po polsku
illustration: DALL-EShe believes society must recognize that children and teenagers are especially vulnerable. Lembke called for smartphones to be removed from schools, especially in early education. She argued that kids should have space to learn and grow without distractions, and teachers should be free to teach. According to her, a phone in a child’s pocket acts like a “digital drug.”
Families, she said, should delay giving children personal devices and use basic phones instead. Monitoring online activity is key. But individual responsibility isn’t enough — Lembke called for systemic action. She proposed age verification laws, algorithm changes, and less addictive app design. Not everything will work, she admitted, but doing nothing isn’t an option.
Lembke also explained that the way societies frame addiction matters. If people treat it as a brain disease, those affected are less stigmatized and more likely to seek help. In contrast, when addiction is shamed, individuals hide their problems and avoid treatment.
She pointed out that China was the first to officially recognize gaming disorder. Chinese authorities classified it under the WHO and launched dedicated treatment centers. The U.S., by comparison, has been slower to address digital addiction, though it leads in treating substance abuse.
Lembke said it`s hard to know how many people will develop media-related addictions, but she estimates it could affect 10 to 20 percent of the population - similar to drug and alcohol addiction rates. She also observed that modern life exposes people to more addictive stimuli than ever: processed food is engineered to be irresistible, social media manipulates social rewards, and even shopping and gaming have become more stimulating.
As technology becomes more immersive, she said, people need to understand the risks. Most will self-regulate, but some won`t. Lembke urged society to act before the damage spreads further.
***
Based on an interview with Anna Lembke for PAP Polska Agencja Prasowa (Nauka w Polsce)
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Media industry
Advertising market 2025. Poland, Europe and the World
Marcin Grządka
The global advertising market is growing by 8.8% in 2025 and will reach a value of 1.14 trillion dollars. The industry result in Europe records slightly lower dynamics, at the level of 5.8%. In this comparison, Poland performs clearly above the average. We will record an increase of 8.9% this year and a value of 18.56 billion PLN - estimates WPP Media in the annual report "This Year Next Year".
The print media market 2025. Three global trends
Krzysztof Fiedorek
The market value is 359.53 billion dollars, yet the erosion is visible to the naked eye. The decline for newspapers will amount to -2.3 percent. Despite this, print retains strength: it generates 76 percent of subscription revenues and enjoys 82 percent consumer trust. The future of the industry is defined by hybrid strategies and niche specialization.
Journalism in the age of AI. Why people prefer humans over machines
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Only 12% of people accept news created solely by AI, while 62% prefer those written by humans. At the same time, only 19% notice labels indicating the use of artificial intelligence, while younger audiences ask AI to explain the content to them. These are the findings of the Reuters Institute report on artificial intelligence in media.
See articles on a similar topic:
Artificial intelligence in newsrooms. Three realities of the AI era in media
Krzysztof Fiedorek
According to a report by the European Broadcasting Union, many newsrooms already use AI but still do not fully trust it. Audiences do not want "robotic" news, and the technologies themselves though fast can be costly, unreliable, and surprisingly human in their mistakes.
Zero-click search 2025. The even bigger end of clicking in search engines
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Google is giving up its role as a web signpost. More and more, it wants to be the destination of the whole journey. ChatGPT and Perplexity are hot on its heels, changing the rules of the search game. AI Overviews is a card from the same deck. Only content creators are losing ground in this race.
Fake News and Disinformation in Poland. Scale, Impact and Future
Bartłomiej Dwornik
Where do the sources of disinformation lie, and how large is the scale of this wave? Why are we so susceptible to false information, and what role do traditional media play in this puzzle? Let’s shed some light on these issues and face the question: can the battle against the flood of disinformation still be won?
How do we assess news credibility? Data analysis from 40 countries
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Are people defenseless against false information? Do they really fall for clickbait and fake news? A meta-analysis of 67 studies involving 200,000 people shows the problem is different than we thought. Instead of excessive gullibility, we are dealing with the opposite.
