(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The new episode of Qatar Foundation's Doha Debates examines how modern entertainment shapes the attention, creativity, and everyday well-being of people. Moderated by Dareen Abughaida, the debate brings together three influential thinkers to ask whether today's entertainment landscape is enriching us-or overwhelming us.

This week's debate features Marya Bangee, senior adviser at the Pop Culture Collaborative; Dr Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and author of Dopamine Nation; and Nicholas Carr, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Shallows.

For Bangee, the power of entertainment lies in storytelling that reflects lived human experience and fosters empathy.“I think entertainment today is pervasive. It's something that shapes each person and society. The question is how are we going to make sure we are shaping it back.”

Lembke brings a clinical and human-centred lens to the discussion, warning that the design of modern entertainment often overwhelms the brain's reward pathways.“Modern entertainment is not better for us because it hijacks our brain reward pathway. Now we need more pleasure to feel any pleasure at all.”

Carr widens the frame further, examining how technology-driven entertainment affects our ability to think deeply and act collectively.“We've assumed that having more topics, choices and information is always a good thing. Going forward we really need to pay much attention to the drawbacks.”

Students add their own reflections. Sara Akbar, 22, from the University of Doha for Science and Technology, shares:“Between 16 to 28, we are all trying to escape reality because of everything happening in the world. And it really affects how we live our lives. Why can't we live a second without Instagram?” From Georgetown University in Qatar, Ameer Saadi, 18, adds:“With entertainment, the responsibility here is not to make you a better person but to genuinely try to express some form of the human experience.”

Qatar Foundation Dareen Abughaida Marya Bangee Nicholas Carr

MENAFN03122025000067011011ID1110434620