– English Lyrics

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

[Music]

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Simple

English podcast where we talk about

life, health, and big ideas all in

simple English. I'm Lisa, your host.

Today's topic is something that secretly

controls our lives every day. It's

inside our brains. It's tiny, but it's

super powerful. I'm talking about

dopamine, the feelgood chemical. But

here's the crazy part. Dopamine, which

is supposed to help us survive and feel

happy, is now making many of us act

like, well, addicts. Addicted to our

phones, to junk food, to endless

scrolling, to online shopping, you name

it. Why is it happening? How did

dopamine, something natural, turn into a

trap for

us? Today, I've invited Chris, our brain

science enthusiast, to help us break it

all down. As always, don't forget to

check out the free PDF file in the

comment section below to get the full

transcript and vocabulary for this

[Music]

episode. Hi Chris, welcome to the show.

Hey Lisa, thanks for having me. I'm

really excited about today's topic

because honestly, we're all dopamine

addicts in some way, even me. Haha, same

here. Don't worry, you're not alone,

Chris. All right, everyone. Let's dive

deep and find out how dopamine is

playing tricks on us. So Chris, first

off, what exactly is dopamine?

Dopamine is a chemical made by our

brains. It acts like a messenger. It

sends signals between brain cells and

helps us feel pleasure, motivation, and

reward. Imagine you eat a piece of

chocolate. Dopamine gets released and

your brain says, "Wow, that was amazing.

Let's do it again."

Oh, so dopamine is like a little reward

button inside our head.

Exactly. It helped early humans survive.

Thousands of years ago, when food was

hard to find, your brain needed a way to

say, "Hey, this berry is good. Eat

more."

That makes sense. But now we have

chocolate, pizza, Netflix, Tik Tok,

online shopping, all at our fingertips.

Yes, that's the problem. In the past,

rewards were rare. Now rewards are

everywhere. Your brain gets so many

dopamine hits it gets overloaded. Can

you give an everyday example? Sure.

Think about your phone. Every time you

get a like, a comment, or a funny video,

ding. Little bursts of dopamine. It

feels good. So your brain says, "Check

your phone again. Maybe there's more."

That's so true. Sometimes I check my

phone without even thinking.

Exactly.

It's not because we are weak. It's

because our brains are designed to chase

dopamine. Apps, social media, junk food

companies, they know this. They design

their products to keep giving you those

little rewards. It's like they're

hijacking our brain chemistry.

Totally. Another example, binge watching

shows. When you finish an episode, the

platform suggests the next one right

away. Your brain says, "One more

episode, please."

Haha, guilty again. But Chris, what

happens if we get too much dopamine all

the time?

Great question. When we flood our brain

with dopamine over time, the brain

becomes less sensitive. It's like

needing more sugar to get the same

sweetness. You need more scrolling, more

shopping, more food to feel good. So,

it's like building a tolerance.

Exactly. And that's why people get stuck

in bad habits. The brain thinks, "I need

more even if it's hurting you." like

staying up late, eating junk, or wasting

hours online.

Wow, it's scary but also eye opening. Is

there any way to fight back? Definitely.

First,

awareness. Knowing that dopamine is

controlling you is the first step.

Second, dopamine detox. That means

taking breaks from fast rewards like no

phone for a few hours, eating clean

food, reading a real book. It teaches

your brain to enjoy slow, healthy

pleasures again. I love that idea. Small

steps, not zero fun, but being more

mindful.

Exactly. You don't have to live like a

monk. Just learn to balance quick

rewards with deep, real rewards, like

creating, learning, connecting with

people face to face.

[Music]

All right, Chris, it's time for our fun

fact of the day. Here's a cool one.

Dopamine levels spike before you get the

reward, not

after. Scientists discovered that it's

the anticipation that makes your brain

excited. Wait, you're saying we feel the

most pleasure before we even eat the

chocolate or open the gift? Exactly.

That's why just thinking about pizza can

make your mouth water. Or why planning a

vacation feels so exciting, sometimes

more exciting than the trip itself?

That is so funny and so true. Our brains

are really tricky little things.

[Music]

All right, friends. Let's wrap it up.

Today, we learned that dopamine is a

natural part of life. It helps us feel

joy and motivation. But in today's

world, too much easy dopamine can trap

us in endless loops. Phone addiction,

junk food, shopping, and more. Yep. The

good news is you're not broken. You're

just human.

With awareness, small changes, and

practicing real world rewards, we can

take back control.

Absolutely. Start simple. Turn off

notifications. Go for a walk without

your phone. Enjoy real conversations

with friends. Small actions can reset

your brain. Remember, dopamine is not

the enemy. It just needs a little

balance. Thank you so much, Chris, for

joining us today and sharing all these

mind-blowing insights.

Thank you, Lisa. And thanks to everyone

listening. You're already one step ahead

by learning about your brain. All right,

if you enjoyed today's episode, please

like, comment, and subscribe to the

Simple English podcast. Share it with a

friend who needs a little dopamine

detox. See you next time, everyone.

[Music]

Bye-bye. Okay, everyone, it's time to

learn some important vocabulary related

to the topic. The first word of today is

dopamine. It means a neurotransmitter in

the brain that plays a key role in

motivation, pleasure, and reward. It is

often released in response to rewarding

experiences. Example, eating chocolate

triggers the release of dopamine making

us feel happy and satisfied. Next word

is addiction. It means a condition where

a person becomes dependent on a

substance or behavior often leading to

harmful consequences.

Example, social media addiction is

becoming more common because of the

constant dopamine hits we get from likes

and

notifications. Next word is reward

system. It means a group of structures

in the brain that control feelings of

pleasure and motivation often activated

by

dopamine. Example, the brain's reward

system is constantly activated when we

receive positive reinforcement like a

compliment or a reward.

Next word is tolerance. It means the

diminishing effect of a substance or

behavior after repeated exposure often

leading to the need for more to achieve

the same

effect. Example, as you continue to

experience dopamine-driven rewards, you

may develop a tolerance, needing

stronger stimuli to feel the same

pleasure. The last word is is craving.

It means a strong desire or urge to

experience something often linked to the

need for a rewarding or pleasurable

experience such as the release of

dopamine. Example, people who are

addicted to video games often experience

intense cravings to play driven by

dopamine.

[Music]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
brain /breɪn/ A1	noun - The organ inside your head that controls thought, feeling, and movement.
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - The state of being alive.
feel /fiːl/ A1	verb - to experience an emotion or physical sensation.
happy /ˈhæpi/ A1	adjective - feeling or showing pleasure.
addict /ˈædɪkt/ B1	noun - a person who is addicted to a particular substance or activity.
dopamine /ˈdəʊpəmiːn/ B2	noun - A neurotransmitter in the brain that plays a key role in motivation, pleasure, and reward.
control /kənˈtrəʊl/ A2	verb - to have power over. noun - the power to influence or direct people's behavior or the course of events.
natural /ˈnætʃərəl/ A2	adjective - existing in nature; not made or caused by people.
trap /træp/ B1	noun - a thing or situation that catches or tricks you.
excited /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ A2	adjective - very enthusiastic and eager.
pleasure /ˈpleʒər/ B1	noun - a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment.
reward /rɪˈwɔːrd/ A2	noun - a thing given in recognition of service, merit, or achievement. verb - give a reward to (someone) for their service, merit, or achievement.
addiction /əˈdɪkʃən/ B2	noun - the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity.
tolerance /ˈtɒlərəns/ B2	noun - the capacity of the body to endure or become less responsive to a substance (especially a drug) after repeated exposure.
habit /ˈhæbɪt/ A2	noun - a settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.
enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/ A1	verb - to get pleasure from something.
learn /lɜːrn/ A1	verb - to gain knowledge or skill.
balance /ˈbæləns/ B1	noun - an even distribution of weight enabling someone or something to remain upright and steady. verb - keep or put something in a steady position so that it does not fall.
craving /ˈkreɪvɪŋ/ B2	noun - an intense desire for something.