By Adam Taylor, Lancaster University We use our phones three hours and 15 minutes a day on average. So perhaps it’s hardly surprising people are reporting a “new” injury on social media and in the news – “smartphone pinky”. People claiming to have the condition…
By Tony Rao, King’s College London It’s a well-known fact that drinking too much alcohol can have a serious impact on your health, including damaging your liver. But how much is too much? For conditions such as liver cirrhosis, that’s usually more than 21 units…
Feelings of panic when a person is away from their smartphone could be connected to general feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, a new study of young people in Portugal suggests. The study, published in the most recent issue of the journal Computers in Human Behavior…
By Eleftheria Kodosaki, Cardiff Metropolitan University Alcohol abuse is a serious problem worldwide. In England alone, over 350,000 alcohol-related hospital admissions – and over 5,000 alcohol-related deaths – were reported in 2018. Long-term alcohol abuse can have many harmful effects on our body. But one…
By Peter Tocci Today’s world looks quite chaotic, threatened and stressed. But could the players and motives commonly cited by investigative journalists be symptomatic first, causal second? Issues come ‘fast and furious,’ such as ever-increasing threats to health, freedom, self-determination, and most critically to the…
By Arjun Walia The Facts: A new study recently published by German researchers from Heidelberg University show differences in brain structure between people with ‘smartphone addition’ compared to people without it. Reflect On: Is your child constantly on their smartphone? Are they addicted? Children entering into…
By Arjun Walia The Facts: A new study recently published by German researchers from Heidelberg University show differences in brain structure between people with ‘smartphone addition’ compared to people without it. Reflect On: Is your child constantly on their smartphone? Are they addicted? Children entering…
Using results of a survey of more than 2,700 self-reported users of the herbal supplement kratom, sold online and in smoke shops around the U.S., Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers conclude that the psychoactive compound somewhat similar to opioids likely has a lower rate of harm…
By John Vibes In light of the growing scientific evidence showing the possibility for therapeutic uses of psychedelic compounds, these substances are slowly becoming more acceptable in mainstream circles. At the most recent World Economic Forum in Davos, where wealthy and influential people meet to…
By Alanna Ketler The Facts: Millions of people suffer from addiction in various forms worldwide. Our current society doesn’t support looking at the root cause to reach a solution. Reflect On: We should not be asking “why the addiction?” but rather “why the pain?” Addiction…
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Marijuana use among college students has been trending upward for years, but in states that have legalized recreational marijuana, use has jumped even higher. An Oregon State University study published today in Addiction shows that in states where marijuana was legalized by…
By Elias Marat An affiliate of the U.S.-based pharmaceutical company that brought us OxyContin, the blockbuster painkiller blamed for propelling opiate addiction to epidemic proportions, is now seeking to cash in by selling the cure to overdosing on the same drug. While Purdue Pharma, the…
By Alanna Ketler The Facts: Alcohol-related deaths are the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the US. Reflect On: Should we be glamorizing the consumption of alcohol in the media and in advertisements? Is it time to get real about the potentially life-threatening risks…
By Alanna Ketler The Facts: The average adult spends as much as 12 hours a day in front of a screen while at home. Reflect On: How much of our screen time is providing value to our lives? Is our screen time benefiting us or…
By Elias Marat For many adults, going to the bar is a regular pastime—if not the default social activity when going out for a night of socializing and hanging out. But for many people struggling to free themselves of addictions like alcoholism, it can be…
By Sean Walton Right in the midst of the opioid crisis, another illicit drug has hit the streets of Seattle. Experts say it’s more potent and deadly than other opiods. The DEA says carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger…
By Patricia Burke Whistling Jugs: Pitchers vs. Whistles vs. Energy Healers A few years back, a “discovery” was made about ancient Peruvian pottery vessels. They were thought to be water vessels, until someone blew into one, and it was discovered that the water vessels were…
By John Vibes Sesame Street, one of the longest-running children’s television shows in the United States, has introduced a new character that has a mother who is addicted to opioids. The new character is a bright green Muppet with yellow hair who is friends with…
By Barry Brownstein In a 2016 essay, “I Used to Be a Human Being,” Andrew Sullivan explored his debilitating digital addiction. The subtitle of Sullivan’s essay grabs our attention: An endless bombardment of news and gossip and images has rendered us manic information addicts. It…
By Monideepa Tarafdar, Lancaster University; Christian Maier, University of Bamberg, and Sven Laumer, Friedrich–Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg (FAU) If you ever find yourself looking forward to a holiday because you’ll be able to switch off your smartphone then perhaps you’re suffering from social media “technostress”. The…
