ADDICTED: The Insidious Power of Digital Media and the Brain’s Reward System

by Megan Bell Musharbash

The digital age has brought with it many modern-day miracles. The ability to shop, contact each other, and learn online has fundamentally changed everyone’s lives. But beneath the surface, digital media has damaged our brains severely. Through deliberate and clever manipulation of social media feedback loops, the online world has been designed to manipulate our dopamine. These readily available sources of dopamine have caused a real shift in the way the human mind works day-to-day. In a world of convenience, the constant and easily available sources of dopamine can leave people feeling hopeless and depressed, and lead to dopamine addiction. The Insidious Power of Digital Media and the Brain’s Reward System peels back the glitz and excitement of the digital world to peer at the rapidly-developing dopamine crisis facing society. It explores how social media companies have leveraged their ubiquity in society in order to keep people scrolling and maximize their revenue—at the expense of society’s mental health. The Insidious Power of Digital Media and the Brain’s Reward System Social media dopamine addiction doesn’t simply worm into our brains and create addiction, but the heavily online world in which we live has also created a new ecosystem of illicit and violent crimes. And looking to the future, AI developments, like the internet we know today, will bring with it its own fundamental changes to society and our minds as it continues to be developed. Understanding the nature of social media and its impact on our minds is integral to understanding how to live with social media and other technologies without losing ourselves to it. The Insidious Power of Digital Media and the Brain’s Reward System will give you the knowledge to break free from dopamine addiction!

207 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2023

About the author

Born in Laguna Beach, California, I grew up on a small Island on the south of England, called the Isle of Wight and now live in Phoenix, Arizona trying to brave the heat! After my father passed away in 2011 I decided to move back and carry on his business Pyradyne. In 2012 Megan Bell (myself) officially resurrected Pyradyne after the sudden passing of Dr. Fred Bell (father). Megan was able to successfully continue her father's for 12 years. "Pyradyne" sadly retired in 2023 (1975 - 2023).

Excerpt from overview of "The Power of Pyramids" book states the following: 'I was born at home in Laguna Beach, California, inside a 9-foot pyramid with a gold capstone on top. My mother's labor and delivery was 10 minutes. Fascinated as a child yet slightly embarrassed, I was always drawn toward pyramids. After my father's sudden passing in 2011, I was thrust into the world of pyramids as I moved across the globe to revive my father's company, Pyradyne.'