What is addiction?
Addiction is a health condition where a person cannot control using a substance or doing an activity, even though it harms their body, studies, money or relationships.
Two kinds
- Substance (chemical) addiction: tobacco and nicotine (cigarettes, vapes, gutka), alcohol, cannabis and other drugs, and misused medicines such as painkillers or sleeping pills.
- Behavioural addiction: gaming, gambling and betting apps, social media and phone use, online shopping. No chemical is taken, but the brain reacts in a similar way.
Teenagers are at higher risk. The brain's 'brake' area (prefrontal cortex) keeps developing until about age 25, while the reward system is already strong. That is why starting early makes addiction more likely.
How addiction works in the brain
When we do something pleasant (eat, win, get a 'like'), the brain releases dopamine, a chemical messenger that says 'that was good, do it again'. This is the reward loop.
Drugs, alcohol and nicotine push dopamine much higher than normal rewards. Games and apps use tricks that keep the loop turning: random prizes, levels, streaks, endless scrolling and notifications.
Over time:
- Tolerance: the brain turns down its response, so you need more for the same feeling.
- Dependence and withdrawal: without it you feel bad (irritable, anxious, shaky, unable to sleep).
- Craving: strong urges triggered by places, people, boredom or stress.
Why some people are at higher risk: stress, loneliness, family history, friends who use, easy access, and wanting to escape problems. Gaming overuse is often linked to boredom, low mood, lack of other activities and game designs built to keep you playing.
Health effects of substances and harmful technology use
- Tobacco and nicotine: very addictive; cancers of mouth and lung, heart disease, gum damage. Vapes still deliver nicotine.
- Alcohol: damages the liver and the growing brain, causes accidents, violence and poor decisions.
- Cannabis and other drugs: memory and attention problems, anxiety or psychosis; some drugs can kill with one overdose.
- Misused medicines: painkillers, cough syrups or sleeping pills taken without a doctor can cause dependence and overdose.
- Harmful technology use: lost sleep, eye strain, poor posture, low physical activity, anxiety, cyberbullying and falling marks.
In most countries selling tobacco and alcohol to under-18s is illegal, and many drugs are illegal for everyone.
Warning signs and treatment
Check the 4 Cs:
- Craving: thinking about it a lot, strong urges.
- Control lost: using more or for longer than planned; failing to cut down.
- Compulsion: doing it even when you don't enjoy it any more.
- Consequences: carrying on despite problems with sleep, health, school, money or family.
Other signs: lying or hiding use, new friends who use, dropping hobbies, mood swings, needing money.
Treatment works. Options include talking with a counsellor or psychologist (cognitive behavioural therapy), family support, support groups, medicines for withdrawal in some cases, and digital-detox plans for screen problems. Many countries have free, confidential helplines; in India, the national tele-mental-health line Tele-MANAS (14416) can be called.
Protective habits and saying no
Assertive refusal
Being assertive means saying what you want clearly and calmly, without being rude. Try: 'No thanks, I don't smoke.' Give a reason if you like ('I have a match tomorrow'), suggest something else ('Let's get juice instead'), or simply walk away. Real friends accept a no.
Protective habits
- Healthy rewards: sport, music, art, time with friends.
- Sleep 8–10 hours; no phone in the bedroom at night.
- Screen rules: timers, turning off notifications, phone-free meals and study time.
- Learning to handle stress: talking, exercise, breathing.
- Trusted adults you can ask for help.
FOMO (fear of missing out) keeps us scrolling. JOMO (joy of missing out) is enjoying time offline. Harm reduction means lowering damage for people who already use (for example never driving after drinking), while prevention aims to never start.
Try it: the 3D and at home
In the 3D: set screen time to 2 h, then 6 h, then 10 h. At what point does sleep start to shrink?
At home (self-check): for one week, write down your daily screen time from your phone's settings and how you felt each evening. Then try one 'phone-free hour' each day. Did your sleep or mood change?
Key formulas and definitions
- Addiction = loss of control + continued use despite harm
- Reward loop: trigger → action → dopamine → 'do it again'
- Tolerance: same dose/time → smaller effect → more needed
- 4 Cs: Craving, Control lost, Compulsion, Consequences ignored
- Refusal: say 'No' clearly → give a reason → offer another plan → leave if needed
- Day check: 24 h − sleep − school − meals = time for play, friends and screens
Worked examples
1. Riya checks her phone 120 times a day and feels anxious when it is not with her. Which signs of addiction does this show?
Craving (constant checking) and withdrawal-like anxiety when the phone is away. She should track use, switch off notifications and set phone-free times.
2. A friend offers you a vape at a party. Write an assertive refusal.
'No thanks, I don't vape. Want to go and dance instead?' It is clear, calm, offers another plan and keeps the friendship.
3. Why does a gamer need longer and longer sessions to feel the same fun?
Tolerance. Repeated dopamine bursts make the brain less sensitive, so more play is needed for the same feeling.
4. Arjun sleeps 9 h, spends 7 h at school and study, 3 h on meals and home. He plays games 6 h a day. How much time is left for sport and friends?
24 − 9 − 7 − 3 − 6 = −1. There is no time left; he is already cutting 1 hour from sleep or something else.
Common mistakes
- Thinking addiction is only about drugs. Gaming, gambling and phones can be addictive too.
- Believing 'I can stop any time'. Loss of control often starts before the person notices.
- Thinking vapes are harmless. Most contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.
- Thinking asking for help is weak. Addiction is a health problem, and early help works best.