The Michael Peres Podcast

A Conversation with Dr. Nidhi Gupta


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Catching up with Dr. Nidhi Gupta — pediatric endocrinologist turned leading voice in digital wellness — for a conversation that gets real about screen addiction, dopamine, and what it actually takes to reclaim your attention. Dr. Gupta is a bestselling author (Calm the Noise), TEDx speaker, and the founder of the Phreedom Foundation, where she helps families and organizations rebuild healthier relationships with technology.

We go beyond the usual “limit your screen time” advice and dig into the hidden physical and behavioral consequences she’s seeing in clinic — plus how AI is changing the stakes even further. If you’ve ever looked up after “one quick scroll” and realized 25 minutes disappeared, this episode is for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why screen addiction isn’t a kid problem — it’s a human problem (and adults set the blueprint).
• The “tool vs trap” mindset shift that changes everything about how you use your phone.
• How dopamine-driven habits connect to serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins — and why that matters for motivation and mood.
• What she’s seeing firsthand in children: sedentary health impacts, cravings, anxiety spirals, and escalating behaviors.
• How to talk to kids about screens without stigmatizing them — and what to focus on instead of “policing.”
• Why workplace distraction is the productivity leak nobody wants to talk about — and how attention recovery really works.
• The surprising way digital wellness changed Dr. Gupta’s food choices (and what cheesecake has to do with it).

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The Michael Peres PodcastBy Michael Peres