Hooked: How Addiction Hijacks the Brain, is a three-part series hosted by Dr Brian Pennie looking at the impact of addiction on the brain and seeking to explain and destigmatise both behavioural and substance addictions, from smartphones to hard drugs.
Pennie, a neuroscientist and resilience specialist, shares his insights into addiction and the teenage brain.
I spent 15 years addicted to heroin. When I got sober, I went to college and ultimately got a PhD in Neuroscience. While making this series I went back to my excellent secondary school, St Declan's College, in Cabra in Dublin.
Going back is always nostalgic but going this time to talk to the brilliant principal, Eibhlin O’Reilly, and the boys who attend was a proper eye-opener.
Watch: Dr Pennie's first visit to Saint Declan's.
Addiction is not limited to substances like alcohol and drugs but extends to behaviours such as smartphone use, gaming, gambling and pornography. The essence of addiction is escaping and avoiding emotional discomfort, which can lead to habitual behaviours turning into addictions.
Young people are particularly vulnerable to addiction due to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and disconnection. Research from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre found that Ireland had the highest prevalence of loneliness among all European countries.
This loneliness can drive young people to seek rewards through their phones or other addictive behaviours.
Research from Cybersafe Kids has found that 25 per cent of Irish six-year-olds have a smartphone while more than 80 per cent of 8-12-year-olds have unsupervised access to smart devices in their bedrooms.
Addiction changes the brain, particularly the reward pathway, which is grounded in the older part of the brain.
Dopamine, a motivational neurotransmitter, drives people to seek more rewards, leading to addictive behaviours. Smartphones and other technologies hijack this part of the brain and can cause structural changes over time.
In our series, Professor Anna Lembke compares smartphones to drugs, a scary proposition for parents. She points out that just like drugs, alcohol, gaming or pornography, most people will use these things without any problems but that, for 10-20 per cent of users, it can become a major problem.
When it comes to smart devices or drugs, the research shows that delaying the age of first use can reduce the risk of long-term problem use.
In St Declan’s College, I explained what can happen in the brain when we use smart devices, especially social media. One teenager expressed a wish that TikTok had never been invented. It was a stark statement that really stuck with me.
The students aren’t allowed to have their phones in class but, for the programme, they brought their phones in and shared their user stats with us. Many were surprised to see how high their daily usage was and for many, social media was the main way they were spending that time online.
I challenged the students to halve their phone use and come back to see how they got on just over a week later.
Watch: Dr Pennie's return visit to Saint Declan's.
Many of the boys found the challenge very hard, to which I can really relate. But those who were able to reduce their use, consistently felt much better, experienced less anxiety, and reported feeling more fulfilled by using their time in a more productive way.
One had dug out an old iPod to listen to music on instead of his phone. Another had stopped using his phone in the gym and one pupil had even forgotten to bring his phone to school on the day I came back to check in with them. It’s hard, but that change is possible.
Preventing addiction involves understanding what drives addictive behaviour rather than focusing solely on the addiction itself. Disconnection and emotional pain are significant factors in addiction, and addressing these issues is crucial. The availability of addictive technologies and substances, along with persuasive advertising, contributes to the problem.
Professor Colin O’Gara of John of Gods, and some wonderful men who are receiving treatment for gambling addiction at Cuan Mhuire, all spoke of the insidiousness of phones when it comes to gambling.
Professor O’Gara outlined how the gamification of gambling targeted at kids is part of the pervasive presence of gambling in Irish society and says that parents should talk openly to their kids about it.
Niall and Conor, both of whom are now finished treatment at Cuan Mhuire, spoke of the phone as a key gateway to catastrophic gambling. They both highlight how their gambling was never about the money but rather about underlying psychological and self-esteem challenges that needed addressing.
In Cuan Mhuire, phones aren’t used while in treatment, and Niall spoke starkly about his observations of the pervasiveness of phone use after he left residential treatment.
For parents, the big message is to delay use, supervise, and know what your child is up to. Have that open conversation about the susceptibility of young brains to all kinds of behavioural and substance addictions. Most importantly, encourage and foster connection for children and teenagers with their family and friends.
There is a great saying: the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection. And as someone formerly addicted to heroin, now a Doctor of Neuroscience, I can promise you it’s true.
Hooked: How Addiction Hijacks the Brain is playing on RTÉ One Wednesdays at 9.35 and is available to catch up on RTÉ Player. The series is co-funded by RTÉ and Taighde Éireann.
If you have been affected by issues raised in this story, please visit: www.rte.ie/helplines.
