YO U R R A C
There’s something exciting in knowing your device has a special message, just for you, a natural response to the anticipated pleasure. It could be good news, bad news, any news…who knows? But each time your device pings, flashes or vibrates, something has arrived for your special attention. You and your brain have learned to expect a reward.
A 2018 study of Perth’s Mitchell Freeway found two drivers every minute were using their phones. Tech companies design their apps with this in mind, says Horwood. “They try and tempt us, and deliberately so.” Their aim is to keep you engaged with their app (and their advertisers) for as long as possible, so they condition you
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in the same way Pavlov conditioned his drooling dogs. It’s also the same way slot machines manipulate gamblers. And the same way psychologists get the most out of maze-running rats. The behaviour is driven by the reward that follows. “The expectation of a reward is how many behavioural addictions begin,” says Horwood. “If you’re checking your phone every half hour, the expectation of receiving a reward every time is a pretty strong reinforcer.” On a neurological level, each time your brain receives a reward – anything from seeing a cute baby to laughing at a joke – it releases a dose of the feelgood chemical dopamine. “A surge of dopamine makes you feel good and excited,” says Horwood. “Dopamine can start to surge even when you just think about checking your phone. That can be a precursor to addictive behaviour.”
But feeling good is a normal part of life, not an addiction. So, do you really have a problem? “There isn’t a problem if your smartphone isn’t impacting your life in a negative way,” says Horwood. “But if you’re using your phone while driving, then that’s a problem.” Younger drivers are most likely to use their devices while driving. “They’re learning to drive, and they also have the greatest tendency to want to check their phone,” says Horwood. “That’s a perfect storm.” But we can’t lay all the blame at the feet of our youth. Experienced drivers should be leading by example in front of their children, says Horwood. “If you’re a driver and you’re doing anything at all on your phone, that’s modelling behaviours that are problematic.”
December-January 2019 / Horizons