5ch picked up on a Sankei Shimbun article about minors dubbed “dopamine kids” (ドパガキ) who can’t tear themselves away from the stimulation of social media. Reacting to data showing that half of ninth-graders spend more than three hours a day on SNS, the thread split between “TV brain and game brain were the same back in the day” and “smartphones are different because they combine phone, games, and manga all in one device.”
At the same time, plenty of posters turned the joke on themselves, noting that “the old geezers on 5ch criticizing this are the real ‘dopamine geezers,’ glued to their screens for hours” — with many pointing out the discussion conveniently ignored adults’ own smartphone and SNS addiction.
I can’t live without SNS. A growing number of minors, dubbed “dopamine kids,” are unable to stop scrolling their smartphone screens, hooked on the endless stream of stimulating content pouring out at them.
Sankei Shimbun
Source: sankei.com / Original article here
If we're going there, mobile games seem more likely to turn kids into "dopamine kids" than SNS does.
>>4
Mobile games are still better since there's at least some room for thinking involved.
Short-form video literally requires zero brainpower, that's exactly why this happens.
Mobile games are still better since there's at least some room for thinking involved.
Short-form video literally requires zero brainpower, that's exactly why this happens.
>>1
What a joke.
TV brain, game brain, MMO brain…
and now "smartphone (lol) brain" too?
SNS addiction? Give me a break.
What a joke.
TV brain, game brain, MMO brain…
and now "smartphone (lol) brain" too?
SNS addiction? Give me a break.
>>5
Says the middle-aged guy addicted to 5ch.
Says the middle-aged guy addicted to 5ch.
Boring schoolwork is only useful to a handful of people anyway — being good at using a smartphone is actually more useful.
>>10
I get that the point-scoring "studying" taught at school isn't really useful, but…
honing your skill at swiping a phone screen to play mini-games and scroll through junk posts isn't exactly useful either.
I get that the point-scoring "studying" taught at school isn't really useful, but…
honing your skill at swiping a phone screen to play mini-games and scroll through junk posts isn't exactly useful either.
>>10
Doing boring schoolwork and sticking with it — that's what academics is about.
The ones who can't do that are the ones who fall behind.
Doing boring schoolwork and sticking with it — that's what academics is about.
The ones who can't do that are the ones who fall behind.
"Dopamine kid" sounds like exactly the kind of term 5ch regulars (ネラー, "netora," board users) would love, but I haven't seen many people actually using it.
Then again, maybe most of us were dopamine kids ourselves and just don't realize it.
Then again, maybe most of us were dopamine kids ourselves and just don't realize it.
>>12
The ring of it is off.
It's like "Dragoboo" — a clunky nickname nobody actually uses; 5ch regulars just won't say it.
The ring of it is off.
It's like "Dragoboo" — a clunky nickname nobody actually uses; 5ch regulars just won't say it.
The old geezers on 5ch are just internet addicts who can't handle smartphones or SNS properly.
>>18
More to the point, Ice Age generation (氷河期, Japan's "employment ice age" cohort) parents used to mock PC-addicted singles, but now their own kids have become smartphone addicts — that's pretty dumb.
And on top of that, smartphones build way fewer real skills than PCs do.
More to the point, Ice Age generation (氷河期, Japan's "employment ice age" cohort) parents used to mock PC-addicted singles, but now their own kids have become smartphone addicts — that's pretty dumb.
And on top of that, smartphones build way fewer real skills than PCs do.
More than 3 hours a day? Don't underestimate us dopamine geezers on 5ch — we're pushing 20+ hours.
>>25
5ch is basically a hellscape of dopamine geezers bashing dopamine kids.
5ch is basically a hellscape of dopamine geezers bashing dopamine kids.
This hasn't changed since forever.
Games and manga eat up time too, so of course study time drops relatively and grades fall.
Stop spinning it like smartphones are uniquely the villain.
In every era, dumb kids are dumb kids.
Games and manga eat up time too, so of course study time drops relatively and grades fall.
Stop spinning it like smartphones are uniquely the villain.
In every era, dumb kids are dumb kids.
>>26
The problem with smartphones is that one device does games, manga, TV, and phone calls all at once.
There's never been anything before where people stumble around staring at their device while walking and still can't put it down.
The problem with smartphones is that one device does games, manga, TV, and phone calls all at once.
There's never been anything before where people stumble around staring at their device while walking and still can't put it down.
I can't put my phone down for 24 hours straight.
I'm gripping it even while I sleep.
I'm gripping it even while I sleep.
>>27
I've got several devices on my bed too, but the radiation exposure worries me.
The closer it is, the bigger the effect probably is, and sleeping for hours with it right next to your head can't be good for you.
I've got several devices on my bed too, but the radiation exposure worries me.
The closer it is, the bigger the effect probably is, and sleeping for hours with it right next to your head can't be good for you.
The jealousy from useless Ice Age generation folks who think they're smart feels great.
>>38
What about Gen Z, who aren't even smart to begin with (lol)?
What about Gen Z, who aren't even smart to begin with (lol)?
Dopamine kid
Serotonin kid
Opioid kid
Adrenaline kid
Noradrenaline kid
Anything else?
Serotonin kid
Opioid kid
Adrenaline kid
Noradrenaline kid
Anything else?
>>45
Oxytocin kid — a kid who loves dogs and cats.
Oxytocin kid — a kid who loves dogs and cats.
There's a song themed around "dopamine kids" by the band Yabai T-shirts Yasan (ヤバイTシャツ屋さん) called "Algorithm no Inu" ("Dog of the Algorithm").
>>54
They sing it while absolutely trashing the subject — love it (lol).
They sing it while absolutely trashing the subject — love it (lol).
Smartphone addiction isn't just a kid thing, adults are just as bad.
Get on a train and it's packed with passengers staring down at their phones. Looks just like a horde of zombies.
Get on a train and it's packed with passengers staring down at their phones. Looks just like a horde of zombies.
>>56
Anyone NOT looking at their phone looks like the suspicious one these days.
Anyone NOT looking at their phone looks like the suspicious one these days.
>>56
True, but it's especially bad for kids to be steeped in smartphones during the years their brain and mind are still developing.
Today's 40-somethings and up didn't even have smartphones when they were students.
True, but it's especially bad for kids to be steeped in smartphones during the years their brain and mind are still developing.
Today's 40-somethings and up didn't even have smartphones when they were students.
There's clearly been a huge rise in bottom-tier parents who can't even discipline their kids.
When I see a kid sitting properly and quietly on a train seat, next to a parent sitting up straight with their knees together, I'm genuinely impressed.
It's become a truly rare sight.
When I see a kid sitting properly and quietly on a train seat, next to a parent sitting up straight with their knees together, I'm genuinely impressed.
It's become a truly rare sight.
>>65
But kids naturally run higher on dopamine than adults do, so forcing them into adult values doesn't really work.
It's normal for kids to shout at the top of their lungs and run around.
What matters in the end is self-motivation — not doing something just because a parent says so, but wanting to do it because you look up to your parent.
But kids naturally run higher on dopamine than adults do, so forcing them into adult values doesn't really work.
It's normal for kids to shout at the top of their lungs and run around.
What matters in the end is self-motivation — not doing something just because a parent says so, but wanting to do it because you look up to your parent.
Kids can't self-regulate their impulses, so they shouldn't be given smartphones in the first place.
The reason people can't stop using their phones comes down to being unable to suppress their thirst for knowledge and curiosity.
Back before even flip phones existed, let alone smartphones, kids would turn summer homework into a plaything — that's how much kids hate doing nothing.
The reason people can't stop using their phones comes down to being unable to suppress their thirst for knowledge and curiosity.
Back before even flip phones existed, let alone smartphones, kids would turn summer homework into a plaything — that's how much kids hate doing nothing.
>>67
That just means summer homework is unnecessary now.
You can ask AI on your phone and get taught anything, so memorizing quiz questions and answers dreamed up by some bureaucrat is a waste of time.
That just means summer homework is unnecessary now.
You can ask AI on your phone and get taught anything, so memorizing quiz questions and answers dreamed up by some bureaucrat is a waste of time.
Old men and old women alike are fighting on X every single day — everyone would be happier if SNS were regulated.
>>71
Even the foreign countries pushing that opinion are getting divided on it now.
Maybe people are just getting tired of dealing with the whole SNS issue.
Even the foreign countries pushing that opinion are getting divided on it now.
Maybe people are just getting tired of dealing with the whole SNS issue.
You guys are dopamine uncles.
Only those who can go without 5ch for even a single day have the right to criticize dopamine kids.
Only those who can go without 5ch for even a single day have the right to criticize dopamine kids.
>>85
One week off the internet.
Honestly, I'm surprised I was able to make it this far myself!
One week off the internet.
Honestly, I'm surprised I was able to make it this far myself!
5ch doesn't hurt your ability to think though. Lucky us.
>>107
Times really do change.
Who'd have thought 5ch would end up looking sane compared to endless short-form video…
Times really do change.
Who'd have thought 5ch would end up looking sane compared to endless short-form video…
Get on a train and look around.
Middle-aged and older people are exactly the same.
Middle-aged and older people are exactly the same.
>>132
There's like 5% of people who can't put their phone down even on a packed train.
There's like 5% of people who can't put their phone down even on a packed train.
>>132
Weekly magazine and manga magazine sales started crashing hard around 2010, and the explanation at the time was "the baby boomer generation, who bought them to read on the train, retired en masse."
But it seems more likely that the bigger factor was people switching over to smartphones.
Weekly magazine and manga magazine sales started crashing hard around 2010, and the explanation at the time was "the baby boomer generation, who bought them to read on the train, retired en masse."
But it seems more likely that the bigger factor was people switching over to smartphones.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Breaking News+) thread “Smartphone-Addicted Minors, the “Dopamine Kids👦”: Heavy SNS Use Tied to Falling Grades — Half of 9th Graders Spend Over 3 Hours a Day Online.”
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