Addiction

### Cold Open

"Think about your average day. starting with that first up of coffee. Then another when you get to work. Then there's the phone calls, texts, e-mails, social media sites to post to. More coffee to get over the midday hump. Another round of e-mails, texts and phone calls. Then it's home to watch TV, surf the net, and check your e-mail for the hundredth time when you should be going to bed! Sound Familiar? We all say we have things we can't live without. Do you really want to do those things? Or, on some deep level, do you feel like you need to? When it comes to addiction, most people thinks of hard drugs or alcohol, and those are serious issues, but we're here to talk about the thousands of smaller compulsions that make up our lives, whether it's the next episode of your favorite TV show, a hot new game app or an embarrassing pop song you find yourself humming even though you don't even like it. And the reason why you become addicted to things has to do with the reward-seeking machine in your head, otherwise known, as your brain. And today, we're going to show you, whether you like it or not, we're all addicted to something. Prepare to get hooked... on brain games. "

### Questions

Aren't withdrawal and addiction bad for you?

Did you know there's a positive side to addiction as well?

If our brains are pre-disposed to being addicted, how early in our development does it happens?

## Games

### Game #1: I Can't Explain It

Why do you wanna see someone get hurt?

Result: The guy gets thrown off his hang glider. But why did you want to see him crash?

Why: Your frontal lobe loves a good story. Because your brain is designed to learn new things, about what to do and not to do. If plot lines aren't resolved, your brain wants to get more.

### Mini-Game: I'm Not an Addict, Right?

In the last 24 hours, have you surfed the net for more than 2 hours, spent more than your budget when shopping online or drank 3 or more cups of soda, alcohol or coffee?

If you answered at least at 1 out of 3 right, chances are you're a mild addict.

### Game #2: Analogy Slots

Solve analogies to win.

Result: You win, but the machine doesn't quite work when that happens.

So: You feel like it's a little anti-climatic, and you expected something like a big payoff. The entire game was designed that way. Your brain links the sounds and flashing lights of a slot machine to a reward and releases dopamine, which is knows as a reinforcement loop.

### Game #3: Don't Eat It!

Will kids resist eating a piece of cotton candy just for more?

Result: Around half the kids managed to avoid eating it. The kids who could distract themselves won more often.

Why: The frontal cortex, only developed in the last 200,000 years. It's no match for the most primitive parts of the brain, where addictive behavior is rewarded.

### Game #4: Solve the Maze

Can you solve the maze?

Result: You probably did, great job. But that wasn't the point. Think of a melody. Any melody.

So: These catchy tunes are called ear-worms, and listening to them while performing a cognitive task, the ear-worm becomes implanted. Repetition, back and forth beat, along with upbeat synthesizers. The easier it is to hum along, the better for your brain.

### Game #5: The Ultimate Addiction(Almost)

A focus group wanted to get paid, but they can't use their cell phones, and placed them in phone holders. They're here to watch a video, but it ended up not working. Then, they leave and leave them alone. Will these participants fold just like the kids?

Result: Most of the adults don't fold so easily, since there's money to be paid to them if they follow the rules.

But what will happen when we start shaking and ringing their phones?

Result: Almost everyone folded, and once the floodgates opened, they didn't care what they did with it. But why would they forfeit the payment?(We paid them all anyway...)

Why: Because cell phones are the second most common distraction, second only to a giggling baby. Since our brains want dopamine, the phone is where the most rewards come from and you learn something new. Your dopamine levels don't peak when you win, they win right before you do. The pursuit of happiness is about the pursuit!

### Game #6: Bye Bye

Max Darwin wants to stop someone's addiction.

Result: He crushes a cup of coffee of a woman to prevent her addiction and then decides to buy her a coffee.

So: Out of sight, out of mind.

## List of Experts

* Sri Sarma
* Max Darwin(Guest)