This was my first Sunday morning read, and man do I need to just log off and go for a nice walk.
Actual title of the link is "State of the Culture 2024," but it's a much deeper and more interesting dive. I think we're all aware of the issues around these things to some small degree or other, but this takes a good long look at how much it's hitting us on every front.
Here’s where the science gets really ugly. The more addicts rely on these stimuli, the less pleasure they receive. At a certain point, this cycle creates anhedonia—the complete absence of enjoyment in an experience supposedly pursued for pleasure.That seems like a paradox.How can pursuing pleasure lead to less pleasure? But that’s how our brains are wired (perhaps as a protective mechanism). At a certain point, addicts still pursue the stimulus, but more to avoid the pain of dopamine deprivation.People addicted to painkillers have the same experience. Beyond a certain level, opioid dependence actually makes the pain worse.
Yeah, getting our dopamine from online shit is less of a problem than taking opioids, in the sense that withdrawal is more possible, but it still messes us up.
Worth reading the whole thing (which is also filled with some good graphics, like this one).
https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb2b5af62-fecc-4cc5-8e0e-d43e034317a7_1924x1104.png