This post contains speculation that, even by bloggish standards, is unfounded. Get out your salt shaker. Or buy me access to some cogsci journals.
I’m going to publish this post even though it needs another hour or two of editing, and another fifty of researching, because it’s already getting close to the size where I’ll never finish it.
I’ve been working on my procrastination recently, and as a serendipitous side effect of my unusually consistent effort on it for the past couple weeks, I happened to have not spent as much time as usual practicing piano, reading blogs, watching TV, or playing video games or puzzle games (like Tetris or Sudoku). At the end of that time, I had an unusually productive two days at work, until around mid-afternoon of the second day, when I had finished all of my pressing work and decided to spend a few minutes playing Tetris—despite the fact that experience has taught me that the few minutes would turn into much longer.
Now, there was nothing particularly unusual about my deciding to play Tetris; after all, I am working on my procrastination. But I noticed something quite unusual when I started. I felt a head rush, and a strong one. It was like five shots of espresso, all at once. (Minus the jitteriness.) Now, I’ve never taken cocaine, but I imagine it would feel the same way. I take stimulants for my ADHD, and the feeling was the same, but stronger and immediate.
And it hits me—Tetris gives me a dopamine rush. Of course! That’s why it’s addictive! It’s the same mechanism behind food and sex and cocaine and meth and nicotine!
