“ Everything is permissible for me , but not all things are beneficial . Everything is permissible for me , but I will not be enslaved by anything [ and brought under its power , allowing it to control me ].”
( 1 Corinthians 6:12 AMP )
HAPPY THEN NUMB
Highly stimulating activities such as video game playing , social media , listening to music excessively , 6 gambling , and ingesting cocaine , heroin , alcohol , or marijuana cause the brain to release high dopamine levels in the nucleus accumbens , thus producing blissful emotions . As a person continues to overstimulate the brain with traditional or digital drugs , the brain builds up a tolerance ( also known as resistance ). The brain gets used to that activity , and to continue feeling high , the person must do more and more of that activity continuously , 7 which is where the addiction begins . Less stimulating activities , such as a hug , a face-toface conversation , or even traditional sports , can become boring because activities such as these do not produce enough dopamine to overcome the tolerance that has developed in the brain . A drug abuser becomes emotionally numb to activities of lesser stimulation .
This emotional numbness might be a condition known as anhedonia , which reduces the ability to experience pleasure in simple things . This emotional state results from overloading pathways to the brain ’ s pleasure center . 8
Have you ever shaken your head in wonder when your child or grandchild says , “ I ’ m bored !” and you think to yourself , “ How in the world can you be bored ? You have more toys and things to do than I ever had when growing up !” The child could very well have become emotionally numb because of too much digital stimulation .
What scares me most is the extreme boredom in spiritual matters I see worldwide , even in Christian schools . Yet , just saying “ TikTok ” causes an explosion of excitement . Clearly , digital entertainment has won the battle for the hearts and minds of Millennials and Gen Z . For some , the Gospel becomes ho-hum .
WITHDRAWALS CAN BE SCARY
Most parents have had the unpleasant experience of taking a digital device away from a child , even politely , and the child erupted in anger and perhaps aggression . Other disturbing symptoms of digital withdrawal can include anxiety and depression . 9 Some children even threaten violence or suicide .
As a person continues these activities , serotonin begins to decrease . Serotonin is a hormone in the brain partially responsible for feelings of satiation or contentment . 10 Decreased levels of serotonin are also associated with depression . 11
THERE IS GOOD NEWS
But the news isn ’ t all bad . Before and after brain scans are both disturbing and encouraging . In one study , Dr . David Rosenberg from Wayne State University showed severe brain abnormalities in an avid adolescent video gamer . After just a three-week full digital detox at summer camp , the post-scan was astonishing . The young boy ’ s brain had completely reset . 12
Of the hundreds of thousands I have spoken to , very few parents ( that I am aware of ) follow through with a full digital detox . I really do understand since it takes a great deal of courage . Of the few who have , though , I hear one common refrain : “ I have a totally different child .”
I believe God wants to restore the brains of the generations raised in the digital world . May we consistently pray for another Great Awakening . God is ready and willing to help if you ’ ll allow Him . ■
Brad Huddleston is an internationally respected speaker , consultant , teacher , and author on technology and culture ( bradhuddleston . com ). Brad has a degree in Computer Science and a Diploma in Biblical Studies and is the author of three books , including Digital Rehab : Learning to Live Again in the Real World . A frequent guest on radio and television , Brad also hosts the international radio show Brad Huddleston ’ s Techwise . Brad and his wife , Beth , live in the beautiful state of Virginia .
ENDNOTES 1 . Emer Maguire , “ What ’ s in a Kiss ? The Science of Smooching ,” British Council , accessed August 2 , 2021 , https :// britishcouncil . org / voices-magazine / kiss-science-smooching . 2 . Marc Dingman , “ Know Your Brain : Nucleus Accumbens ,” Neuroscientifically Challenged , March 20 , 2021 , https :// neuroscientificallychallenged . com / posts / know-your-brainnucleus-accumbens . 3 . “ Too Trusting ? Over Half of American Parents Let Their Kids Go Online Without Supervision ,” NortonLifeLock Inc ., July 19 , 2022 , https :// prnewswire . com / news-releases / tootrusting-over-half-of-american-parents-let-their-kids-go-online-withoutsupervision-301588724 . html . 4 . “ Glow Kids : Beware of the Screen ,” YouTube , October 13 , 2016 , https :// youtu . be / MQMlOjOPsKg . 5 . Victoria L . Dunckley , Reset Your Child ’ s Brain : A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns , Raise Grades , and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time ( New World Library : Kindle Edition ), 36 . 6 . Mark Waghorn , “ Music Can Be as Addictive as Fast Food , Money , and Alcohol ,” Study Finds , April 7 , 2021 , https :// studyfinds . org / music-addictive-fast-food-alcohol . 7 . “ Tolerance and Withdrawal : Processing the Environment : MCAT : Khan Academy ,” YouTube , June 25 , 2014 , https :// youtu . be / 3vKLU5 _ Hgco . 8 . Archibald D . Hart , Thrilled to Death : How the Endless Pursuit of Pleasure Is Leaving Us Numb ( Nashville : Thomas Nelson , 2007 ). 9 . Ibid . 10 . “ Reward Pathway in the Brain : Processing the Environment : MCAT : Khan Academy ,” YouTube , June 25 , 2014 , https :// youtu . be / YzCYuKX6zp8 . 11 . “ Brain Hormones ,” Endocrine Society , January 24 , 2022 , https :// endocrine . org / patient-engagement / endocrine-library / hormones-and-endocrine-function / brainhormones . 12 . David Rosenberg , “ Dr . David R . Rosenberg Interview with 20 / 20 ,” YouTube , June 6 , 2017 , https :// youtu . be / kkJOadg31rw .
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