Does Modern Life Keep Us Addicted to Stress?
June 30, 2012
Dopamine. That chemical is at the root of the problem described in the Pacific Standard’s “Manic Nation: Dr. Peter Whybrow Says We’re Addicted to Stress.” When you think of crazy entrepreneurs and MBAs, boy does this guy have a fresh angle on their behavior.
Dr. Whybrow, director of UCLA’s Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, has been applying behavioral neuroscience to social issues for 14 years. Reporter Mary Fischer interviewed Whybrow about the ways our brains deal with modern reality. It is an intriguing read, and I recommend checking it out. Fischer writes:
“‘The computer is electronic cocaine for many people,’ says Whybrow. ‘Our brains are wired for finding immediate reward. With technology, novelty is the reward. You essentially become addicted to novelty.’ We can’t stop because the brain has no built-in braking system. With most natural constraints gone, all we’ve got left is our own intelligence and the internal regulatory system in the frontal cortex, the most recent evolutionary addition to the brain. This ‘executive brain’ regulates impulse control and reasoning. But, Whybrow notes, ‘despite our superior intelligence, we remain driven by our ancient desires.'”
Ancient desires like the yearning to catch dinner, or to avoid becoming dinner. Our brains evolved to reward such accomplishments with a shot of dopamine. Unfortunately, this desert comes with a side of flight-or-flight response. This heightened state of anxiety was once appropriate to our stressful situations, which tended to be life-or-death matters. They also tended to end conclusively, allowing our minds and bodies to recover from the stress. Now, though, our stressful situations can continue perpetually, especially if we make no effort to counter their influence. This sustained stress, to put it mildly, is very bad for us.
How does Whybrow reduce his own stress? By actively choosing when he will interact with his electronic devices and the people on the other ends of them. He refuses to work at home, and he only checks his email once a day on weekends. That may sound crazy to many of us, but it may be that Whybrow has the key to staying sane.
Cynthia Murrell, June 30, 2012
Sponsored by PolySpot
Comments
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
