If you are unable to recall the 1987 public service announcement related to the dangers of drug abuse, our wonderful world of instantly accessible information allows you to click here to view the commercial. The scene depicts a man cracking open an egg into a frying pan to demonstrate the effects of using drugs. The advertisement by Partnership for a Drug-Free America has continued to utilize this analogy over the years, even as recently as 2018 with an attempt to emphasize the dangers of using cannabis. As a teenager during the Just Say No era, Nancy Reagan’s plea frequently played across the television screen and the slogan appeared on small signs designed to hang in the window of an automobile right alongside the one stating “Baby on Board.”

Entering a new decade in this century, the PSAs are not only encouraging responsible device use while driving but are even moving towards setting limits on screen time usage. These recommendations are vital to the development of emerging generations’ brains but should not be ignored by those of us with more years under our belts. As discussed in previous posts such as Is Gen Z a Canary? and Digital Minimalism, we are a culture facing unknown long-term consequences of device usage and what effects future adults will experience as a result of their screen time during developing years. As a professor who teaches courses that relate to one’s health such as drug education and nutrition, the issue of addiction is relevant whether it’s an illegal narcotic, food, or a smartphone.

If my desire is to help others develop Habits of Flourishing, where we recognize the need for boundaries and limits, it might be wise to explain the why behind moderation. In Leaders Eat Last, Sinek addresses the relationship between dopamine, a neurotransmitter related to rewards, and what occurs with our devices. “There is another thing to add to that list of things that can hijack our dopamine reward system: social media. Texting, e-mail, the number of likes we collect, the ding, the buzz or the flash of our phones that tells us ‘You’ve got mail,’ feels amazing. As it should. We have associated the dopamine-releasing feeling of ‘ooh, something for me’ with getting a text or e-mail or the like. Yes, it’s true, we hate all that e-mail, but we live for the ding, the buzz or the flash that tells us something’s there… It is said that if you wake up in the morning and the first thing you crave is a drink, you might be an alcoholic. If you wake up in the morning and the first thing you do is check your phone to read e-mail or scan through your social media before you even get out of bed, you might be an addict…in the case of our love of our devices and social media, we are less aware of the addictive qualities.”

If our focus shifts to developing productive habits with regards to our devices, then it’s vital to comprehend that “Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. Every behavior that is highly habit-forming—taking drugs, eating junk food, playing video games, browsing social media—is associated with higher levels of dopamine,” as Clear explains in Atomic Habits. Clear continues to outline strategic practices to assist with moving away from a bad habit and towards one of productivity; however, it is significant that we understand the seriousness of the issue we often joke about. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) added in its fifth edition an expansion of the definition of addiction to also include behaviors, not just addiction to substances. This addition should speak loudly that professionals are treating an increasing number of issues related to our devices.

Encouraging all of us to evaluate our own ability to moderate our usage and not need the dopamine rush that floods our brain with every ding, buzz, or chirp, we might instead choose to increase our oxytocin levels, the chemical messenger responsible for allowing us to develop relational equity and bond with others. So, the next time you are with others, turn the phone on silent, engage face-to-face with those physically in your presence, and enjoy the oxytocin flowing through your brain.

Please feel free to share below effective strategies you are implementing to ensure that your device usage is a productive habit and not a behavioral addiction.