As soda is made from potentially habit-forming ingredients, like caffeine and sugar, it can become addictive and cause a number of physical and mental health problems.

Are you or a loved one drinking too much soda? In this article we look at the signs and health impacts of soda addiction, as well as how to prevent or stop it.

Gaming out of control? Get immediate help for you or your loved one’s gaming problem. Book a free Gameplan call now to learn if our program is the right fit for you.

What is a soda addiction?

Is soda the first thing you think about in the morning? Do you constantly crave soda throughout the day? Do you drink soda at every mealtime and often in between? If so, you may have a soda addiction.

Soda addiction (also known as soda dependency) involves consuming excessive amounts of soda without being able to moderate your intake, despite negative health consequences.

Although soda addiction is not officially recognized as a disorder, it is a type of food addiction that releases the same feel-good hormone in the brain that can cause drug and alcohol addiction.

Signs of soda addiction

Soda addiction has many symptoms in common with alcohol or drug addiction such as cravings, lack of control, tolerance and withdrawal. Here are some common signs that you or a loved one may be addicted to soda:

• Constantly preoccupied with thoughts of drinking soda.
• Experiencing strong cravings for soda that are difficult to resist.
• Needing to consume larger quantities of soda to feel the same level of pleasure.
• Often drinking more than intended.
• Having a thirst that can only be quenched by soda.
• Repeatedly trying to control, cut down or stop drinking soda without success.
• Hiding soda consumption from others.
• Feeling guilty after drinking soda.
• Having withdrawal symptoms such as a headache, irritability or difficulty concentrating when unable to have soda.
• Suffering from physical health problems like tooth decay and unwanted weight gain.
• Experiencing mental health issues including depression and anxiety.

If these signs of soda addiction resonate with you, see the ‘How to stop soda addiction’ section below.

What makes soda so addictive?

There are three main reasons why soda can be addictive.

Potentially addictive ingredients

Soda has just the right amount of sugar, caffeine and carbonation to make the body crave more.

One 12 oz can of Coca-Cola contains 39 grams of sugar – that’s the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons. It produces a rush of sweetness that triggers a release of dopamine, the brain’s reward system. In fact, research has found that sugar can be more rewarding than cocaine.

Caffeine is another soda ingredient that can be addictive. It is a stimulant that speeds up messages between the brain and the body which can lead to increased energy and alertness. High consumption can cause irritability, restlessness and insomnia whereas withdrawal symptoms include headaches and poor concentration.

The fizziness of soda can also be addictive. The carbonation adds a small amount of acidity and when combined with sugar, it intensifies the ‘high’.

Habitual behavior

Drinking soda can become associated with everyday activities such as eating meals, watching a movie, scrolling through social media or playing video games. These occasions can feel incomplete without drinking soda.

Personal taste

Many people prefer the sweet, fizzy taste of soda to water and other beverages. So even when different, healthier options are available, they will always choose soda.

How soda effects your health

Drinking soda as an occasional treat is unlikely to be harmful, whereas excessive consumption can have adverse side effects. How soda addiction impacts your health varies from person to person but here are some of the common physical and mental health risks:

• Tooth decay
• Unwanted weight gain
• Increased heart rate
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Nausea
• Obesity
• Kidney stones
• Osteoporosis
• Stroke
• Anxiety
• Depression.

How to stop soda addiction

If you are concerned about your drinking habits and want to know how to consume less soda, here are helpful tips to help prevent or stop soda addiction:

Reduce your soda consumption

It can be difficult to stop drinking soda all at once. If you experience withdrawal symptoms, gradually cut down the amount of soda you are consuming. Start by drinking one then two less cans a day to wean yourself off it, building up to going for a whole day without soda. Eventually, you may choose to only drink soda when socializing with friends or at weekends.

Drink plenty of water

The best soda alternatives are still or sparkling water. Try to drink as much water as you do soda. Add mint, cucumber or fresh fruit to make it more flavorsome. Keeping hydrated with water – which has no calories, caffeine, sugar or additives – will quench your thirst, fill you up and stop you consuming so much soda.

Stop using soda as a reward

Often people use soda as a reward which can trigger dependence by promoting a high dopamine response to the drink. There is nothing wrong with rewarding yourself – just replace drinking soda with a healthier behavior that addresses the same need.

Choose a substitute for soda

Plan ahead for how you will respond when you get the urge to drink soda. Perhaps you could try breathing exercises, go for a walk or find a replacement activity.

Cut out triggers

If you drink soda when watching movies, don’t do the cinema for a while. If you always order a soda when you get a takeout, prepare food at home. Make it easier on yourself by avoiding the things that trigger your soda cravings.

Visualize yourself succeeding

Imagine yourself not needing soda to feel happy, regaining control of your life and enjoying your success.

Although these tips are not guaranteed to stop soda addiction, they may reduce your risk of developing it.

Need help to build better habits?

If you or a loved one are addicted to soda and the above advice has not helped, consider talking to a health professional or therapist. We have a database of therapists worldwide so you can contact one close to where you live.

As soda addiction is not a recognized disorder, there is no formal treatment. However, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be effective at targeting problematic thought patterns that can cause unhealthy behaviors such as drinking excessive amounts of soda.

Sometimes, people with soda dependency also struggle with gaming or digital addiction. They spend hours playing video games or scrolling through social media, despite negative consequences. If you or someone you care about is addicted to gaming or tech, get in touch to book a free 30-minute Gameplan strategy call.

Today, we are bombarded by everything digital.

From video games to emails to memes, there’s a never-ending onslaught of digital input into our lives that we no longer prioritize anything else. As a result, we are slaves to our screens, and that’s not a healthy way of living.

While technology can be helpful to improve our lives, too much of it can also be detrimental to our health, social interactions, and mental wellbeing.

While most people are conscious of this, they don’t know what to do about it. 

Digital detox is a new trend in self-care, which has been on a steady rise since 2016. There’s no clear definition of a digital detox exactly, but it typically entails a commitment to boycotting technology – or specific aspects of technology – for a certain period.

And in this article, we’re going to take a closer look at digital detox, what it is, how it works, its benefits, and how to do it. By the end of this complete guide to digital detox, you’ll (hopefully) learn the following:

• What is a digital detox?
• Why do a digital detox?
• The benefits of digital detox
• The science behind a digital detox
• Does a digital detox work?
• How to do a digital detox

Let’s get started. 

What is a Digital Detox?

A digital detox is an act of removing yourself from technology for some time. 

When you do a digital detox, you will go a certain period without all devices connected to the Internet, including smartphones, computers, TV, consoles, video games, and other types of technology.

The goal of the digital detox is to repair your relationship with technology and get a healthier view of it. The goal is not to completely stop using technology forever but to change how you use it in your life in a more balanced way.

The amount of time people spend with technology is increasing by the day. Many people spend hours a day on it and don’t realize that they’re addicted to it. On average, an adult would spend more than 8 hours per day with technology, according to a survey done in 2020.

That’s why many people feel the need to remove technology from their lives or at least minimize their dependence on it. Doing so will help them evaluate their usage on a deeper level and then change their digital habits.

While tempted to think it’s easier said than done, a digital detox can be simple, and it’s certainly worth a try.

It doesn’t have to be a prolonged stretch or period where you quit technology entirely. You can choose how long you feel comfortable doing a digital detox for anywhere from 24 hours to 1 week.

Some people believe that a digital detox could help them, but they’re unsure how to go about doing it. That’s why we wrote this article. We want to show you how you can detox from technology and find your way back to a healthy relationship with it.

What Do You Do on a Digital Detox?

The first step is to go cold turkey on using technology. This means don’t use it at all for the entire digital detox. Everything from your emails to cable internet should be completely off the table.

It will feel tough at first, and you may feel like you are missing out on many things during the digital detox. 

You might miss your favorite TV shows, the latest video game, or social media apps.

You will also find it difficult to concentrate and do things alone. You’ll be constantly tempted to check your Facebook account or snap a quick selfie with your smartphone because you’re bored.

But that’s the beauty of digital detox – you learn how to live and thrive without these distracting factors. 

You learn how to appreciate yourself and your company, and you also start to cherish the small things in life, such as friendships, events, nature, and the world around you as you’re not sticking your nose in your screen all the time, which distracts you from the beauty that this world has to offer.

The next step is to spend time doing things that are different from what you normally do daily. This includes anything that would help you learn new skills or enjoy yourself in a new way.

You can start by reading, writing, playing with kids, exercising, working on crafts, or even taking up a hobby. If you don’t know what hobby to try, we’ve prepared a hobby tool that can help you find new hobbies when you’re doing a digital detox.

How Long Should a Digital Detox Last?

You can start with whatever length of time you are comfortable with. For example, you can start with 24 hours, and if you see the digital detox working for you, you can continue with it.

Ideally, you’d want your digital detox to last longer. Like anything else, the longer you do it, the more you’ll see results. 

For example, if you are doing a digital detox for one week, you will start to see bigger changes than if you would only be doing it for a day. That’s because your brain will begin to change, and it will start getting rid of the dependencies created by technology.

Turning off all digital technology for a week or longer may seem like a long time, but it isn’t that difficult. You can do it during the day or at night. You can even do it while on holiday if you don’t feel like a digital detox would work in your daily life.

In our Respawn program for gamers, we offer a similar idea of detoxing from video games. In our program, the detox lasts 90 days because that is how long it will take for your brain to rewire the changes caused by gaming addiction. 

Once you get used to the idea of doing a digital detox, you’ll start noticing how different your life becomes when you no longer have your devices and Internet available. It might be a bit difficult at the start, but once you get into it, you’ll see that it gets easier with time.

Why Do a Digital Detox?

The following are the most common reasons why people do a digital detox. After reading these, if one of them describes you, you should strongly consider doing a digital detox.

1. To avoid distractions

Distractions are everywhere in today’s world, and they can be hard to ignore. But if there’s one thing that technology makes easier, it has to be distractions. While having devices connected to the Internet gives us quick access to information and communication, they also come with guilt feelings because of their potential for distracting us.

You stop focusing on the tasks you need to do. Instead, you turn to tasks that are more pleasurable and more comfortable, like playing your favorite video game, scrolling through social media, or watching another Youtube video.

This makes your work less productive. Technology is so fast-paced that it makes everything easier for us, except for our ability to do work.

2. To unplug from the world

The purpose of unplugging is to detach yourself completely from technology and to live in the present moment, without distractions, to live your life fully and enjoy the little things again, the ones that you didn’t even notice previously.

Additionally, a digital detox could help you get a better image of yourself. You’d stop seeing all the “happy” people on social media, and you’d focus on the things that you love doing more.

3. To set priorities

If you’re not using your time well, who knows what will happen to you? You could become unproductive and lazy. Or maybe you won’t work at all. Or you could even lose your job if you don’t take care of yourself.

But if there’s one thing that technology doesn’t provide us, it’s the ability to prioritize our tasks properly. This is one of the biggest disadvantages of technology for us.

Additionally, when you start focusing on technology too much, you forget about the people around you. The people you love and cherish, your friends – technology becomes your priority, and the relationships start to suffer.

A digital detox can help you shift your priorities towards healthy things again.

Should I do a Digital Detox?

If you think that a digital detox isn’t for you, that’s fine. You can choose to do it, you can choose not to do it, and you can decide never to try it at all. 

But before you decide, think about your relationship with technology. Think about how much time you spend with it every day and how it’s affecting your life. Maybe a digital detox could help you in some way.

Do you think a digital detox will bring positive things to your life? If so, why don’t you give it a shot? You can do it for 24 hours or even for one week. Decide to try it out for yourself and see if it brings positive changes.

Doing a digital detox has next to no negative effects, so giving it a shot surely can’t hurt. However, if you don’t feel any changes after the detox, then you can establish that it hasn’t worked for you as intended.

Here are a few signs that might help you decide that a digital detox is right for you:

• You feel like you’re wasting too much time on social media, playing video games, apps, computers, or smartphones

• You don’t manage to complete the tasks you’ve prioritized for the day because you’ve been distracted all the time

• You feel like your relationships with the people that matter to you have deteriorated because of technology, and you want to repair them

• Your confidence and mental health is suffering as a result of technology overuse

• You don’t socialize as often as you did, and you also don’t do physical activities as much as you used to

• You don’t feel present in conversations and real-life activities and events

• Take some time to evaluate whether you notice any of these signs and if you do; then a digital detox could be very beneficial.

Negative Effects of Too Much Technology

There is no doubt that technology has improved certain aspects of our lives. For example, we can now order food, clothes and watch our favorite movies without ever having to leave our couch. 

But that also comes with some negative consequences. Because technology is so ingrained in our everyday lives, it’s easy for us to get too comfortable with it. And because we tend to overuse it, we get addicted to it. We begin comparing ourselves with others, and we become obsessed with our phones and social media accounts. 

We find ourselves becoming more anxious, depressed, and exhausted than we did before.

Researchers have found that there’s a strong correlation between using technology and feeling depressed. This negative effect is even more pronounced in teenagers. The Internet can make them feel lonely and insecure because of its overwhelming nature. 

In recent years, more and more people have also suffered from technology-induced anxiety. And this is because these people are glued to the screens of their devices, and they don’t even notice it.

Technology overuse can also decrease your physical health because you spend less time experiencing nature, doing physical activities in nature, or doing sports to keep yourself fit and healthy. This is why it’s very important to find a balance between working online and offline.

Some negative effects of technology overuse include:

• Low self-esteem
• Depression, anxiety
• Sleep difficulties
• Weight gain, obesity
• Lack of exercise
• Poor time management
• The wrong set of priorities
• Lack of productivity

Benefits of Digital Detox

The benefits of digital detox are clear. Researchers have found that the consequences of technology overuse can be disastrous, especially for our mental health. 

A digital detox could help us escape this trap and heal ourselves from the damage that has been done.

Here are some of the benefits that you can experience from a digital detox.

Lower Stress Levels

Research shows a strong correlation between stress and technology, especially smartphones. So if you spend a lot of time with your phone, you could be stressing yourself out. 

But if you do a digital detox, you will experience lower stress levels because technology isn’t the only thing that will occupy your time. You will also be forced to spend more time with other people, whether in person or online.

Some evidence suggests using smartphones increases our cortisol levels, which are directly linked with high-stress levels. Cortisol is your body’s main stress hormone, and too much of this hormone can lead to chronic stress.

That’s why putting down your phone and forgetting about technology for some time might help you de-stress and calm down. This benefit can be even more powerful if you practice meditation to go along with your digital detox.

Additionally, when you do a digital detox, you might find yourself spending more time outdoors and doing the activities you love, which will lower your stress levels even more. 

More Productivity

If you’re always reaching out to your phone or working on your computer, then you might not be at your peak productivity.

The truth is that technology makes it tempting to use it all the time. And because of this, people spend their time multitasking while doing other things. So they end up wasting their time online while doing other important activities.

Smartphones and computers cause the so-called “brain drain,” a term used for your smartphone and technology occupying all of your brain’s cognitive ability, which leaves you unable to focus on other tasks appropriately. 

A study done by the researchers at the University of Chicago found that the mere presence of your smartphone can lower your productivity significantly. It also found that the more you use technology and smartphones, the less you can focus on other tasks at hand.

That’s why getting rid of your smartphone and other distractions for some time can be beneficial. You’ll learn to be more productive and focus on the tasks that matter even after your digital detox is done.

You’ll Be Healthier

Technology overuse can lead to a lot of problems. With this in mind, you need to find a way to reduce your overall technology use. 

The fact is that technology overuse has a strong correlation with a range of negative health issues, including obesity and poor sleep quality. Using your device right before sleep increases your melatonin levels, which will make it harder for your body to fall asleep. 

Overusing technology can also give you anxiety and depression because you spend so much time with these devices. And because your quality of sleep will suffer because of too much technology, your mental health will also suffer. 

All of these things can lead to poor physical health as well as mental health. With a digital detox, you’ll be able to avoid all of these problems. In addition, your mental and physical health will improve as you will not rely on your devices for entertainment as much. 

In this regard, replacing your technology use with valuable hobbies is important during the detox. For staying healthy, I recommend trying physically active hobbies and those that will keep you occupied mentally.

More Confidence

Social media causes you to compare yourself to others, making you feel less confident about yourself. 

If you spend a lot of time on social media, you will always see updates and photos from friends and other people. This might make you feel like you’re not as good as they are or that your life isn’t as great as theirs. 

But if you do a digital detox, you won’t be able to compare yourself to others in the same way anymore. Instead, you’ll be able to live your life without constantly comparing yourself to others.

Better Relationships with People Around You

The truth is that the more time you spend on your phone or computer, the less you will pay attention to the people around you. 

This can affect your relationships with family or friends. For example, if you always look at your phone or computer, you will show the people around you that you are not interested in spending time with them. 

However, if you do a digital detox, then most likely, your relationships will improve. You’ll learn to spend time with the people around you because many fun activities do not require technology at all.

A digital detox might also help you build your social skills. You will learn how to spend more time with the people around you without technology, which is very important for being a good human being.

More Awareness

When you do a digital detox, you will become more aware of the little things that make our lives beautiful. Previously, you’d be sticking your nose in your phone all the time without paying attention to the beautiful world around you.

You’ll start noticing the small things like the people around you, the beauty of nature, or the sounds around you. You will get back in touch with the world around you and develop a sense of wellbeing because of it.

Present-moment awareness that you would get from a digital detox can also help you alleviate some mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and cortisol levels. According to a 2019 study, mindfulness could help you become more present during your detox. 

To maximize the effects of your detox, you can start practicing meditation and mindfulness. Both practices can be great for your long-term relationship with technology and video games in particular.

How Does a Digital Detox Work? The Science Behind a Digital Detox

If you’re wondering how a digital detox would work for you on a deeper level, then get ready to dive deeper into the science.

Recently, we’ve published a dopamine series on GameQuitters. We analyzed how video games affect dopamine levels and how dopamine can be one of the main reasons video games are so addictive.

Games increase dopamine levels, so you get a hit of dopamine every time you play a game. As a result, you’ll need more and more to feel satisfied the next time, which can lead to an addiction. Even the structure of your brain changes. It will take weeks and even months of abstinence from video games to reverse the effects.

When you do a digital detox, something similar will happen to your brain. When you get a like on social media, you get a rush of dopamine. When you scroll through your Twitter or Facebook feed, you get a hit. The same happens when you watch your favorite series, movie or even listen to your favorite artist.

What is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is released in your brain when you get rewards. It’s the thing that motivates you to seek goals and rewards. It can be released in large amounts when you get certain rewards or when you expose yourself to something that feels pleasurable to you.

For example, dopamine is released in your brain when someone likes your Facebook status, when you watch your favorite TV show, or when scrolling through your social media feed. It’s a part of your reward system and helps us find ways to motivate us to achieve our goals by providing pleasure.

When you get exposed to your favorite video game, the same thing happens. First, you get that pleasurable hit of dopamine. And then, when you’re playing the game, there’s a sort of pleasure cycle that will keep releasing dopamine in your brain and keep you motivated to play more and more. 

You will want to play games just because of the rewarding feeling you’ll experience while playing them and experiencing your favorite parts and moments in-game. The same happens with social media or other types of digital entertainment.

This creates a loop of addiction. You’ll need to experience more and more rewarding moments to get that dopamine hit, which can lead to an addiction.

Digital Detox and Dopamine

That’s where a digital detox comes in. By abstaining from video games or other digital entertainment, you’ll remove your addiction to dopamine.

This can be a great way to cure social media addiction. This is because social media not only increases dopamine levels but also activates the same reward centers in the brain that are triggered when you’re playing video games. 

Apps on your phone, video games, and even other types of digital entertainment are designed so that they give you hits of dopamine. Whether it’s a like, snap, chat from a friend, share, or another mechanism, most applications and video games are designed to keep you hooked, to keep you coming back, and even to get you addicted.

If you think about it, it’s similar to taking a small hit of a drug only to keep you coming back to the drug, which can get you addicted.

A digital detox helps you break this cycle and rewire your brain’s dopamine dependency. 

When you do a digital detox, you suddenly stop getting those dopamine hits, which helps you break the cycle of addiction. Instead, you are rewiring your brain to get dopamine from other sources like doing your favorite sport, working out, studying, learning a new language, enjoying nature, and other activities that you previously ignored.

A Digital Detox Rewires Your Brain

With a gaming addiction and other forms of tech addiction, your brain slowly starts to change. It becomes accustomed to the dopamine rush you get when you expose yourself to your favorite game, app, or social media.

The reward pathways in your brain start to adjust and find other ways to get that hit of dopamine that helps you keep pursuing your addiction. You don’t need it anymore since your brain found different ways to release dopamine without exposing yourself too frequently. 

The brain’s neuroplasticity allows the brain to adapt and change according to the stimuli it is exposed to.

Many studies have shown that the Internet and social media have decreased our cognitive functions (1,2). One of the most profound changes in our attention span, which has massively decreased due to social media.

Heavy social media users also do worse on tests than light or moderate social media users and require more effort to get the same tasks done. This leads to physical changes to the brain’s part responsible for attention – the prefrontal cortex. The negative effects on attention span are even more negatively pronounced on the developing brain of young people. 

A digital detox can help you rewire those changes to your brain and restore normal brain function. This will help you increase your focus and prolong your attention span, and it can also boost your memory and concentration.

Does a Digital Detox Work?

A digital detox is a great option for people suffering from addictions to video games, technology, and social media. It can be a good way to break the cycle of addiction and help you rewire your brain, and reverse some of the effects of social media and app addiction.

While there haven’t been many studies on the effectiveness of a digital detox, there have been some preliminary findings. For example, a study published in December 2018 showed that after just one week of abstaining from social media, the participants’ stress levels decreased by 68%. However, this was effective only for heavy social media users.

Another study, published in August 2020, found that a digital detox can help you alleviate or avoid the negative effects of social media use. Perhaps more importantly, a study from 2019 by Liao shows that subjects showed a better level of self-regulation after two weeks of digital detox.

All these results tell us that even though not many studies are being conducted, a digital detox can be highly effective if you stick to it strictly.

How to Do a Digital Detox?

If you feel like you’re in dire need of a digital detox, it is quite easy to get started. The most important thing to note here is that you should not compromise the quality of life just to do the detox, as you can still use certain aspects of technology that you might need for work or school, for example.

A digital detox might be as simple as putting your phone away for your meal or a few days to more complex like quitting technology altogether for a few days or even weeks.

If you’re looking to dive deep and start your digital detox, here are the steps you can take to complete it successfully.

Step 1: Break Down Your Goals for a Digital Detox

If you’re going to embark on a digital detox, then you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from it. 

This might be something as simple as abstaining from your phone for one hour every day to be more productive. Or it might be something more complex like quitting social media and all the apps that make it possible entirely.

Based on your goals, you’ll be able to set up your digital detox more effectively. For example, if your goal is to completely quit or limit social media usage, then deleting your apps and maybe even deleting your accounts might be more effective than just turning off notifications.

Step 2: Turn off All Notifications

If you turn off your notifications, you will be able to stop receiving messages, emails, or other notifications on your phone or laptop. You can also turn off the sound of your phone’s ringtone so that you won’t be interrupted by it.

This will help you prevent getting distracted by your phone or another electronic device, even when you’re not using it. So many people tend to check notifications on their devices that they don’t get a notification from it.

Step 3 (Optional): Remove Social Media Apps From Your Phone

If you have multiple social media apps installed on your phone, you might need to remove them. After all, they can give you a dopamine hit even when you’re not using them, so they are very addictive and might cause depression if left unchecked.

Removing social media apps from your phone might seem like a radical move. Still, it’s necessary if you feel like you’re checking your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram way too often and unnecessarily.

However, you don’t need to take this step if you don’t feel the need to. For example, if you feel like you can control your phone usage without deleting your apps, you can also detox that way.

Step 4: Be Mindful of Your Technology Usage

I have already noted that practicing mindfulness while doing your detox can be beneficial. Before you start your detox, you should aim to keep track of your technology usage and make sure that you’re aware of when you’re doing it. Only that way will you be able to control it effectively.

Once you get used to using social media constantly, you do it instinctively. As a result, you will inevitably find yourself opening up your social media apps without you even realizing it. Before you know it, you’ll be stuck on your Twitter or Facebook feed for hours daily.

If you practice mindfulness, you’ll be able to control your mind better. For example, you’ll have the ability to say no to digital entertainment when you feel a craving. 

Step 5: Track Your Usage

A good way to make sure that you’re not using your device as much as you did previously is to use apps to track your phone usage.

iPhone users already have this option built-in on their devices, but if you don’t have it, there are many great apps that you can use. Good examples of apps include Social Fever, My Addictiometer, and OffTime.

Step 6: Find New Hobbies and Activities to Fill Your Time

Now, one of the most important things during your digital detox will be to create better habits. And by this, I mainly mean replacing your digital usage with activities that are beneficial for you and the activities you love doing.

You’ll find that all of a sudden, you will be left with hours daily when you’re not using social media and other forms of digital entertainment. As a result, you might find yourself bored, which is, in fact, one of the main reasons why you might have been using your phone so much.

The activities you could add to your daily schedule include exercise, meditation, and reading. This will keep you physically fit and give you a chance to be more mindful and present in your everyday life. It will also fill your time with new experiences that you might not have thought of.

To keep yourself busy and active, you will need to find activities that you love doing. Of course, there are countless other hobbies and activities that you might like. It might be a hobby that you once did and loved but left because you didn’t have time to do it any longer.

If you’re not sure what hobby you should try, check out our hobby tool. With it, you’ll be able to find a good activity for yourself even if you’re not sure what you like doing.

Step 7: Create a Plan After Your Detox

One of the best things about a digital detox is that you’ll be able to create a life for yourself where you will be free of the need to use your phone or another device so much.

Before you just conclude your detox and start your life back again, it’s important to take some time to create an outline of how you want your life to be.

Ideally, you’d want to stay free of the overuse of social media and digital entertainment – after all, that is one of the main goals of a digital detox.

By the end of the detox (depending on how long you make it), your brain will get used to getting stimulations from other sources, and it will not be as dependent on your phone or other devices as much.

This creates an opportunity for you to create a more satisfying life without social media, video games, or phone addictions.

Additional Tips and Tricks for Your Digital Detox

Here are some additional tips and tricks that can help you during your digital detox.

• Turn off your phone if you need to. This can be a great method if you don’t have another way of completely refraining from using your phone.

• Set up reminders. You also might want to set up reminders on your calendar or phone not to use social media apps or other apps that you might want to refrain from.

• Practice mindfulness. Now, this is an optional thing because not everyone will want to do it, but mindfulness can help you out during the process. The process of mindfulness will make you far more aware of your actions and your digital consumption, which can help you steer clear of it.

• Tell your family and friends about your detox. If you use your devices to talk to your friends or family often, it might be helpful to let them know that you’re doing a detox. This will help you avoid some relationship issues that might happen if you suddenly stop responding to them if you’re not using your phone as much.

• Have faith! Last but not least, you need to stay consistent with your detox even when things start to feel tough. Inevitably, you will feel cravings to play your favorite game or take just one look at your Twitter feed, but doing that can easily set you back to where you started.

Need Help?

A digital detox can help you with your gaming addiction or another type of digital addiction, as long as you stick to it. Some studies have proved it, and many people have had great success with it. The longer the detox is, the more successful it will be.

It’s okay if you don’t feel good along the way and you need help. However, if you don’t have anyone to talk to, consider talking to a therapist. We have a database of excellent therapists worldwide so that you can contact one close to your location.

Additionally, here at Game Quitters, we have prepared many guides and resources that you can use to help you. Most of the content is for quitting playing video games, but you’ll find many tips and tricks that you can apply during your digital detox. 

If you suffer from a gaming addiction (or other digital addictions), we’ve also prepared many other guides and free resources on Game Quitters. These include:

• Reclaim program for addicted gamers
• Community forum for gamers
• Free Parent Support Group on Facebook
• Hundreds of helpful articles and guides

If you appreciate our content and what we do, feel free to share it with other people who might find this article (or other articles) helpful. Our mission is to help as many people overcome their digital addictions and get their lives back to normal.

Note: If you’re a mental health professional and want to learn more about gaming addiction and treatment, you can do so with INTENTA’s Gaming Disorder training for professionals.

If your child likes to play Roblox, then you might be worried about the game’s safety. If that’s the case, then you’re one of the hundreds of concerned parents who contact us to ask how to enable Roblox parental controls.

While the game does have some potential dangers, it can be relatively safe – but only if you make sure that it is safe for your child to play Roblox.

Luckily, Roblox includes parental controls for parents to use to make the game safer for their children.

And in this article, we’ll show you how to enable Roblox parental controls, what they are, and how to make the game safer for your child.

What are Roblox Parental Controls?

Roblox parental controls are offered inside the game to make the game safer for children, especially for children under the age of 12.

Inside your Roblox account on your computer, you will be able to access these settings in the Settings section of your account. They are known under the name of Account Controls, and these will enable you to make your Roblox account safer.

Here, you will set up a PIN, which will restrict access to these controls. Every time someone would like to access these settings, they would need to enter the PIN. This can help you restrict access to these settings to your child if you don’t want the settings to be changed.

With the account restrictions in place, you will be able to control the following things on the Roblox account:

• What games can your child play,
• What type of content can they see (if you turn the controls on, only the child-safe content will be shown),
• Who your child can contact,
• Who can contact the account in question,
• Who can message or chat with the account,
• Who can invite the player to new games, see their inventory, and interact with the player,
• Who can change the account restriction settings.

With these settings in place, you will have more control of your child’s playing time with Roblox. As a result, you’ll be able to avoid the most common pitfalls of Roblox, such as overextended playing time, spending money on Robux, and other common problems that you might be experiencing.

In the next section of the article, we’ll provide you with a complete guide on how to enable Roblox parental controls, how to change them, and how to use them to make the playing experience safer for your child.

How to Enable Roblox Parental Controls

Follow these steps to enable Roblox parental controls and change them along the way as you see fit.

The key here is knowing that these controls exist and how they work, so you’ll have more control over how your child consumes Roblox.

Step 1: Log in to Your Account and Go To Settings

The first step you’ll need to take is to log into your (or your child’s) Account. 

To do that, go to the Roblox website (or the mobile phone site, if you’re using a mobile device), enter the credentials of the account, and log in.

Once logged in, you’ll want to go to Settings. You can do that by clicking on the cogwheel icon in the top right corner of your screen and click on Settings.

After you have clicked on Settings, you will be presented with the following screen:

From here, you’ll be able to change multiple settings about your Account, including the parental controls. 

The parental controls can be accessed both in the Security and Privacy tabs of this page. Follow the next step to see what changes you can make to make your child’s account safer.

Step 2: Enable 2-Step Verification and PIN

The next step you can take is to enable the 2-step verification of your Account and enable the PIN.

The first one is optional, but it is almost necessary to enable the PIN to make these settings unavailable for your child.

By activating the PIN, you’ll restrict access to the parental control settings. Every time someone would like to access these settings, they would need to enter a PIN of your choice. This way, you can disable access to these settings for your child.

To do that, go to the Security tab of the Settings screen. 

Then, toggle on the bar under Account PIN (next to Account PIN is currently disabled). Once you toggle it on, you will be presented with the following screen:

Here, you will be able to set up the 4-digit PIN that you would need to enter every time someone would like to access the parental control settings. This step is crucial because it will restrict access to the parental control settings.

For now, keep the Account Restrictions disabled, as you’ll still want to make some changes to the account’s privacy settings.

Step 3: Make Changes to the Privacy Settings

So now that you have set up the PIN that you can use to access the parental controls settings, you can start making changes to what the Account can and cannot do.

To access these settings, go to the Privacy tab on your screen.

Here, you will be able to change who your Account can contact, who can contact the Account, who your child can speak to, who can invite them to games, message them, chat with them, and join them inside the game.

This can be an important step since you’ll want to make sure that your child doesn’t contact scammers and people looking to exploit your child’s Account. Unfortunately, many people are looking to take advantage of your child’s account, so make sure you know that.

Now, if you want to make completely sure that your child doesn’t come across any dangerous people, you can keep all the contact settings to “No one.” This will make the Account impossible to reach.

However, if your child has friends on the platform, you might want to tweak these settings a little bit.

For example, you can change the settings so that only the Account’s friends can message your child, chat with them, see their inventory, and invite them to games.

A more lenient approach is to let your child contact Friends and Users I Follow, which can still be a safe option.

You will need to tweak these settings a bit and find what works for you and your child. Take some time to alter the settings and make sure you take into account how your child plays the game and how many friends (if any) they have inside the game.

Step 4: Enable Parental Controls

Once you are happy with the changes you’ve made, you can lock in the parental controls by enabling them.

To do that, go back to the Security tab of your Settings, and toggle the button next to Account Restrictions to “on.”

This will lock in the settings you’ve just set up, and they can now only be altered if you know the PIN of the account. So every time someone would like to make changes to these settings, they would need to enter the PIN you’ve set up.

If you would like to make further changes to the account restrictions, you’d first need to turn the Account Restrictions off and then change the settings.

Once you’re happy, you’ll need to turn the restrictions back on. To do that, you’ll need to enter your PIN again to confirm the changes. 

How to Keep Your Child Safe When Playing Roblox

Parental controls and Account Restrictions can be highly effective in controlling who your child interacts with and what kinds of games they play.

However, there are still many other potential pitfalls of Roblox along the way. Luckily, you can control most of them to ensure that your child stays safe when playing the game.

These are some tips and tricks to help you control your child’s Roblox consumption and avoid or control a potential Roblox addiction.

Limit Playing Time

If your child keeps on playing Roblox too much, the most important thing will be limiting the playing time.

It can be hard to do that; after all, the game is available on every platform conceivable. So make sure that your child is not playing the game more than two hours per day, as per the screen time recommendations.

One of the challenges will be getting your child to spend more time on their hobbies instead of playing Roblox (or other games).

If you need ideas of what hobbies your child can try, you can check out our hobby tool – this tool will help you find the right hobby based on your child’s interest.

Keep Track of Spending

One of the most important things you can do to make your child safer is controlling the spending inside the account.

Once a week, you should keep track of the spending inside Roblox. You can do that by going to the Billing section in your Account.

Here, you’ll be able to see all of the transactions on your child’s Account, and you’ll be able to stop them should you get unexpected charges on your card.

For example, this 11-year old girl kept spending real-life money on Robux, the in-game currency of Roblox. She spent 2400 British Pounds without her parents ever realizing it. 

You need to be vigilant with this and make sure that your child is not doing the same. Check the spending of the Account at least once a week.

Keep Track of Messages

Another important area where your child will need some guiding will be the messaging and interaction with other people inside the game.

The game is built on social interaction, and finding new friends and meeting strangers are encouraged. This can be great for meeting new friends, but you might also come across some strangers looking to take advantage.

Bullying is common, and so is the toxic nature of other players. This can affect your child, so you might want to frequently check the account’s interactions in question.

Make sure that you constantly check the following areas of the Account:

• The Account’s messages
• The Account’s friends

You can find these areas on the left-hand side of the main screen. If you see something unusual, you should immediately report the account in question and restrict your account’s access to the said account.

To block a user you want to block, click on the account in question and click the three dots next to its name. You should find an option to block the user there.

Familiarize Yourself with the Dangers of Roblox

As a parent, you must keep on top of all the latest trends and changes inside the game.

This way, you’ll be able to stay ahead and make sure that your child is playing the game safely. 

We’ve prepared an article where you can review all the potential pitfalls and dangers of Roblox. In this in-depth guide, you’ll be able to find what areas of Roblox can be dangerous and how you can avoid them.

Need Help with Roblox Addiction?

Roblox is a very addictive game. It is one of the most popular games with kids nowadays because it can be played anywhere and by anyone.

If you want to know how to overcome Roblox addiction, we’ve prepared an in-depth guide on how to do so at Game Quitters.

If you need more help as a parent to control your child’s gaming addiction, we’ve also prepared a scientifically backed program called Reclaim. In this program, you will learn how to deal with your child’s addiction, establish a healthy relationship with them, and improve other relationships in your family.

Alternatively, you can also speak to a video game addiction therapist.

We’ve also prepared many other guides and free resources on Game Quitters. These include:

• Reclaim program for addicted gamers
• Community forum for gamers
• Free Parent Support Group on Facebook
• Hundreds of helpful articles and guides

If you appreciate our content and what we do, feel free to share it with other parents or people who might find this article (or other articles) helpful. Our mission is to help as many people overcome their gaming addiction and get their lives back to normal.

Note: If you’re a mental health professional and want to learn more about gaming addiction and treatment, you can do so with INTENTA’s Gaming Disorder training for professionals.

The dopamine theory of addiction is the staple of modern psychology for treating addictions, including video game addiction.

The theory of dopamine addiction may provide insight into how the regulation and release of dopamine are crucial for treating and understanding why gamers develop gaming problems.

Dive Deeper: How Dopamine Impacts Gaming

It’s important to understand how our brains respond to the stimulus of video games. In many ways, the mechanism of a dopamine release when playing video games is similar to the dopamine release experienced with drugs and other addictive substances. However, more research is needed to investigate this further.

In this article, you’ll learn what we know thus far as to the following questions:

• What is the dopamine theory of addiction?
• How does dopamine relate to drug addiction?
• How does dopamine relate to gaming addiction?

What is the Dopamine Theory of Addiction?

According to Melis et al. 2005, the dopamine theory of addiction is classified as:

“In brief, the hypothesis contends that decreased dopamine function in addicted subjects results in a decreased interest to non-drug-related stimuli and increased sensitivity to the drug of choice, leading to propose that restoring dopamine function might be therapeutically advantageous.”

Or, if we summarize it in more simple terms:

Addictions increase dopamine to such an extent that once the drug or the stimulus is gone, our body is unable to replicate the same amount of dopamine naturally. Therefore, when someone is addicted, only the drug or the stimulus someone is addicted to can raise dopamine to the required levels.

Therefore, the key towards overcoming an addiction is to restore the ability of the body to create dopamine through different means naturally, without the drug or the stimulus someone is addicted to.

What is Dopamine?

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brains responsible for the feeling of pleasure. Our body produces it when we feel pleasure, and it is then transmitted to nerve cells. 

Dopamine affects different bodily functions, including learning, motivation, heart rate, blood vessel, kidney function, sleep, mood, lactation, movement, attention, and nausea.

When someone is addicted, their natural ability to produce dopamine is disturbed. They are only able to produce sufficient dopamine when they take the drug, drink another glass of alcohol, or play another round of their favorite video game – or else they suffer from withdrawal symptoms. The theory applies to all types of addiction.

History of Dopamine Theory of Addiction

Since the mid-1950s, scientists have learned that addictions are caused by the disruption of dopamine production in the affected person’s brain.

Olds, Milner & Their Rats

The first discovery of a reward system in the brain came in 1954 when Olds & Milner conducted a study on rats to determine where dopamine is produced in the brain.

Olds and Milner started the experiment by putting rats in a large-levered Skinner box. This box was set up so that it included a lever that the rats could press. When the lever was pressed, the rats would receive electrical stimulation to the septic region of the brain, which is known as the pleasure center.

The experiment included “acquisition” and “extinction” periods. The acquisition was when rats pressed the button, and they received electrical shocks. The extinction period was when the electrical current was blocked, even if the rats pressed the lever.

The results?

The overwhelming majority of lever presses happened during the acquisition phase when rats received an electrical pulse into their pleasure center.

However, when the current was turned off, the rats stopped pressing the lever. They no longer felt the need to press the lever because the reward wasn’t there. 

The rats experienced pleasure when they pressed the lever, so they kept pressing it.

What made the rats press the lever to get the electric current, even if it was stronger, was that it was hitting their reward center in their brains. It’s the same center responsible for making us feel happy when we eat or have sex.

This experiment was the first major milestone that today helps us learn how addictions work through dopamine.

Further Studies and Imaging Breakthrough of 1994

The 1954 study changed the way mental health professionals started to see and treat addictions. The focus shifted towards altering the dopamine neurotransmitter function for treating addictions.

Researchers continued right where Olds and Milner left off. Some of the more important studies and experiments dune after 1954 include:

• A positive reinforcement study from the 1970s found that drugs provide positive reinforcement for dopamine release, which confirmed that stimulants such as drugs could increase dopamine creation.
• Researchers also found that blocking dopamine receptors decreases the effects of some drugs.
• Another important discovery came from Sardinia, where researchers found that addictive drugs release dopamine while non-addictive drugs do not.

However, one of the most important discoveries came in 1994 through imaging studies as technology evolved.

Through imaging studies (1, 2), researchers found that several drugs and stimulants released dopamine in our brains, such as:

• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Ketamine
• Cannabis
• Amphetamine

These studies further supported the dopamine theory of addiction. As a result, more people acknowledged this theory, and mental health professionals started to shift their addiction treatment towards dopamine recovery.

The research on dopamine in addictions is still being conducted. However, there is more mounting evidence that drugs – and now digital stimulants such as video games – also produce dopamine.

More recent studies (one from 1998 and one from 2012) found that the level of dopamine release in our brains (in the ventral striatum) when playing video games is similar to when we take psycho-stimulant drugs. 

Dopamine and Drug Addiction

Dopamine is crucial for the creation of addictive habits.

It has long been believed that dopamine release when taking drugs directly released the euphoria that we experience shortly after taking drugs.

However, more recent studies show that dopamine is likely a reinforcing agent for taking more of the drug. It makes an addicted person crave the drug more. Once we go through a pleasant experience, dopamine is released. 

Shortly after taking drugs, we experience intense euphoria, and the reward circuitry in our brains is activated. That is also when dopamine starts getting released, which causes neural changes that make it easier to repeat taking the drug. Unfortunately, this creates addictive habits that are hard to control.

When someone is addicted to drugs, it becomes increasingly harder for them to experience pleasure. Natural activities that produce dopamine, such as a healthy diet or sex, no longer produce the necessary amounts of dopamine, so they feel flat. Instead, only larger doses of drugs will satisfy the addicted person, ultimately leading to an overdose.

Now, you might be thinking: why are you talking about drug addictions when this site is about gaming addiction?

The answer is that many drug addictions act similar to gaming addiction in terms of dopamine production. Thus, the dopamine theory of addiction is also applicable to video game addiction, which we’ll talk about in a bit more detail later on.

Overcoming Drug Addiction

Addictions cause changes in our brains, which makes it even harder to overcome the drug addiction (or any other addiction, for that matter, including gaming addiction).

When someone stops taking drugs abruptly, the body can no longer naturally produce the same dopamine levels. This can lead to severe symptoms of drug withdrawal, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Bad mood
• Muscle cramps and spasms
• Constipation
• Fatigue, low energy
• Low energy
• And several others

Many of these symptoms are similar to symptoms of low levels of dopamine. The reason addicts experience withdrawal symptoms after not taking the drug for several days is that the body can no longer produce dopamine to the same levels as before. Also, the body is learning how to cope without these drugs physically.

To reverse these changes in our dopamine production levels, we’ll need to do strict drug detox. This can take several weeks or months, and the results will only be visible if the detox was rigorous enough. 

Caution: A drug detox should always be done with the supervision of a professional. Please seek help if you are concerned about yourself or a loved one.

You’ll see that drug addictions are quite similar to video game addiction in this regard – gaming addicts also frequently experience anxiety and depression, which might have something to do with low levels of dopamine when not playing games. However, more research still needs to be done on this topic.

Dopamine and Gaming Addiction

And now, for the crucial part: how do dopamine and gaming addiction relate to each other?

When we play video games, our brains release large amounts of dopamine. These levels are similar to the dopamine levels when we take drugs like amphetamine or methylphenidate. 

Our reward circuitry in our brains is flooded with dopamine when we play games. Of course, this is only a short burst of dopamine, but enough to make us feel pleasure and excitement when we play video games. These bursts of dopamine after a game can be comparable to the dopamine release when taking drugs.

The rush you get when you want to kill the next boss in the game or face an enemy is similar to when taking drugs. Your heart rate will increase, and your focus will stay solely on the game – everything else becomes unimportant at that moment. This can be a flow state.

Sound familiar?

The brain of a gaming addict will get used to this extra dopamine that it gets from video games. Thus, it will no longer produce dopamine on its own when we don’t play video games. This can lead to all sorts of mental health problems, just like drug or alcohol addicts experience these symptoms.

Some of the most common mental health problems that gaming addicts experience when they don’t get their dose of games include:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Aggression
• Insomnia
• Bad temper
• Low energy and motivation

Understanding how video games alter dopamine levels in your brain is crucial for mental health professionals and the treatment for video games. Most importantly, these studies show us that video games act similarly to drugs in terms of dopamine changes and that similar strategies could be used to cope with gaming addiction (more on this later).

How Video Games Affect Our Brains

In addition to altering dopamine levels in our brains, video game addiction can also have other consequences for the brain.

One study from 2014 conducted by the Zhejiang Normal University in China shows that video games decrease gray matter in our brain. This increases problems with decision-making, impulse control, and emotional regulation. 

In addition, excessive screen time and gaming can affect your ability to sleep. Several studies (1, 2) that screen time use before going to sleep can negatively affect one’s ability to fall asleep. This can have severe consequences on the life of the individual – particularly young adults and kids.

Young adults are also the most likely to get addicted to video games. This is because the prefrontal cortex is not yet fully developed until the age of between 25 and 30.

The prefrontal cortex is responsible for impulse control, judgment, and decision-making. This makes it crucial for controlling our urges when it comes to playing video games. One possible explanation for why video game addiction predominantly affects kids and young adults is that their prefrontal cortex hasn’t fully developed.

Other changes to our brain include:

• Everyday pleasures no longer excite us because they don’t provide as much dopamine as gaming.
• Everything else becomes boring, but games are super exciting and irreplaceable.
• Because of changes to our frontal cortex, our willpower starts to go away.

How to Overcome Gaming Addiction

One of the most effective strategies to overcome gaming addiction is to quit gaming cold-turkey for 90 days.

The 90-day detox from gaming is powerful enough to revert the changes to our brains because of our gaming addiction. 

When we’re addicted to video games, our dopamine production levels drop naturally. That is because video games provide enough dopamine to keep us satisfied, while other activities that would normally offer dopamine become irrelevant. 

The most important mechanism for overcoming gaming addiction is to revert this from happening. 

It can take up to 90 days or more for our brains to restore natural dopamine production. 

After this period, you will experience pleasure in everyday things that you didn’t when addicted to video games. You will also no longer feel the need to play video games to satisfy your cravings.

From my personal experience, the first two weeks of the detox will be the toughest. However, it gets slightly easier as time progresses, but you’ll also need to occupy yourself with hobbies. If you don’t have a hobby or things to do to replace your gaming habit, look at our hobby tool and find something that suits you.

Ideally, the hobby should be something that you like doing. For example, if you like sports and socializing, you might want to try out a team sport. However, if you prefer individual hobbies, then there are many choices on this list as well.

Video Game Addiction Withdrawal 

In the first few days and weeks of the detox, in particular, you might experience withdrawal symptoms from video games. 

Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms include:

• Cravings and compulsions to play games
• Mood swings, irritability, and other mood problems
• Depression, anxiety, and apathy are also normal
• Headaches
• Lack of willpower

Most of these symptoms are linked to changes in our dopamine levels. Because our body is unable to produce sufficient amounts of dopamine on its own with the stimulus (video games), these symptoms will pop up in the first few days and weeks after starting the detox, in particular.

Know that if you experience any of these symptoms, it is completely normal. It won’t be easy at first, but it will be rewarding in the long term.

If you feel like you can’t cope with the symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact us or talk to a therapist near you. 

Need Help?

Overcoming gaming addiction can be as tough as overcoming another drug addiction. Video game addiction causes long-term changes in our brains, which become unable to produce sufficient dopamine levels without video games. 

If you or someone close to you is suffering from loot box addiction, help is available. We have a team of specialists who can support you to get back on the right track and improve your mental health and well-being. 

Our Game Quitters Programs can help educate you with practical strategies to overcome gaming problems:

• Respawn Program for Gamers
• Reclaim Program for Families
• Coaching Programs

You can also speak to a video game addiction therapist. We have therapists worldwide, including professionals trained specifically on the link between gaming and gambling and how to help someone overcome a loot box addiction or spending problem.

For professionals who want to understand better the convergence of gaming and gambling and how to treat gaming disorder, check out the INTENTA Gaming Disorder Clinical Training.