Brain Rot: Is internet addiction real?
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.
Brain Rot is a new five part series from the ABC's Science Friction about how tech is changing our brains, hosted by Ange Lavoipierre.
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
Presenter: Ange Lavoipierre Producer: Fiona Pepper
Producer: Fiona Pepper Senior Producer: James Bullen
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.
Internet-addicted South Korean children sent to digital detox boot camp.
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ABC News
35 minutes ago
- ABC News
The Monash IVF bungle is 'distressing' for patients. Asking the right questions can help
Two instances of embryos being transferred into the wrong patient under Monash IVF have left people feeling "distressed and unsettled". That's according to fertility reproductive counsellor Narelle Dickinson, who says there is anxiety for past IVF users about whether they may have been exposed to lab errors, and also for prospective and current patients. "IVF is stressful anyway. This is a really, really distressing set of events that has occurred," says Ms Dickinson, based in Brisbane/Meanjin. She says with any medical procedure or treatment, people need to have "a lot of faith and confidence" in their treating team. And while that may feel harder in the wake of the embryo mix-ups, there are ways patients undergoing fertility treatments can feel more in control. Manuela Toledo is a board member with the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, medical director at TasIVF and a fertility specialist at Melbourne IVF. She says many of her patients come in with a list of questions, which she encourages. "Most patients are very well informed … and they understand that the IVF clinics, including the doctors, the nurses, the embryologists, the medical scientists … put our best foot forward and try our hardest every day. "At the same time, we recognise there is a level of concern out there at the moment. And one way [for providers] to address that is by providing information about processes and what to expect when they come to clinic." She says one of the most important first questions for people to ask their clinic is "Can you tell us why we have infertility?" Even though one-third of infertility cases remain unexplained after thorough testing, Dr Toledo explains that asking this question ensures patients understand the investigative processes. "It's very important to understand 'Why am I having this treatment?' and 'What treatment am I going to have?' and 'What is the likely outcome going to be for me?'," Dr Toledo says. Ms Dickinson says it's also reasonable for a patient to ask things like "Who is in the laboratory? Can I meet the staff who are taking care of me?" If you need help brainstorming a list of questions, especially around the processes or science, Ms Dickinson recommends patients visit YourIVFSuccess, an independent resource funded by the Australian Government. "It provides some good, high-level information and can be helpful to work out what you might need to know to ask your doctors questions." Dr Toledo also recommends the Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand website. Patients should always feel they are in the driver's seat of their treatment, says Ms Dickinson. "If they ever feel their questions are being dismissed or brushed off, that is a problem. "They have every right to know what is happening in terms of the laboratory, the medications they are being prescribed, in terms of any treatment protocols." Karin Hammarberg is an adjunct senior research fellow at Monash University and former IVF nurse. She says people "should not give up [asking]" until they have the answers they need. "The clinics will expect that more people will ask questions now. This has become a trust problem," she says. "Sometimes you have to be pushy and difficult." Dr Toledo says if you are still feeling unsure, seek a second opinion from a fertility specialist. There are other things patients can look out for at clinics when considering or undergoing fertility treatment. "One thing you will notice when you walk into an IVF clinic, there is always a so-called three-point ID check," Dr Toledo says. "[You are] asked your name, date of birth and address." She says that is something that should be done "every step of the way". While informed consent processes will vary clinic to clinic, Dr Toledo says a good example is one that includes verbal, written, and visual consenting, such as a "mini movie" showing the process of IVF. "A lot of individuals are very visual, it's nice to see the information not just in verbal and written form, which is especially important to patients where English may not be their first language." When it comes to consent forms, Dr Hammarberg says people should take the time to read them thoroughly before signing. "It's not always in the most accessible language … [but] take it home and have a read. If you have questions, ask them." Another green flag is staff capacity and wellbeing, says Ms Dickinson. She recently co-authored a paper examining burnout in IVF nurses, and says it was clear that like any business, fertility clinics are susceptible to the impact of reduced staffing levels, or low staff wellbeing. "When too much pressure is placed on employees, when they are tired, when they are stressed, when they're in distress, they are at risk of burnout. "Unfortunately, these same factors increase the risk of human error in all areas of the fertility clinic." Ms Dickinson says while you are "not necessarily going to ask if staffing levels are at accreditation standards", you might be able to tell if there are staff "who are not OK, or there just doesn't seem to be enough people to get the work done". Fertility counsellors connected to clinics or working independently will be able to assist people to work through any anxieties they have, Ms Dickinson says. "They are there to provide emotional support during treatment, but they can also be a good place to unpack any worries or concerns you might have." They can also help form questions you might need to ask clinicians, she says, often having "a bit more time" to sit down and unpack things with you. Dr Toledo says patients should remember Australia is "one of the safest places in the world" to do IVF. "We have a very high standard. We have a high level of transparency. Our laboratory standards are excellent, and [success] rates very high." However, she says a less "fragmented" legislation and regulation would be helpful moving forward. "There are more than 40 laws governing fertility treatment in Australia. "We would like to bring that all together under a national framework." Dr Hammarberg says while fertility treatment in Australia has "more regulation and oversight" than other countries, the publishing of adverse events would be a step forward. "We do have obligation to report adverse events to the accrediting body, but they don't publish the data." The accreditation committee has previously confirmed this with the ABC. In a statement it said: "Consistent with other non-government accreditation bodies, [the RTAC] doesn't publicly identify any clinic's audit details". "It would also be very helpful to know what a clinic would do to avoid this happening again," Dr Hammarberg says. Ms Dickinson says people who work in the fertility industry, whether it be doctors, nurses, embryologists, or counsellors, are taking recent events "extremely seriously". "Everyone I have spoken to is absolutely devastated by these revelations. "They are conscious this is really affecting people."
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Health Check: UBS turns ultra-bullish on Aussie healthcare leaders
UBS reckons healthcare will fare better than any other ASX sector Bell Potter says Monash IVF has fertile recovery prospects Telix wins FDA usage expansion for prostate cancer imaging Financial giant UBS has declared that enough is enough with lagging healthcare valuations – and now believes it will be the best performer of any ASX sector. In bestowing 'pet sector' status, the firm says that healthcare stocks are the cheapest they have been in 10 years. This follows three years of remorseless earnings per share (EPS) downgrades. The firm opines healthcare now offers the best EPS growth of all ASX sectors, with an expected increment of almost 20% in the 2025-26 year. The S&P/ASX 200 healthcare index has fallen 5% over the past 12 months and is down 7% year to date. In contrast, the broader ASX200 index looks to be finishing the year around 9% higher. 'Investor sentiment towards the healthcare sector has broadly cooled over the last year, with some marked deterioration seen across many stocks,' UBS says. ' Cochlear (ASX:COH) in particular has seen investor apathy build over the last year, which represents a significant change of views versus .' The firm has upgraded Cochlear to a 'buy' for the first time since 2011. 'Challenging market conditions' Meanwhile, Bell Potter notes that 'challenging market conditions' have mostly persisted for small and mid-cap healthcare stocks. Of the 35 stocks the firm covers, only nine are trading at a premium to their December-end values. 'The macro factors driving this broader performance include the uncertainty arising from leadership changes at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and proposals to lower prescription drug price in the US,' the firm says. 'Consequently, institutional investors have largely adopted a wait-and-see approach.' However, Bell Potter expects new drug approvals and earnings growth 'to lead to a wave of new capital flowing into the sector'. Oh baby! That's an interesting call Bell Potter's three favourite healthcare stocks include the troubled Monash IVF Group (ASX:MVF), if only because the share price reaction to the company's embryo-woes looks excessive. In the broker's half-year run-down of best buys across all sectors, the firm's other two healthcare picks are Telix – that name again – and Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU). Monash IVF's two reported embryo transfer errors resulted in the June 12 resignation of CEO Michael Knaap. Prominent silk Fiona McLeod is carrying out an independent probe into the snafus. Meanwhile, Monash IVF shares have halved since January. Bell Potter says Monash IVF trades on a multiple of six times. This compares with 12.5 times for nearest rival Virtus Health in 2022, when it was taken over by BGH Capital and delisted. 'The depressed share price may also invite a bid for the company adding corporate appeal to a deep value investment thesis.' The firm reckons Monash IVF is worth $1.15 a share, more than twice its current valuation. On safe ground With Telix, Bell Potter says revenues from its lead prostate imaging product Illucix should continue to grow as it wins US market share. The FDA recently approved another prostate imaging agent, Gozellix, and should green light the kidney cancer imaging product Zircaix in the September quarter. Neuren is making hay from US sales of its Rett syndrome therapy Daybue, via partner Acadia. But the firm believes the bigger value driver is Neuren's separate compound NNZ-2591. This is for the rare 'orphan' diseases Phelan-McDermid, Angelman, Pitt Hopkins and Prader-Willi syndromes. NNZ-2591 is thought to be more effective and less toxic than Daybue – and the market could be bigger. Neuren reported positive phase II trial results for Phelan-McDermid and expects to kick off a phase III study within months. With $340 million of cash, Neuren has oodles of dosh to fund the 160-patient trial. In fact, the company is undertaking a share buyback to soak up stock at discounted levels. Bell Potter also rates Mesoblast Mesoblast (ASX:MSB), Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX:CU6), Immutep (ASX:IMM) and EBR Systems (ASX:EBR) as speculative buys. Telix in FDA win Back to Telix – yet again – the FDA has approved a label extension for Illucix. This will enable doctors to patients for radioligand (targeted radiation) therapy earlier in the piece, before they progress to chemotherapy. Telix estimates clinical use of Illuccix will increase by at least 20,000 scans annually. The label expansion piggybacks the FDA's recent approval of an expanded indication for Novartis's Pluvicto radioligand therapy. The firm says Telix's imaging has become a standard of care in prostate cancer detection and management. The FDA also recently approved Telix's Gozellix, another prostate cancer imaging agent. Cleo pops down to the (bio) bank The US National Cancer Institute has granted ovarian cancer diagnostics developer Cleo Diagnostics (ASX:COV) access to a US cache of blood samples. Collected from 155,000 cancer patients over the last decade, the repository is called the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) biobank. Cleo says PLCO is a a gold-standard resource, having derived from one of the 'largest and most influential US longitudinal cancer studies'. Cleo will use the data to strengthen its FDA marketing submission for a pre-surgical test and expects to complete the supporting trials by the end of the year. Earlier, Cleo entered a compact with University College London to access a capacious ovarian cancer biobank. 'Together, these biobanks form a comprehensive, internationally representative ... population that Cleo will use to enhance its clinical evidence and substantially derisk key regulatory milestones,' Cleo CEO Richard Allman says. Cleo's two trials pertain to pre-surgical identification and screening of an asymptomatic population. Earlier studies showed Cleo's tool confirmed or ruled out tumours 95% of the time, thus outperforming standard-of-care assays. Capital raising corner At the smaller end of the sector, companies are raising enough to keep the lights on – and perhaps a little more. The maker of asthma adherence devices that wrap around 'puffers', Adherium (ASX:ADR) plans to raise $4 million at half a cent apiece. This is by way of an insto and retail offer, partly underwritten and struck at half a cent. Investors also get one option for every share issued, as well as a 'piggyback' bonus option. An existing holder Phillip Thematic Fund has its hands up for $800,000, while Phillip Asset Management and Trudell Medical are good for $1 million of underwriting. Heart device play Cardiex (ASX:CDX) has raised about $4.1 million in a rights offer, having gathered $2.4 million in a placement. Both were done at four cents a share. TALi Digital (ASX:TD1) is seeking $1.48 million in a right issue, having mustered $800,000 in a private placement. Both were struck at one-tenth of a cent per share. Tali is developing tools that test kids for conditions including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This month Tali acquired You Can Do It! Education, 'a social-emotional learning program aimed at improving the social, emotional, and academic outcomes of young people.'
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
SA public doctors to strike if pay deal cannot be reached, union says
South Australia's doctors will consider walking off the job if pay negotiations with the state government cannot be reached, the union says. The South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association (SASMOA) and the state government have been negotiating on a new enterprise bargaining agreement. But union members voted on Wednesday to reject the government's current offer during a one-hour stop work meeting, SASMOA president Laura Willington said. The government's current offer includes a 10 per cent pay rise for doctors over the next three years, while the doctors union has been pushing for 30 per cent. Pay for junior doctors is also a key issue being negotiated. Dr Willington said more stop work action across local health networks had been planned for the week of July 21, and that members had also voted for plans for a full-day strike on July 30 if the government did "not come to the negotiating table with a more appropriate offer". "We are ready to reach an agreement but the current offer was universally rejected today by all of the members at this meeting so we need a more fair and reasonable offer," she said. "And we want the government to take notice that our members are not going to accept the current offer." South Australia's Attorney-General, Kyam Maher, said the government appreciated the "crucial work" of those in the public health system and believed its offer was "fair and reasonable". Mr Maher said the government was "keen to keep negotiating" with the union, but the idea of a 30 per cent pay rise over three years for the most senior doctors was not "tenable". "I think most South Australians when they look at the proposal of a 30 per cent increase over three years would think that's out of kilter with their experiences and what they're getting," he said. Mr Maher called on union leadership to "absolutely guarantee that any [strike] action they take will not have health impacts on South Australians". SASMOA chief industrial officer, Bernadette Mulholland, said any strike action would factor in "safe levels of medical staffing to minimise the impact on patients and community". "But doctors have to start looking after themselves or there won't be any to look after others," she said. Ms Muholland said a decision to do a full-day strike if an agreement was not reached was "exceptional".
