate School of Businessthat he feels guilty because he participated in the development of social network algorithms.
- Shopping. In this case, two factors at once work that stimulate the production of dopamine - novelty and fear of missing out. If everything is clear with the first, then the second turns on thanks to advertising: "only now", "only two left" and so on.
The list goes on. These sources provide very cheap dopamine. It almost doesn't take much effort for him. And since this hormone is addictive, the person falls into the trap: he “presses the button” over and over again. At the same time, one gets the feeling that he is doing something important and necessary, although this is not so. And the main problem is that it is impossible to break away from it.
How to get out of the dopamine trap
Here everything works the same as with others. dependencies. You need to understand what you are “addicted to” and remove or minimize incentives. At first it will be hard, but then it will get easier.
For example, if you literally do not let go of the phone, you have to start. At first, it will be anxious and uncomfortable: what if someone wrote? Like put? Hands will reach out to check. And even if no notifications came, the very interaction with the gadget will temporarily alleviate the condition. And then the discomfort will roll again, because the body will require a new dose.
And there is no other way out, except to "break". However, you can make the process a little easier if you fill the time with other pleasant, but already useful things: reading, physical education, meeting friends, and so on.
At the same time, it is important not to get hooked on another source of cheap dopamine. Therefore, it is also not worth looking for a too easy way.
Read also🧐
- What is dopamine fasting and is it really life changing?
- 6 brain science facts to help organize your day
- How to hack the reward system to keep you motivated
*Activities of Meta Platforms Inc. and its social networks Facebook and Instagram are prohibited in the territory of the Russian Federation.
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