The Book That Ended My YouTube Addiction

When I was stuck in a <a href="https://medium.com/mind-cafe/the-art-of-embracing-a-rut-b5ce07552e68" rel="noopener">deep rut</a> and YouTube rabbit hole a few months ago, I randomly came across an interview with Dr. Anna Lembke — a psychiatrist, author, and addiction specialist. Unexpectedly, I heard her <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2XAnegrxPjwfFu7UaOt3dg?si=d78f5d2b185e446a" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">say</a> something that pierced through my apathetic slumber: <blockquote> “We’ve reached a tipping point where abundance itself has become a physiological stressor. So it’s not that we’re morally weak or lazy or even indulgent … It’s that the world has become a place that is mismatched for our basic neurology and physiology. And we’re trying to figure it out, but it’s super, super hard. And we’re getting sick in the process.” </blockquote> Something clicked when I heard her say that. The world has become a place that is mismatched for our basic neurology. I found this message so timely that I didn’t just buy Dr. Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation, but also made it the first pick of my book club, <a href="https://stephanjoppich.substack.com/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" target="_blank">The Bibliosopher’s Club</a>. And yet, after reading Dopamine Nation for 45 days and spending roughly 15,000 words on chapter reflections, I can’t recommend this book. The science felt superficial. The stories bland. The advice half-hearted. It was like dipping toes into the water, stirring it around, and eventually deciding you won’t plunge in. <a href="https://baos.pub/dopamine-nation-2090dfd7d74b">Read More</a>