In this episode, Dr. Delaney Ruston explores social media addiction through the story of one young person, Lars, alongside insights from Anna Lembke, MD, chief of addiction medicine at Stanford, and longtime media researcher Douglas Gentile, PhD. Lars's story offers an intimate look at how social media can shape mental health and identity.
The episode examines the many ways compulsive social media use can take hold in a young person's life and digs into the science behind digital addiction. Dr. Ruston and her guests share practical guidance on how to tell when social media use has crossed into clinical addiction and, most importantly, how to help teens who are there, or teetering on the edge, break free.
Featured Experts
Additional Links
Anna Lembke’s book, Dopamine Nation
Additional Resources
Bring Screenagers to Your Community
Time Code
00:00 Introduction to Social Media Addiction
00:37 The Lawsuits Against Social Media Giants
01:47 Interview with Experts on Social Media Addiction
02:15 The Power of Social Media and Its Impact
04:19 The Journey of a Social Media Influencer
09:43 The Struggle with Mental Illness and Technology
11:11 The Science Behind Social Media Addiction
13:40 Understanding Addiction on a Spectrum
19:27 The Impact of Overabundance on Mental Health
20:19 Recovering from Social Media Addiction
24:54 Helping Others Overcome Social Media Addiction
25:33 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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