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vouaobrasil | on: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts
I wonder if the new drug of choice is actually technology. In some ways I think that the addiction to technology has some similar mellowing effects as drugs. Some research indicates that smartphone addiction is also related to low self-esteem and avoidant attachment [1] and that smartphones can become an object of attachment [2]. The replacement of drugs by technology is not surprising as it significantly strengthens technological development especially as it is already well past the point of diminishing returns for improving every day life.

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07475...

2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S07475...

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achairapart | parent | next
Suddenly I remember this movie from the 90s where people drugged themself with some kind of minidisc. “Strange Days”, maybe? Anyhow, I always found the plot weird, but maybe they actually were onto something…
genezeta | root | parent | next
The discs had -in the movie- the memories of another person, and you would experience that memory and sensations as if you were living it. So, e.g. someone would record themselves doing something risky and you would get the adrenaline rush from watching it.

So... Maybe in some way one could argue that social media gives some sort of connection were you get some feelings from what others are doing/showing. I mean, technologically it's quite a leap, but in a conceptual way... it's still a bit of a leap but maybe not that big.

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cassianoleal | root | parent | next
Or the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Game [0]. Every time I watch that I get this eerie sensation that we're essentially giving our free will up to the masters of the games and social platforms we're addicted to.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Game_%28Star_Trek:_The_Nex...

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Izkata | root | parent | next
Offhand the only drug-like thing I remember from that series is the nutrition bars that had 0 calories that most of the school got addicted to. Or maybe the cheerleader that got bee pheromones and started controlling the rest of the students.

Aside - I just learned a month ago that there's an official followup miniseries that brought back several of the original actors, titled "Echoes", with hopefully more coming since it's called Season 1. Came out over 2022-2023: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHGrvCp5nsDJ1qSoKZEmm... (the trailers are at the bottom of the playlist)

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dragonwriter | root | parent | next
The minidiscs in that case where full-sensory VR recordings of people’s experiences.
atomicnumber3 | root | parent | next
In Serial Experiments Lain, they have a drug that makes your brain think really fast.
layer8 | root | parent | next
Brainstorm (1983) had the tape version of that.
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TacticalCoder | root | parent
> Suddenly I remember this movie from the 90s where people drugged themself with some kind of minidisc.

With Ralph Fiennes. I think that, although strange, it's actually an underrated movie.

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