The Dopamine Dilemma: Why It Matters

As an addiction specialist, I’ve seen firsthand how seemingly harmless habits—like fast food binges and endless scrolling—can evolve into patterns that hijack the brain’s reward system. At the heart of it all is dopamine, the neurotransmitter responsible for pleasure, motivation, and reinforcement. When teens repeatedly engage in high-stimulation activities, their brains adapt by demanding more to feel the same level of satisfaction. This is the slippery slope toward behavioral addiction.