Addicted to the News: Mindfulness in an Age of Clickbait with Jud Brewer and Sean Witty
We call it “staying informed.” We want to be engaged citizens and witnesses. But our brains call it a dopamine hit. In this live online conversation, Jud Brewer and Sean Witty examine how the same neural loops that drive anxiety and addiction now keep us endlessly refreshing the feed, and what to do about it. Drawing on Brewer’s essay “Your Brain on Breaking News,” they’ll explore how mindfulness can either reinforce control or open genuine curiosity – and why awareness without compassion may not free us at all.
Jud Brewer, MD, PhD is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and internationally recognized expert on the science of habit change and mindfulness. He serves as Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, and is an Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at Brown’s Schools of Public Health and Medicine. Dr. Brewer’s research explores how the brain forms habits, cravings, and addictions – and how mindfulness can disrupt those loops. His lab uses brain imaging and clinical studies to investigate mindfulness-based treatments for anxiety, smoking cessation, and overeating. He is the author of The Craving Mind, Unwinding Anxiety, and The Hunger Habit, and has developed evidence-based digital programs (like Unwinding Anxiety and Eat Right Now) that apply his findings in accessible, tech-enabled ways.Brewer’s work has been featured on 60 Minutes, NPR, and The New York Times, and he’s a frequent speaker on the intersection of neuroscience, behavior, and contemplative practice.
IMP Board Member Sean Witty, MS, MTS works at the intersection of science and spiritual practice as a psychotherapist in private practice, an ordained minister, and an educator, and serves as Vice President of the Board of the Mental Health Network of the United Church of Christ.
Dana to benefit IMP and Mindshift Recovery (www.mindshiftrecovery.org)
Copy/paste Link to register: https://bit.ly/newsaddict