When we live a full life, we gradually expand our range of interests, increasing the number of activities that bring us pleasure. On the contrary, dependence on something robs us of our diversity and fullness of existence.
How addiction affects life
When we talk about addictive behavior, we think of extremes, such as alcohol or drug addiction.
However, even seemingly harmless habits, such as watching social media or videos on TikTok every day, addicting to delicious food or shopping online, can seriously affect life in general and the ability to achieve more in particular.
When we constantly do things that give us quick pleasure, the tone of the dopamine chains in the body decreases.
What does this mean?
An activity that used to trigger dopamine production and seemed exciting is becoming more commonplace each time and does not bring the same joy. As a result, we feel bored, satiated, and even depressed.
If you are addicted
If you find yourself addicted to a smartphone, online shopping, coffee, etc., the first thing to do is turn on a self-regulation mechanism.
According to the expert opinion of Andrew Guberman, a popular American professor of neuroscience, consciously restricting behavior is the key to solving the problem.
Having realized that you are addicted to something, however harmless, you just need to stop. For example, Andrew advises not to pick up your smartphone in the first hour after waking up, and to take breaks during the day. “If you deny yourself a little pleasure 25 times a day, your dopamine chains will get back on track,” says the scientist. As a result, this will allow you to come to a life that is motivated to take action and positive changes.
Another useful tip Andrew Guberman gives is to learn to have fun through hard work. If you find it difficult, but you continue to work hard at something, your reward in the form of dopamine production will be higher, which will serve as an incentive for further personal growth.
If the child is addicted
Here are some tips to help distract your child from gadgets.
1. Limit time
It is better if the child plays intermittently －this will reduce the risk of addiction.
Children under 10 years of age are advised to play 40 minutes a day, younger teenagers — 1 hour a day, older children — 1.5 hours a day.
2. Play on schedule
Determine the hours when the child will play in gadgets.
Prepare alternative “activities” for the rest of the time and show your child that they can be just as interesting as gadgets. Drawing, reading, listening to audiobooks, Lego, board games, etc. can be an ideal and high-quality pastime for the whole family.
3. Don't play while eating, in the car and in bed
You may love watching movies at lunch, but table time is an opportunity to chat, discuss plans, and talk about how the day went. Let this become an unshakable family tradition.
In the car, you can distract your child to play word games, discuss what you see outside the window, count cars passing by, etc. This will bring many benefits and will leave the child happy memories of the trip together.
It is not recommended to use gadgets in bed - this can have a negative impact on the quality of sleep.
4. Teach children the importance of self-regulating behavior
Be sure to tell your child why it's harmful to sit in front of the screen for a long time －let him learn to use gadgets consciously and independently control the time spent playing. Yes, it's not easy, but the most important thing is to be consistent and, when setting rules, explain to your child that this is not your whim, but a necessity.
5. Be a positive example
Start with yourself and show your child how to have fun without a smartphone. It would be ideal if you make a schedule for using gadgets for yourself too.
6. Distract the child to useful activities
Instead of playing games, offer your child fun online activities. For example, he can learn to draw, learn English, or learn programming.
