“Phones are designed like slot machines… It’s called variable rewards… and that’s the same exact way the scroll works on our phone… our brains become obsessed with the next dopamine hit.”
Modern life trains the brain for instant rewards and endless scroll, eroding patience, attention, and real-world engagement. Replacing frictionless feeds with natural stopping cues—journaling on waking, moving the phone out of sight, stepping outside—rewires neural pathways toward delayed gratification, focus, and grounded wellbeing. Nature isn’t a luxury; it’s the antidote to stimulus overload and a gateway to more resilient habits.
Shannon Coulter explains how our devices hijack dopamine through variable rewards and infinite scroll, keeping us chasing the next hit. Her antidote is simple and practical: small daily rituals that re-anchor attention in the real world. She calls it the “Swiss Army phone” approach—use one tool, close it, and move on. Shannon’s ideas invite parents to create a culture of curiosity and play, teaching kids that joy doesn’t come from pixels but from dirt, laughter, and connection.
Shannon is a published author and creator of Planet FASSA—an ecosystem of stories, points-based offline activities, and parent tools that gamify real-world play. Her classes unpack dopamine science and practical steps families can use today.
Learn more & connect:
Find the following plus many more resources at Shannon’s website, https://sscoulter.com/.
Also in this episode:
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