Opinion | Hong Kong right to move to extend long arm of the law to claw machines
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in our experience of pleasure, focus, reward and motivation. It propels us to put in effort, devote time and feel good about our achievements.
Before the internet, the primary way we got our dopamine fixes was through hobbies, such as exercising, reading, writing or other offline creative tasks – activities that needed sustained effort and delayed gratification. Sure, people in those “prehistoric” times probably reached for their favourite snacks for instant fixes, too. But the problem with doom scrolling is that it’s passive consumption. While minimal effort is required, it misses opportunities for deeper conversation and social engagement.
We can become addicted to activities that get dopamine flowing. While very few would call a triathlete who just can’t stop training an addict, there are quite a few obsessive pursuits that are typically shunned, especially if they’re clearly unhealthy.
