Addicted to the News
Mindfulness, Dopamine, and Reclaiming Attention in an Age of Clickbait
A reflection on a presentation by The Institute for Meditation and Psychotherapy with Jud Brewer & Sean Witty (Completed live 2026) recording can be found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un3SjWbCZi0&feature=youtu.be
A few weeks before watching this presentation, I had just finished reading How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell. One of the ideas that stayed with me from that book was that our attention has become one of our most valuable resources. Everywhere we look, something is asking us to click, respond, react, purchase, or stay engaged just a little longer. Since finishing the book, I've found myself paying much closer attention to where my own attention lands throughout the day.
This presentation felt like a natural continuation of that conversation, but from a neuroscience and mindfulness perspective. Rather than asking how our attention is captured by the world around us, Jud Brewer and Sean Witty explored why our own brains keep pulling us back.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was that our relationship with the news often isn't simply about staying informed. Sometimes it's about trying to soothe uncertainty. Sitting in the grey is hard for us humans and yet life seems to ask it of us a lot.
Why We Keep Refreshing
Brewer explains that dopamine is often misunderstood as the brain's "pleasure chemical." While pleasure can certainly be involved, dopamine functions more like a motivation or activation system. It helps us seek. It encourages us to close information gaps. From an evolutionary perspective, that made perfect sense. If our ancestors noticed signs of danger but didn't know exactly what was happening, curiosity increased the odds of survival.
The challenge is that our brains evolved for a world where information was scarce. Today we live in the opposite environment. There is always another headline. Another notification. Another breaking news alert. Another opinion. Another video explaining the opinion. The information gap never really closes.
I found myself thinking about how often I have caught myself opening my phone almost automatically. Sometimes I really am looking for information. Other times I'm not entirely sure what I'm looking for. I just know my brain is asking for "one more thing." That feels very different from intentional curiosity.
The Question That Stayed With Me
The question I kept returning to throughout the presentation wasn't "How do I stop checking the news?"
It was: What is checking the news doing for me right now?
I appreciated that the presenters didn't frame this as a willpower problem. Instead, they encouraged curiosity about the relationship itself. Maybe checking the news offers a temporary sense of certainty. Maybe it provides stimulation when we're bored. Maybe it creates the feeling that we're prepared. Maybe it helps us feel connected. Or maybe, sometimes, it's simply the familiar dopamine loop of uncertainty followed by another click. Those are very different reasons, and they invite very different responses.
As a therapist, I often find that understanding what a behavior is doing for us is far more helpful than trying to eliminate the behavior itself. Whether we're talking about scrolling, procrastination, substance use, perfectionism, or anxiety, behaviors usually exist for a reason. They solve something, even if only temporarily.
When we understand the function of a behavior, impulse, thought, emotion or sensation, we have somewhere to begin with curiosity.
Mindfulness Isn't About Never Scrolling
One idea that really stood out to me was the reminder that awareness alone doesn't necessarily create change. It's entirely possible to notice ourselves doom-scrolling while continuing to doom-scroll. (I smile at this because I suspect many of us have had that experience. I know I have.)
The presenters suggested that mindfulness becomes most useful when it's paired with compassion. Instead of criticizing ourselves for getting pulled into the loop, we can notice what's happening and gently ask what we might need instead.
I find that question much more interesting than "How do I stop?" Sometimes what we're actually looking for isn't information. It's regulation.
Maybe we're seeking certainty after a stressful day. Maybe we're lonely. Maybe we're overwhelmed. Maybe we're trying to feel connected to something larger than ourselves. The news becomes the vehicle, but it isn't necessarily the destination.
Staying Informed Is Also a Social Justice Question
One place where I found myself expanding on the presentation was through a systems lens.
For many people, especially those whose identities or communities are directly impacted by political decisions, the news isn't simply entertainment or information. It's deeply personal. Remaining informed can be an act of care.
It can mean understanding legislation that affects your family. It can mean protecting vulnerable communities. It can mean showing up for advocacy, voting thoughtfully, or supporting mutual aid efforts. For many people, staying informed isn't optional.
Because of that, I don't think the answer is simply to unplug. At the same time, I don't think our current relationship with the news is serving most of us particularly well. Constant exposure doesn't necessarily create more effective advocates. Often it creates exhausted ones.
One question I've found myself asking is this:
What amount of information actually helps me live my values?
That's a very different question from "How much information can I consume?"
Sometimes one thoughtful article teaches us more than three hours of refreshing headlines. Sometimes turning information into action is healthier than consuming even more information. Sometimes caring for our nervous system is part of caring for our communities. Those ideas don't feel separate to me.
Bringing It Into Therapy
This presentation also reminded me why I return so often to curiosity in therapy.
Rather than asking clients how to stop a behavior, I often find myself wondering alongside them:
What is this behavior doing for you?
What need is it trying to meet?
When does it tend to show up?
What happens afterward?
Is it giving you what you're actually looking for?
Those questions aren't limited to news consumption. They apply to so many of the patterns we develop over time.
I think that's one of the gifts mindfulness can offer. Not perfect awareness. Not perfect self-control. Just enough space to become curious before automatically repeating the next step in the loop.
My Takeaway
The biggest thing I took away from this presentation wasn't that I should stop reading the news. (Obviously, thats not really an option.) It was that I want to become more intentional about my relationship with it. There is a difference between staying informed and staying activated.
There is a difference between reading something because it supports my values and clicking because my brain is searching for relief from uncertainty.
I'm still figuring out what that balance looks like for me. Some weeks I probably lean too far toward constant checking, and other weeks I intentionally step back. Like most things, I don't think there's a perfect formula.
What I keep coming back to is this idea that our attention is limited, and therefore valuable.
If that's true, then where we place it becomes less about productivity and more about care.
Not just care for ourselves, but care for our relationships, our communities, and the causes we hope to contribute to over the long term.
Continue Exploring
If this reflection sparked your curiosity, you might enjoy these related books, topics, and therapy resources. Search my Learning Section for more blog posts.
Mindfulness – What mindfulness is, what it isn't, and how it can support emotional regulation, self-awareness, and everyday life.
ADHD & Mindfulness – Why traditional mindfulness doesn't always work for neurodivergent brains, and how adapting the practice can make it more accessible and compassionate.
How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell – A reflection on the attention economy, restorative rest, and reclaiming our attention from a world designed to capture it.
Technology, AI, and Digital Ethics – Continuing education reflections on ethical technology use, artificial intelligence, and maintaining human-centered therapy in an increasingly digital world.
Anxiety & Panic Therapy – Understanding anxiety through a nervous system lens and finding approaches that build regulation rather than simply reducing symptoms.
Trauma Therapy – How trauma shapes our nervous systems, relationships, and sense of safety, and how healing often begins with curiosity rather than judgment.
Narrative Therapy – Exploring the stories we inherit, the stories we tell ourselves, and how reclaiming those narratives can open new possibilities.
Identity Work – Therapy as a space to explore identity, values, belonging, and the ways our experiences shape how we move through the world.
Contact Me – If you're interested in working together, I'd love to hear from you.