Dr. Brandon Vance

And it was for all kinds of different reasons and I can give excuses and reasons, but really I don't need to be doing that around him. And I don't want to be, but I was doing it mindlessly. Part of this inspiration for the group is for myself, for me to stop doing that, and also to give me motivation and accountability to stop doing that.

And it was for all kinds of different reasons and I can give excuses and reasons, but really I don't need to be doing that around him. And I don't want to be, but I was doing it mindlessly. Part of this inspiration for the group is for myself, for me to stop doing that, and also to give me motivation and accountability to stop doing that.

I noticed that, and this goes for a lot of my patients and a lot of people I see, that it's really easy when one's waiting in line or even using the bathroom to pick up your phone and look at something, whether it's checking email, whether it's a reel on Instagram or Facebook, whether it's some message or some news or quote doom scrolling, people going through negative news.

I noticed that, and this goes for a lot of my patients and a lot of people I see, that it's really easy when one's waiting in line or even using the bathroom to pick up your phone and look at something, whether it's checking email, whether it's a reel on Instagram or Facebook, whether it's some message or some news or quote doom scrolling, people going through negative news.

And these devices were meant to addict us. And they literally teach principles of addiction in developing tech programs. And so I thought that I've heard that from so many people and to be able to free ourselves from what I'm calling mindless tech use, I think

And these devices were meant to addict us. And they literally teach principles of addiction in developing tech programs. And so I thought that I've heard that from so many people and to be able to free ourselves from what I'm calling mindless tech use, I think

A lot of times, tech is built into our lives, and we may use it for communication, we may use it for work, we may not be able to completely give it up. And so this group isn't oriented toward that, but it's oriented towards, in a sense, freedom, being able to make an intentional choice about using it or not.

A lot of times, tech is built into our lives, and we may use it for communication, we may use it for work, we may not be able to completely give it up. And so this group isn't oriented toward that, but it's oriented towards, in a sense, freedom, being able to make an intentional choice about using it or not.

Yeah, so it can range from binge watching a TV series, watching something, and then the way Netflix and other online kind of TV programs go is that they'll just go to the next episode, right? And you'll have cliffhangers and you'll want to see the next episode and you see the next episode. So some people stay up until three or four in the morning binge watching TV.

Yeah, so it can range from binge watching a TV series, watching something, and then the way Netflix and other online kind of TV programs go is that they'll just go to the next episode, right? And you'll have cliffhangers and you'll want to see the next episode and you see the next episode. So some people stay up until three or four in the morning binge watching TV.

It could be playing video games and getting consumed by those. It could be spending every spare moment connected to your phone. And it was heartbreaking. A few months ago, I was in a diner, and I saw a family walk in, three kids, two adults. They sat down at booths, and the two adults just started staring at their cell phones.

It could be playing video games and getting consumed by those. It could be spending every spare moment connected to your phone. And it was heartbreaking. A few months ago, I was in a diner, and I saw a family walk in, three kids, two adults. They sat down at booths, and the two adults just started staring at their cell phones.

And the kids were crawling all over the place trying to get their parents' attention. And the parents were so absorbed in their phones. I don't know what they were doing with their phones. So those kinds of things... to free ourselves up from that. And as I say, they're quite addictive. Principles of addiction, a substance is more addictive the quicker it hits your brain after using it.

And the kids were crawling all over the place trying to get their parents' attention. And the parents were so absorbed in their phones. I don't know what they were doing with their phones. So those kinds of things... to free ourselves up from that. And as I say, they're quite addictive. Principles of addiction, a substance is more addictive the quicker it hits your brain after using it.

That's part of our learning. So if we're reinforced right after doing some behavior, we tend to do that behavior more. When cocaine was refined from coca leaves, it became much more addictive. Same with alcohol, same with heroin and so forth, right? And they've used those principles in developing things with screens. So video games and TV programs and phone reels and stuff.

That's part of our learning. So if we're reinforced right after doing some behavior, we tend to do that behavior more. When cocaine was refined from coca leaves, it became much more addictive. Same with alcohol, same with heroin and so forth, right? And they've used those principles in developing things with screens. So video games and TV programs and phone reels and stuff.

So you get these short bites of something that can be reinforcing or can create an intense emotion like news that's really bad. And that then encourages us to do that thing again and again. And it can be very hard to let go of and also hard to get perspective on. David, you've mentioned... how the cognitive distortions can be, in a sense, the opposite in addictions.

So you get these short bites of something that can be reinforcing or can create an intense emotion like news that's really bad. And that then encourages us to do that thing again and again. And it can be very hard to let go of and also hard to get perspective on. David, you've mentioned... how the cognitive distortions can be, in a sense, the opposite in addictions.

So for example, I might, if I'm depressed, I might have a negative view of the future, or I might mental filter and only look at the negative things. Whereas if with addictions, I might forget the consequences of something. I might filter out the negative and only look at the positive. So...

So for example, I might, if I'm depressed, I might have a negative view of the future, or I might mental filter and only look at the negative things. Whereas if with addictions, I might forget the consequences of something. I might filter out the negative and only look at the positive. So...