This Is Your Brain on Social Media with Anna Lembke, MD

About This Episode

Can you get addicted to anything? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly explore the science of addiction, dopamine pathways, and what social media is doing to our brains with psychiatrist and Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic, Anna Lembke, MD.

Is there such a thing as an addictive personality? We talk about what triggers the release of dopamine and how the reward pathway works. Is love a form of addiction? Learn about maladaptive consumptive behavior, using addiction as coping, and the idea of “drug of choice.” How do we all differ in our addictions?

How do you deal with addiction from a scientific standpoint? We discuss addictions that may be accepted by mainstream society. What happens if you stop making dopamine? Learn about Parkinson’s disease and treatment, and how ADHD impacts a person’s relationship to dopamine.

Find out about modern addictions like gambling and social media addictions. What can we do to prevent addiction in the face of increased access? How do you ensure the security of the mind in different age groups? How do you prevent kids from getting addicted to social media and technology? We explore the impacts of social media on children and adults: are we hardwired to  crave more extreme content?

Thanks to our Patrons christoffer olsen, Miguel Mata, Christina Hansen, Steven Johnston, Holly MIller, and Kelley VosBurgh for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.