Brain Rot: Is internet addiction real?
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Flabbergasted': Premier talks on-air to patient waiting 16 hours for western Sydney hospital bed
NSW Premier Chris Minns has been confronted live on-air by a patient who languished for 16 hours waiting for a bed at a western Sydney hospital. Jane was ordered to attend Concord Hospital by her GP about midday on Monday, but only received a bed in the emergency short-stay on Tuesday morning. Once in the ward, Jane said she was 'flabbergasted' to find two of the four beds were empty, with a nurse telling her they 'just don't have the staff to cover the beds'. 'So, all this time there's been empty beds, but they just don't have enough staff to monitor them,' Jane told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Tuesday. In the studio for the call, Mr Minns apologised to Jane for 'what would have been a very difficult night perched on those chairs in the ED'. 'I'm glad you've got a bed, but I don't want to be too cute about it,' he said. 'The reason everybody's sprung into action is because it's on the radio this morning. 'There's going to be a lot of people in New South Wales hospitals that don't have access to radio programs.' The Premier said the state government was trying to recruit and retain staff for emergency departments, and that there had been 'slow but steady improvement'. He said the number of patients in life-threatening states being seen on time had risen from 50 to 64 per cent because of the lifting of the wages cap. Mr Minns admitted the result was 'not where we need to be' and that with 6000-8000 people attending the ED every day, at points it 'gets completely overwhelmed'. 'It's really difficult,' he said, 'Now, I'm not suggesting that we are there, or it's been solved, or the solution has been found. 'There's going to be periods and times when people like Jane, who expect and not demand, but want the kind of help that they pay their taxes for are not going to receive. 'The reason I'm reluctant to sort of say, 'look, help you around the corner, Ben'... is that it's steady progress. 'It's going to take time to recruit people for the health system, get them into emergency departments and help people when they're in a really critical situation'. Jane was now waiting to see a surgical team. She told 2GB since appearing on-air, she had ben contacted by Health Minister Ryan Park and the executive director of Concord Hospital. It comes as the state government faces continued pressure of hospital conditions, particularly in western Sydney. Last month, a woman was forced to sleep in her car and an elderly man lied down under seats at Blacktown Hospital. Liverpool and Blacktown hospitals have consistently ranked 'significantly lower' than average in a survey of patient satisfaction, according to recent findings.
ABC News
5 hours ago
- ABC News
WA public hospitals reschedule elective surgeries after surge in demand
A number of planned elective surgeries have been put on hold in Western Australia due to a significant surge in demand on hospital emergency departments. In response to questions from the ABC, Health director general Dr Shirley Bowen said a high volume of patient presentations to WA's public hospitals overnight on Monday into Tuesday caused the surge. As a result, a number non-urgent surgeries planned for Wednesday in the metro area have been rescheduled. The postponement of elective surgeries is a strategy used by health authorities when the system is under pressure. In November 2021, widespread cancellations of non-urgent surgery across WA occurred during a strain on resources due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Bowen said that was to ensure access to emergency healthcare for the rest of the week and impacted patients would be notified by their treating hospital. "To ensure access to emergency healthcare for Western Australians for the remainder of the week, WA Health is proactively rescheduling some non-urgent surgeries in the metropolitan area," Dr Bowen said. "We continue to prioritise our most seriously ill and injured patients. Dr Bowen acknowledged that the rescheduling might be "inconvenient and difficult for some patients". "We are committed to ensuring patients' surgery is re-scheduled as soon as possible."
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Huge change': ASX falls as CSL announces new business plan
Australia's sharemarket snapped a six-day winning streak after pharmaceutical giant CSL had its worst day of trading on record after announcing a disappointing earnings update. The ASX 200 index dropped 63.10 points or 0.70 per cent to 8,896.20 while the broader All Ordinaries fell 59.70 points or 0.65 per cent to 9,173.80 The Australian dollar slipped 0.14 per cent to 64.85 US cents. Seven of the 11 sectors ended higher but a slump in the healthcare sector led to the market downturn. Healthcare stocks fell 8.73 per cent, led by CSL shares which slumped 16.89 to $225.50 its biggest ever one day fall, despite reporting underlying profits were up 14 per cent to $3.3bn. This was a fall of around $21bn in market cap. Shares plunged in the healthcare giant after it announced it would cut 3000 global roles costing $770m initially before helping the business save $500m-$550m over three years. CSL also announced its intention to demerge its influenza prevention vaccines-focused unit known as Seqirus into a separate ASX-listed business in 2026. It will also combine the commercial and medical operations of its core blood plasma and iron deficiency businesses into one unit. eToro market analyst Josh Gilbert said while the restructuring comes with a sizeable one off cost, the move is expected to sharpen the group's focus on its high-growth plasma and kidney care business. 'For investors, the view here is that CSL is trying to create a clearer business structure and improve investor returns. However, markets hate uncertainty, and this shake-up brings plenty of it,' he said. 'These are huge changes that come with execution risk, and in my view, the market will react poorly to the news short term.' Australia's second-biggest company BHP jumped 1.57 per cent to $42.12 after the business delivered its latest financial update. The company reported underlying profits of $US10.2bn ($A15.7bn), a 26 per cent fall compared with last year. Revenues came in at $US51.3bn ($A79bn), an 8 per cent fall in 2024. Despite falls in revenue and earnings, chief executive Mike Henry called the results 'a strong performance'. 'FY25 was another strong year for BHP, marked by record production, continued sector-leading margins and disciplined capital allocation,' he said. 'Safety remains our highest priority and we achieved year-on-year improvements across key metrics.' Shares in iron ore rivals Rio Tinto and Fortescue were down 0.22 and 0.15 per cent respectively. Financials were a brighter spot, with all four banks gaining. CBA added 0.51 per cent to $171.05, Westpac gained 0.65 per cent to $37.31, NAB jumped 0.77 per cent to $40.54 and ANZ finished 0.61 per cent higher to $32.77. In company news, Seek was one of strongest performers on the ASX 200 after it announced an increase in revenue despite fewer job ads, leading to a 7.99 per cent bounce to $27.72. Australia's largest manufacturer and distributor of 4x4 accessories ARB shares marched 8.55 per cent higher to $39.49 after the business told the market sales revenue was up 5.3 per cent to $729.9m, while net profits after tax were down 5 per cent to $97.5m. Judo Capital also eked out a gain of 0.29 per cent to $1.75 after full-year profits were up 24 per cent to $86.4m, on the back of a lift to its all important net interest margin. Reliance Worldwide shares fell 6.74 per cent to $4.29 despite the business announcing sales were up 5.5 per cent and reported net earnings after tax jumped 13.5 per cent to $US125m ($192m).
