10+ Best Articles on Addiction
The most useful articles on addiction from around the web—beginners to advanced—curated by thought leaders and our community. We focus on timeless pieces and update the list whenever we discover new, must-read articles or videos—make sure to bookmark and revisit this page.
Top 5 Addiction Articles
At a glance: these are the articles that have been most read, shared, and saved on addiction by Refind users in 2023.
Videos
Watch a video to get a quick overview.
Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong
What really causes addiction -- to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do -- and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem.
How to ...?
How to cure your kids' addiction to technology
Shared by 77, including Nir Eyal
Short Articles
Short on time? Check out these useful short articles on addiction—all under 10 minutes.
The Rise of Mobile Gambling Is Leaving People Ruined and Unable to Quit
Financial catastrophe is now only a few clicks away, a problem that is showing quiet signs of becoming a crisis. "I can't just get rid of my phone," one problem gambler says.
How to Stare at Your Phone Without Losing Your Soul
How many hours per day can you stare at your phone before you qualify for a 12-step program? Eight? Four? Twenty? One? Here’s the truth: Screen time doesn’t ...
‘Trading is gambling, no doubt about it’ – how cryptocurrency dealing fuels addiction
Fears rise over how unregulated trading and promotion of crypto assets are creating a new generation of addicts
Nir Eyal on how to beat tech addiction: ‘We need a new skill set’
The behavioural scientist has advised tech companies on how to get people hooked – now he’s telling us how to break the habit• Follow Eyal’s guide to avoiding digital distraction
Long Articles
These are some of the most-read long-form articles on addiction.
Why the pull of addictive cravings is so hard to resist
The neuroscientific picture of addiction overlooks the psychological and social factors that make cravings so hard to resist
How to drink less alcohol
You don’t have an addiction, but you know you’re drinking too much. Learn to regain control and benefit your mind and body
First, do no harm: An argument for a radical new paradigm for treating addiction
Ars chats with author Maia Szalavitz about her book, Undoing Drugs
Brain-zapping technology helps smokers to quit
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is already approved to help people overcome addiction to cigarettes, but researchers still have a lot to learn about how to deliver the treatment…
The scientists who make apps addictive
Silicon Valley’s most successful tech companies use the insights of behaviour design to pump us with dopamine and keep us returning to their products. But, as Ian Leslie learns, some of the…
Podcasts
On the go? Listen to these Podcasts and audio on addiction.
The Ezra Klein Show: Is big tech addictive? Nir Eyal and I debate. on Apple Podcasts
Show The Ezra Klein Show, Ep Is big tech addictive? Nir Eyal and I debate. - Aug 1, 2019
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