Drugged

Music, media, dopamine - the trifecta of contemporary life! While an unhealthy release of dopamine can be bad for all of us, there's no denying that listening to music and consuming media can bring a

Syntethic medications always made me a bit uneasy, but two weeks in — I decided to finally enter this brave new world and get some meds under my name because of my coughing. It’s crazy how our entire body runs on neurotransmitters that are basically drugs — it almost feels like we are drugged day in and day out. Don’t worry, I’m mostly making jokes — as far as I know humans don’t run on controlled substances.. or are we?

Social media companies have found a way to hook users using a variety of dopamine-laced apps.

Lucky for me, I’m one step ahead and have taken the responsible route by leaving most of them in the dust. All I keep is the ones that allow me to share the content I create like Twitter and Medium — my blogs thank them for it. Though every now and then I do get tempted to go back down a path of addiction, I’m reminded that my brainspace is far too valuable for any company to control. Social media should be about pushing great content instead of being used as tools to push us around.

Workplaces can be incredibly stressful.

With the constant cortisol release to our body, it feels like we’re forcibly being pumped with stress and the pressure to keep up with demands. Exercise helps us naturally regulate such levels of stress, but unfortunately, not all workers have the access or resources to incorporate physical activity into their 9–5 routine. Fortunately for me, I discovered meditation practice which was an effective alternative for reducing cortisol in my body. It’s not a perfect solution, but it certainly does the trick when I’m stuck in the office!

Music, media, dopamine — the trifecta of contemporary life! While an unhealthy release of dopamine can be bad for all of us, there’s no denying that listening to music and consuming media can bring a lot of pleasure and happiness.

Music speaks to our soul, it has no language barrier and it gives us an escape from our daily grinds. Moreover, modern media transcends television or radio — it comes to us through countless devices and means such as streaming services or delightfully binge-worthy shows. With this unlimited access to content, we are never far away from our source of dopamine — no matter the circumstance!

Drugged and confused by the many wonderful things that technologies bring to our lives, it’s hard to know which way to turn.

We are constantly indulged in dopamine-releasing neurochemicals that make us ever-dependent on these technologiesfor satisfaction, convenience, and troubleshooting. The responsibility of us, as humans, lies heavily on our shoulders to minimize this chaos whilst safely taking advantage of all these inventions have to offer. We have been handed the task of masterfully clinging onto the right balance between fully utilizing these perks while still managing steer ourselves away from addiction but are we aware of it collectively as a society?

The audio version of this blog can be found here.