Teens, Tech and Temptation: Understanding Addiction and the Adolescent Brain - David Gillespie

In this episode, Dr Shauna is joined by David Gillespie - lawyer, tech entrepreneur and best-selling author of numerous titles, including ‘Teen Brain’, a deep dive into the teenage addictions that result from modern day technology.

From online gaming, to gambling, social media and pornography, why are teenagers more susceptible than adults to succumbing to addiction - and what can parents do to stop it?

In this episode, Dr Shauna and David discuss:

• Overview of his career journey as an author and what led to writing ‘Teen Brain’.
• How is a teenage brain, different to an adult brain?
• Addiction: when can this occur?
• Why are teenagers so susceptible to become addicts?
• Dopamine hackers: what does this term describe?
• The dangers of social media, video games and gambling apps and why they are so addictive.
• The biochemistry of the human brain and how this links to addiction.
• Chasing rewards vs running away from danger.
• The different types of dopamine hits and what actions cause us to receive them.
• What makes the online video game Fortnite so addictive?
• Social media as an oxytocin simulator.
• The importance of receiving feedback when it coms to dopamine simulation.
• The effects dopamine hits have on the brain’s ability to assess risk.
• Expectations vs the reality of rewards.
• How does addiction tie into anxiety and depression? What dopamine and ADHD?
• What should parents be doing to try and change these patterns of anxiety and depression in teenagers?
• How can you break an addiction? How long does it take?
• Personal experiences with teenagers and mobile phones.
• But what about phones and iPads as educational devices? What role do schools have to play?
• Vaping and the impact exposure is having on young children and teenagers.
• Online gambling: how can parents help prevent this from becoming a problem for their kids?
• What about pornography addiction?
• Suicide in teens: what do the studies show about trends within Australia?
• Bullying and technology: what impact has this had for kids?
• Parent perceptions of what’s going vs the child’s reality.
• How can you tell if your child is depressed or anxious?
• Tips to help parents with kids who are struggling with these addictions.
• What can you do to produce dopamine, naturally?
• What surprised David most as he was writing ‘Teen Brain’.
• Advice for any teenagers listening: what can you do to help yourself?
• A piece of advice for his 20-something self.

For more information and resources from David:

Watch The Social Dilemma on Netflix.

Visit his website, grab a copy of ‘Teen Brain’, ‘Taming Toxic People’, ‘Brain Reset' or one of his numerous other best-selling titles. Keep an eye out for his new book, which is coming soon!

David Gillespie has a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from The University of Queensland. He has a Masters degree in Law, writing his thesis in applied technology.

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