The 4 reasons ADHD loves click-bait (click here)

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7 steps to happiness from a Zen Master; 5 things a Harvard [substitute famous university] study shows will make you more likeable; 25 times cats broke the internet, 3 things Warren Buffet [substitute known business leader or celebrity] does every morning; 1 thing psychologists say defines successful relationships.

I confess, I struggle not to click, I don’t have the willpower to resist. I do know the content won’t live up to the hype (no relationship can be fixed with one thing – I wish!!!). I know that I will have forgotten the article in less time than it took to read. I know after the tiny rush from clicking that I will feel mildly let down and slightly annoyed. But still, I click, and click again.

·       The buzz gets me – it’s called buzzfeed for a reason. That buzz of dopamine hitting my brain. That promise of the catchy and/or extreme headline. The tinge of excitement as I click. The dopamine hit – the feeding of the addiction! Then the 10 seconds it takes to lose interest and click the next link!

·       Speedy for our limited attention – the promise of ‘get the info quick’. Even when I take notes and try to convey information - I love a scribbled picture/model, quote or ‘three’ bullet points. Short, visual, quick to read and digest. Perfect – just like click-bait.

·       It’s social media, duh! We find these links on social media. Our ADHD brains love these sites and the click-bait is key part of this. Social media brings constant updates, faux sociability and short, sharp bursts of information. A procrastinator’s playground with distraction at the touch of a ‘virtual’ button.

·       Willpower – when I’m tired and there’s too much going on in my head, that’s when I’m most susceptible to the lure of the ‘quick buzz’. The lure of click-bait becomes even greater in my evenings – just when my daily supply of willpower is almost spent.

So… what can we do?

1.       Substitute a healthier buzz

a.       Messaging - I now prefer to get that buzz from a whatsapp group with my pals. It’s not perfect, and still phone related, but at least it reinforces genuine connections with close friends.

b.       Exercise – very early evenings have been a good time for me to get some exercise in. I’m then a better, physical tired and much more interested in engaging with outside stimuli and less inclined to bury my head in a smart phone.

2.       Switch the phones off - OK, to be honest I have mixed success – ‘work might call’, ‘that email I’m expecting might come in’. To really work I need to switch off my smart phone, put it on charge in the upstairs bedroom and then only use the downstairs bathroom for the rest of the evening (so I have not excuse to wander past and pick it up).  

3.       Have a nightly dinner with my better-half – this has proven a very effective way to raise my mood, with either dopamine or oxytocin, and download the day. (I do recognise from watching couples at restaurants that there may be a stage in the relationship when smart phones are more interesting than conversation – fortunately we’re not there yet!)

4.       Time constraints – OK, this one doesn’t seem to work for me. I do intend to set limits on how long I access social media/smart phones…. But….. whatever app or alarm I set. I can still find a way. Have dinner with my better-half – I haven’t yet managed to  

I recognise that click-bait gives me something I crave -it meets a need. I can’t just ‘not be interested’ because my brain knows I need the stimulation that I can get it from that click. Willpower and prohibition won’t work for me in the long term – substituting a healthier ‘buzz’ just might.

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