Plenty of people will say they are addicted to the internet. But how well-recognised, scientifically, is an addiction … to your screen?

In episode four of Brain Rot, we dig into how behavioural addictions work.

And we hear from self-described internet addicts about the treatment programs helping them manage their relationship with technology.

This episode originally aired on Brain Rot, a series of the ABC podcast Science Friction. Sana will be back with all-new episodes of All in the Mind in mid-October.

Guests:

Jillian and Kate

Internet and Technology Addiction Anonymous members

Hilarie Cash

Psychologist and Co-Founder, reSTART

Anna Lembke

Professor of Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine

Anastasia Hronis

Clinical Psychologist; Author, The Dopamine Brain

Dar Meshi

Associate Professor, Michigan State University

Credits:

• Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre
• Producer: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Sound Engineer: Tim Symonds

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

More Information:

Changes and correlates of screen time in adults and children during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta analysis — eClinical Medicine, 2022.

Internet-addicted South Korean children sent to digital detox boot camp.

The Dopamine Brain — Anastasia Hronis.

Everyone is on their phones. But are we actually addicted? The Guardian, 2024.

Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous.

Dopamine Nation — Anna Lembke.

Inside the rehab saving young men from their internet addiction — The Guardian, 2017

Other episodes related to focus and our relationship with smart phones:

When doom scrolling leads to actual harm

Should you do a 'dopamine detox'?

Sick of scrolling? Digital minimalism could help

Fighting for focus in the age of distraction

You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you'd like to access the transcript for this episode, head to its original webpage.