How dope is Dopamine?
Beatrice Justice-Derefak Zoe Smith
Grade 9
Presentation
No video provided
Problem
Addiction spikes in dopamine and serotonin, and how to control them.
Method
survey people
Research
How does dopamine affect the brain-january 7 2025 12.42pm
Dopamine acts on areas of the brain to give you feelings of pleasure, satisfaction and motivation. Dopamine also has a role to play in controlling memory, mood, sleep, learning, concentration, movement and other body functions.
What is dopamine-12.47pm
Dopamine is a neuromodulatory molecule that plays several important roles in cells. It is an organic chemical of the catecholamine and phenethylamine families. Dopamine constitutes about 80% of the catecholamine content in the brain.
How to Increase dopamine-12.51pm
Get enough sleep, balanced diet, meditation, exercise regularly, dietary supplement, reduce saturated fat
What is the opposite of dopamine-12.55pm
Serotonin.
What does serotonin do to a person-12.55pm
When serotonin is at normal levels, you feel more focused, emotionally stable, happier and calmer. Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression. Many medications used to treat anxiety, depression and other mood disorders often target ways to increase the level of serotonin in your brain
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
How does social media influence serotonin and dopamine levels - january 9th 2025 12.45pm
Likes, follows, and notifications from social media gives someone a feeling of acceptance and kind of
Where is dopamine found in the brain-12:48pm
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is produced in the substantia nigra, ventral tegmental area, and hypothalamus of the brain.
(make clay brain)
Where is serotonin found in the brain- 12:56pm
serotonin is almost exclusively produced in neurons originating in the raphe nuclei located in the midline of the brainstem.
(also found in intestines)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5864293/#:~:text=Central%20serotonergic%20pathways%2C%20effects%2C%20and,system%20in%20the%20human%20brain.
January 12th-Whats the difference between dopamine and serotonin
Dopamine is involved in movement, coordination, and feelings of pleasure and reward. Serotonin is involved in emotions, but it also affects digestion and metabolism.
They are also involved in several mental health conditions, including low mood and depression.
Dopamine and serotonin are involved in similar bodily processes, but they operate differently. Imbalances of these chemicals can cause different medical conditions that require different treatments.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326090
Feburary 2nd- 12pm
Serotonin is a natural body chemical that can control your mood. It works with melatonin to help control when you fall asleep and get up, as well as how you feel pain, wellbeing and intimate desire.
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/serotonin#:~:text=Serotonin%20has%20many%20different%20roles,and%20is%20involved%20in%20inflammation.
Data
We went out and surveyed multiple people, asking them for their age, and for their screen time on their most used app. We did this to see if a difference in age affected screen time or app use.
We saw that people ages 12-17 average screen times of 5-8 hours, mainly on social media platforms or games.
People 18-30 averaged a screen time of 2-5 hours on informative apps such as facebook and google.
Adults above 35 had screen times of 4 hours or less on communication apps like whatsapp and facebook.
Conclusion
This search is important so we can understand and analyze the true effects of dopamine and serotonin.
Dopamine, commonly known as the happiness known as the happiness drug, is associated with rewards, and motivation. For example, if a person relies on dopamine boosts from social media, taking their source of happiness will make them crave it. The likes, the shares, the positive comments, the funny videos, and all the follows gives them a feeling of higher self-worth.
On the other hand, serotonin is focused on happiness, and focus. Serotonin focuses more on the body than on the mind. Exercise, meditation, or just physical activities in general can boost serotonin.
Citations
Acknowledgement
Thank you to Mr. Greaves for introducing CYSF to Tanbridge Academy, and for assisting on information about dopamine and serotonin. Thank you for clarifying questions, and supporting us through the months.
Thank you to Mr. Lappin for also giving some insight on the topic of dopamne and serotonin, and for helping us stay positive.