Fake Dopamine, Anyone?

Fake Dopamine, Anyone?

Guess WHAT is the 'celebrity'  among our brain chemicals?  You got it right, dude.  It's the DOPAMINE.  As it's called neurotransmitters, DOPAMINE is indeed involved in addiction BUT it isn't a 'pleasure chemical'.  In fact, experts confirm that it has lots of functions in our brain, being involved in everything from regulating movement to the control of attention.  And in greater part, its effects depend on WHICH of the brain's pathways it is operating in.  Problem is, WHENEVER we hear DOPAMINE, it's usually a vague reference to the role of DOPAMINE.  Researched and case studies in the Las Vegas environments have been good samples of FAKE DOPAMINE📗📙📘

Studies made on the Las Vegas roulette players have recorded as much activity in the 'accumbens' when punters lose money with a miserable 'NEAR MISS' as WHEN they have an enjoyable win.  In this case, DOPAMINE seems NOT to be signaling pleasure BUT instead indicating HOW close you got to the reward and thus, encouraging you to go for another attempt!@#$%?  And experts say that this works well WHEN success depends on skill BUT falsely compels us in games of chance. And this makes our head spin💧💧💧

It's true we all receive a hit of DOPAMINE each time we check social media posts or even our mobile phones.  BUT hey hey hey, hey, hey, 'overproduction' of this pleasure/reward chemical can lead to problems and 'DOPAMINE FASTING' or ignoring your phone is meant to reset your brain.  Do you feel like your brain is in need of a REBOOT?  If you say that in front of someone WHO is hip to the latest wellness trends, they might even suggest you go on a DOPAMINE FAST💥💥💥

BTW, even in the United States, on average, people spend 2 to 4 hours per day either tapping, typing and/or swiping on their devices So, that adds up to over 2,600 touches daily touches.  Problem is, most of us have become so intimately entwined with our digital lives such that we sometimes feel our phones vibrating in our pockets WHEN THEY ARE NOT EVEN THERE???

Our takeaway:  DON'T get me wrong, we need that DOPAMINE.  BUT the biggest BUT, we DON'T need the FAKE DOPAMINES.  Again, please DON'T get me wrong.  NOTHING wrong with social media BUT things get skewed WHEN/IF we cling [and frankly, MONITOR] our smart devices if there is a NEXT like, a NEXT emoji, a NEXT follower, a NEXT flattering comment.  NOT to scare everyone BUT recent studies show links between smartphone usage and increased levels of anxiety, depression, poor sleep quality and even increased risk of car accidents causing injuries and deaths.  WHY ARE SMARTPHONES SO HARD TO IGNORE!@#$%?