The Dopamine Slot Machine

Andrew reads out a chapter from his in progress book on the history of addictive design, going back to the Arcade and the seaside amusements. 

The school holidays take down every fence that term time builds around gaming, and the companies behind your child's favourite games plan for those six weeks the way supermarkets plan for Christmas. 

This year that means a Fortnite battle pass that runs out on the 19th of August and a summer event in Grow a Garden, now the biggest game on Roblox, with a reward that asks for attendance six days in every seven. 

In this episode I cover how to agree the shape of the summer in week one, and the console settings worth switching on before the first argument. There's a way of finishing sessions that doesn't end in a row, and a warning about the free Robux scams currently dressed up as official summer events.

 And there's the good bit, the games worth playing together whilst you've got the time, because the industry has planned its summer around your children and it's worth planning yours around them.

Snapchat has built an empire on engineered social obligation — and the Streak is the load-bearing wall. In this episode, Andrew applies the BrainSafe Addictive Interface Assessment Framework to Snapchat, dimension by dimension, and explains why a bilateral, irreversible, public daily obligation counter aimed at adolescents is one of the most concerning design patterns in mainstream consumer technology. 

We walk through the assessment, score the platform at 26 out of 30 — Critical, with all four automatic Red Flags triggered — and translate that finding into the "What If" Test: a café that tears up your loyalty card if you miss a day, and your friend's card too. The episode closes with five concrete things parents can do today, from having the Streak conversation to setting Snap Map to Ghost Mode. Read more at https://brainsafestandard.co.uk/, and dimension-by-dimension breakdowns are on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainsafestandard/.

This episode uses the BrainSafe framework to break down how TikTok’s design drives engagement, focusing on its opaque algorithm, highly personalised “slot machine”-style content feed, lack of natural stopping points, and subtle friction that makes disengaging harder than starting. It argues that while social features play a role, the platform’s core pull is algorithmic, continuously learning what keeps users hooked and delivering it with increasing precision—particularly impacting younger users.

The UK government has finally named the problem — Keir Starmer's crackdown on infinite scroll and autoplay is the most concrete UK action on addictive design we've ever seen. But naming features is whack-a-mole: ban infinite scroll today, and the platforms ship something functionally equivalent under a different name tomorrow. 

In this episode, Andrew walks through what the government's getting right, what's missing, and introduces the BrainSafe Standard — a six-dimensional certification framework that asks the structural question rather than the feature-by-feature question. We cover the six dimensions of the BrainSafe Addictive Interface Assessment Framework, share scores from worked assessments of Snapchat, Netflix, Times Tables Rock Stars, and Signal, and explain how businesses can join the 2026 pilot programme. Find the framework and pilot details at https://brainsafestandard.co.uk/, and follow along as we unpack each dimension in depth on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/brainsafestandard/.

In the latest episode of The Dopamine Slot Machine, host Andrew interviews Pete Clifford, founder of Karri, about their innovative screen-free messenger device designed for children aged 5-11. 

The Karri enables asynchronous voice messaging between kids and parents or approved friends via a 5G network, without apps, scrolling, phone numbers, or stranger access, offering a safer alternative to smartphones.

This week on The Dopamine Slot Machine, Andrew takes a look at Coverstar, an app often marketed as a safer alternative to TikTok for kids.

But how safe is it really?

In this episode we break down how Coverstar works, why short-form video platforms are so addictive by design, and the risks parents should understand before letting their children use it.

We discuss:

• Why removing direct messages does not eliminate stranger interaction
• The reality of children posting public videos online
• Algorithmic feeds, validation loops, and the “dopamine slot machine” effect
• Livestreaming and the risks of broadcasting to strangers
• Practical steps parents can take if their child is already using the app

If your child has mentioned Coverstar or if you are being told it is “TikTok but safe,” this episode will help you understand what is really going on behind the scenes.

Many parents regret letting their kids start playing Fortnite or Roblox, but stepping back does not have to mean constant arguments. In this episode of The Dopamine Slot Machine, Andrew, a dad of two and lifelong gamer, explains why these games are designed to hook children, how they function as social spaces and boredom traps, and how parents can remove them in a healthy, practical way.

You will learn the four needs these games meet for kids, how to replace them with healthier gaming options, and simple steps to transition your child away from addictive platforms without damaging their relationship with games or friends.

If you are a parent wondering “How do I get my child off Fortnite or Roblox?”, this episode gives you a realistic plan. 🎮👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Keir Starmer Announces Addictive Design Restrictions - but will it make a safer internet?