A New Kind of Addiction
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
addiction
funny word isn’t it
the second i say it the room goes silent
the fun lighthearted feel
quickly changes to one of discomfort
you’re probably thinking of the stigma
around an alcohol addiction
or even a drug addiction but
there’s a new kind of addiction on the
rise among the younger generations
high schoolers one that’s been around
for the last few decades
yet no one seems to acknowledge one with
less stigma around it if any at all
one that’s almost encouraged
this type of addiction is one i’m
bringing to the ted talk stage
from personal experience achievement
addiction
let me say that again for you
achievement
addiction now those two words
don’t usually go together we know to be
wary of things like smoking
junk food but setting goals and
achieving them
is supposed to be healthy and a way of
life for many of us
but it’s a way of life that has the
potential to harm
unless we’re careful a way of life
that can be just as damaging as alcohol
or drugs
the way to ensure you avoid this
unhealthy obsession is by looking at why
you’re achieving how many of you know a
student who’s
fairly accomplished maybe a student who
took all ap
courses and overloaded their schedule
with college classes
maybe someone who does anything and
everything
with a title or word attached to it
maybe someone who’s
way too intense during a game of kahoot
small things like this can signal an
unhealthy addiction to achieving
some common signs are stress excessive
competitiveness
reduced sense of self outside of
accomplishments
and being involved in more activities
than a person can count
now there is no dictionary definition
for this term
no miriam webster no oxford
so i’ve coined my own from personal
encounters with the addiction
an obsession with image status and
competition
that results in a person’s worth being
placed in what they are
instead of who they are it’s all a
matter
of motivation take me for example
i’ve always been fairly driven and
competitive but it wasn’t for the right
reasons
i wasn’t doing things because i enjoy
them but simply because i was good at
them
i thought that to have worth as a person
i had to be good at the things i did
every single thing
now take this thought process just a
step further
if i can be good at more and more and
more
and more and more and more and more and
more
theoretically i can increase my worth as
a person
i’ve done it life hack i have the secret
for success
no i didn’t think so either
but i realized this in the second half
of my freshman year
first half i was thriving excelling in
classes
sports and anything else i set my mind
to
i was finding my success to be a
positive addiction
but like some good things it can quickly
and suddenly go toxic
because at some point the status quo
wasn’t enough
i wasn’t satisfied with the thing i did
i thought i had to keep outdoing myself
win more awards stay up later and later
to achieve things i couldn’t do
during my already busy day
but it never really fulfilled i didn’t
know how to simply exist like this
but fear not for this frustrating
addiction
can be explained with science in fact
there are two chemicals that the body
produces
that are at fault first you have
dopamine
also known as the motivation chemical
when you’re working towards a goal or an
active pursuit of something you want
you’re getting a burst of dopamine but
serotonin plays a part as well serotonin
is known as the feel-good chemical
when dopamine produces effort serotonin
provides the reward
we get a hit of serotonin whenever we
receive praise or compliments from
others when
anything from appraising the claw
machine to a national award
get public recognition for a job well
done
or take certain drugs and drink alcohol
in other words we literally get high on
our brain chemicals when we are chasing
our goals
but addicts are left wanting more
they’re experiencing so much dopamine
for such an extended period of time that
they become desensitized
to the dopamine rush and the serotonin
so they pursue more and more and more
and they do things
that a sensible person wouldn’t
but they feel the need for these brain
chemicals so strongly that they will do
anything to get what they’ve been
deprived of many call this
achievers amnesia picture it you’re a
fresh-faced high school freshman
your first ever semester of high school
you get an a
plus while working towards that you’re
experiencing your rush of dopamine
and afterwards you get a hit of
serotonin you start studying a little
more
and playing a little less you make
yourself and others proud
with your good grades and you feed off
that validation
but at some point the good grades aren’t
enough
you’ve gotten so many in the past that
they became expected
so you seek something else maybe a
leadership position
or a scholarship or a high act score or
admission
to a certain prestigious college they
keep searching
and searching for the fill they will
never get
and the chieftain addict asks themselves
without a next big achievement on the
horizon
how will i define myself how will my
parents be proud of me
how will society see me
how will i see me
high schoolers take this ideal to the
extreme as time has progressed
society has measured teenagers worth in
what they accomplish
what their gpa is how will they perform
in sports
and the prestige of the college they’re
attending
this definition of success seems to have
emerged from both
everywhere and nowhere
we live in a culture that rewards
achievements but glorifies our addiction
to them
we do this all for the sake of surviving
in a society that has forced its
children into addiction
i chose this topic because i see it in
my friends
my family and my peers
but because i mostly see it in myself
applying to be and becoming a tedx
speaker
has forced me to come to terms with my
own addiction
when i applied for this i thought it
would be a great way to boost my college
application
a way to get a nice dopamine rush and a
hit of serotonin once i walk off that
stage
maybe an accomplishment to keep me happy
for another week or two
i thought that by doing this ted talk
i’d be one step ahead of my peers
one step closer to the standard of
success that society has forced upon us
all
but that entire thought process is
draining
and a waste of your valuable time that
you could spend doing something that
makes you proud
not anyone else so here we are
at the end you’re probably on the edge
of your seats
listening intently for the magic
solution to achievement addiction
for a quick fix to curb all of your
achievement cravings
but i don’t have one
there is no cure there is no
magic fix you must simply learn
to manage it it really is
a part of you but even though you can’t
quit this entirely
you can use this knowledge to make a
positive impact on your life
to change your perspective you can
surround yourself with people who value
you for you
and not the things you’ve done or the
titles you’ve won
you can view the people around you as
friends
instead of competition you can do
something you enjoy
a few hobbies but maybe just a few
you can find something you’re passionate
about and do it for the sake of
self-improvement
and self-improvement only managing this
addiction
won’t take away your drive your talent
i can promise you that but it will allow
you to take care of your mental health
to be genuinely happy to know that you
have worth as a person
based on you your thoughts and your
kindness towards others
managing an addiction to achievement is
a lifelong struggle but you don’t have
to do it alone
you just have to accept your addiction
for what it is
and find a way to live your life without
being defined by accomplishments
reach out to a friend odds are they may
be dealing with the same addiction
and when you’re ready achievers
anonymous will be waiting
thank you
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you