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Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

(arstechnica.com)
349 points pseudolus | 2 comments | 17 Dec 24 23:44 UTC | HN request time: 0.504s | source
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vouaobrasil ◴[20 Dec 24 19:19 UTC] No.42474017[source]▶
I wonder if the new drug of choice is actually technology. In some ways I think that the addiction to technology has some similar mellowing effects as drugs. Some research indicates that smartphone addiction is also related to low self-esteem and avoidant attachment [1] and that smartphones can become an object of attachment [2]. The replacement of drugs by technology is not surprising as it significantly strengthens technological development especially as it is already well past the point of diminishing returns for improving every day life.

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07475...

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07475...

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imoverclocked ◴[20 Dec 24 19:43 UTC] No.42474258[source]▶
Be careful of a possible false dichotomy; People don’t need to have a drug.
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ndileas ◴[20 Dec 24 19:52 UTC] No.42474352[source]▶
Hey, speak for yourself, buddy.

More seriously, I think there's ample historical evidence that drugs (with a liberal definition, beer, etc) are very popular across various times and places.

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kube-system ◴[20 Dec 24 19:57 UTC] No.42474418[source]▶
And religion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people
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ikanreed ◴[20 Dec 24 21:02 UTC] No.42474988[source]▶
That very wikipedia article you links makes it clear it's not intended to mean religion is a "Drug" in the sense of being addictive, but rather a sociological pain killer. A tonic that limits how much people react to their own suffering.
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1. kube-system ◴[20 Dec 24 21:40 UTC] No.42475330[source]▶
Absolutely. And smart phones are also not literally a drug. Drugs, video games, alcohol, and religion, are all used as a part of coping mechanisms for many, however.
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2. vacuity ◴[21 Dec 24 15:51 UTC] No.42480323[source]▶
> a compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence

(Merriam-Webster, "addiction")

It might be stretching it somewhat, but I think video games, social media, and religion can manifest a habitual need to indulge, negative effects from doing so, and negative effects from not doing so. Perhaps not in most people.

Coping mechanisms/painkillers can naturally cause some people to be "in too deep" because they keep using it and become dependent.