So Many Cravings, So Few Rewards: Understanding How Dopamine Works

About this episode

Michaeleen Doucleff discusses how modern devices affect our brain's reward system and the implications for parenting.

Science writer Michaeleen Doucleff was sitting on a beautiful beach with her daughter, but she couldn’t relax. She kept reaching for her phone, checking it over and over. She was frustrated but couldn’t stop. Why was she doing this? In her new book, “Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods,” Doucleff explores how devices can hijack our brain’s reward system to keep us coming back for more, even after the pleasure is gone.

People in this episode

Guest: Michaeleen Doucleff

Topics covered

• dopamine
• reward system
• screen addiction
• parenting
• mental health

Keywords

• dopamine
• addiction
• screens
• children
• mental health
• parenting
• reward system

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods

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