Associated Press: Social media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut back. “The companies that designed your favorite apps have an incentive to keep you glued to them so they can serve up ads that make them billions of dollars in revenue. Resisting the pull of the endless scroll, the dopamine hits from short-form videos and the ego boost and validation that come from likes […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2026/02/22/associated-press-social-media-can-be-addictive-even-for-adults-but-there-are-ways-to-cut-back/
Associated Press: Social media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut back

Associated Press: Social media can be addictive even for adults, but there are ways to cut back. “The companies that designed your favorite apps have an incentive to keep you glued to them so…

ResearchBuzz: Firehose

Neurologist reveals 3 simple tricks people can do right now to break nearly any bad habit

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/neuroscientist-reveals-3-tricks-people-can-do-right-now-to-break-any-bad-habit

Mashable: Gambling online? Try turning off push notifications.. “While push notifications may be standard business practice these days, experts say they encourage people to spend more time and money gambling than they otherwise would, similar to other aspects of gambling app design.”

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/11/11/mashable-gambling-online-try-turning-off-push-notifications/

Mashable: Gambling online? Try turning off push notifications. | ResearchBuzz: Firehose

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Addictive-like behavioural traits in pet dogs with extreme motivation for toy play - Scientific Reports

Behavioural addictions, characterised by compulsive engagement in rewarding activities despite adverse consequences in the long term, are more heterogeneous and less well-understood than substance addictions, and there is a relative lack of translational research. This study investigates “excessive toy motivation” in domestic dogs as a potential parallel to behavioural addictions in humans. Employing a combination of a behavioural test and an owner questionnaire, we examined whether a subset of highly play-motived dogs meet key behavioural addiction criteria, including craving, salience, lack of self-control, and mood modification. Data from 105 highly play-motivated dogs revealed that 33 subjects exhibited behaviours consistent with addictive-like tendencies, including an excessive fixation on toys, reduced responsiveness to alternative stimuli, and persistent efforts to access toys. Owner-reported behaviours not only corroborated these findings but also demonstrated significant associations with behavioural test scores. Our results highlight parallels between excessive toy motivation in dogs and human behavioural addictions, with dogs as the only non-human species so far that appears to develop addictive-like behaviours spontaneously without artificial induction. This exploratory study provides foundational insights and proposes future research directions that have the potential to significantly deepen our understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying behavioural addictions across species.

Nature

University of Missouri: Can online games be an effective intervention to help adolescents reduce substance abuse?. “For adolescents struggling with substance abuse, traditional in-person interventions such as counseling are not always effective, and rural areas often lack access to these services. A researcher at the University of Missouri is thinking outside the box, aiming to help game […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/03/22/university-of-missouri-can-online-games-be-an-effective-intervention-to-help-adolescents-reduce-substance-abuse/

University of Missouri: Can online games be an effective intervention to help adolescents reduce substance abuse? | ResearchBuzz: Firehose

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GW Today: Anti-Smoking Chatbots Provide Sound Advice—Most of the Time. “A new study from the George Washington University examining AI-powered chatbot responses to smokers seeking information about ways to kick the habit found that most of the chatbot responses followed sound public health advice. But some answers contained errors or were classified as misinformation, suggesting the need […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/15/gw-today-anti-smoking-chatbots-provide-sound-advice-most-of-the-time/

The Conversation: How to outwit gambling adverts by ‘inoculating’ people against them. “With gambling advertising showing no signs of abating, and gambling addiction an ongoing problem across the UK, it is vital that consumers are given tools to resist. Our recent research has found that a targeted approach using ‘counteradvertising’ videos can help people combat these persuasive […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/09/the-conversation-how-to-outwit-gambling-adverts-by-inoculating-people-against-them/

The Conversation: How to outwit gambling adverts by ‘inoculating’ people against them | ResearchBuzz: Firehose

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Psychology Today: Why Crypto Memes Hijack Your Brain, and How to Resist. “Meme coins, which are frequently promoted through viral social media campaigns, cater to this desire. According to research, anticipating a reward activates the same brain regions as the actual reward, resulting in a powerful feedback loop. This dopamine spike, which is associated with pleasure and motivation, can be […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/02/02/psychology-today-why-crypto-memes-hijack-your-brain-and-how-to-resist/

Psychology Today: Why Crypto Memes Hijack Your Brain, and How to Resist | ResearchBuzz: Firehose

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AFP: European watchdog takes aim at online gambling, gaming among youths. “Online gambling and gaming can cause depression and other mental health issues in young people, which the Council of Europe rights watchdog is trying to counter with a new project encouraging good policy and awareness raising. The 46-member bloc, which launched its project at the start of a two-day conference in Rome […]

https://rbfirehose.com/2025/01/29/afp-european-watchdog-takes-aim-at-online-gambling-gaming-among-youths/

AFP: European watchdog takes aim at online gambling, gaming among youths | ResearchBuzz: Firehose

ResearchBuzz: Firehose | Individual posts from ResearchBuzz

The Impact of Addiction on the Brain and Emotions

How Addiction Alters Brain Chemistry

One of the most hazardous aspects of addiction is its ability to fundamentally change the way our brains function. Addictive substances alter the brain's chemistry, making it difficult for individuals to feel happiness without using these substances.
#addictivebehavior #brainimpact #dangersofaddiction #drugabuse #emotionalhea

https://spreading-positivity.com/dangers-of-addiction-impact-resources-recovery/

The Perils of Addiction: Understanding the Risks and Finding Support

The Impact of Addiction on the Brain and EmotionsHow Addiction Alters Brain ChemistryOne of the most hazardous aspects of addiction is its ability t

Spreading Positivity