You may have noticed I missed a post last week. Chalk it up to technical difficulties and the speed of life. These things happen.

***

Last week was a deep dive into neurochemistry, into the ways dopamine motivates, fuels, and locks in any habit, attachment, or addiction. What’s more, we examined how the tech purveyors in Silicon Valley know this, how they design their social media platforms to maximize the flow of dopamine in an attempt to drive addiction. Silicon Valley—aren’t they the socially acceptable drug dealers of our day?

Knowing what they know, how modern technology works, should it be any surprise that some tech workers are now practicing dopamine fasts?

Dopamine fasts? Huh?

Understanding how overstimulated they are, how addicted they are to any old habit, they’re shutting down their cell phones, fasting from food, giving up alcohol, and even avoiding sex, all in an effort to create stimulus-free spaces. Why? The idea is that by avoiding pleasure, they reset the brain’s baseline for stimulation. In a New York Times article, “How to Fell Nothing Now, in Order to Feel More Later,” Nellie Bowles interviewed three industry insiders. Among them was James Sinka, who said,

“We’re addicted to dopamine…. And because we’re getting so much of it all the time, we end up just wanting more and more, so activities that used to be pleasurable now aren’t. Frequent stimulation of dopamine gets the brain’s baseline higher.”

Is it possible to be addicted to dopamine? The programers of your phone apps seem to think so. And if this is the case, perhaps those like Sinka are on to something. Perhaps we all need to practice a dopamine fast.

How?

Let’s take it a step at a time this week. See you tomorrow.

***

A Word About These Posts

Over the next year, I’m creating a series of connected pieces, each of which will build on the previous posts. It’s a sober stream of consciousness that began with my Waking series. Where will it go? You’ll have to follow along to find out. So, if you’re not already signed up to receive my daily emails, you know what to do. (And while you’re here, consider picking up my books, Coming Clean and The Book of Waking Up.)