#davesdailychallenge (12): Dopamine; we are all guilty. Strap in boys and girls this is going to be interesting. Modern smartphones, tablets, etc… are amazing devices. They are incredible tools to accomplish an extraordinary number of things. In direct relation to these devices is our collective “obsession with the new”. One source of that obsession is dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with rewards and motivation, among many other things. Our brains are awash with it in our current society. As we scroll through various social media feeds our dopamine levels spike and crash, spike and crash, spike and crash. Dopamine is also associated with addiction. Endlessly scrolling through Twitter feeds or photos on Instagram are essentially just digital Pringles. Once you pop you can’t stop. I am 100% guilty of this and admit it. I use my iPhone all the time and love it. I am connected to it nearly constantly. I create great content with it every single day and don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. It’s just too big a part of my life but I’m also keenly aware of the consequences of my actions. Have you ever disconnected either mostly or completely? Perhaps you went camping and only took out your phone now and then to snap a photo or maybe you didn’t even bring it! I know I’ve done this before and try to find times in my life to purposefully disconnect, namely with my wife and son. How did you feel after disconnecting? I always feel so much more engaged with the people and things I care about. My obsession with the new is reset, at least slightly, and the world is that much more beautiful. I challenge you to do three things: 1) research this dopamine dependence issue with modern tech; 2) get away; 3) follow me on every social channel possible to see all the amazing content I’m putting out. Duct tape your phone to your face. 😉