The Psychology of Health span in the Age of Addictive Technology

What if the biggest threat to your longevity isn’t what you’re eating, how much you’re sleeping, or whether you’re taking the right supplements?What if it’s the fact that you’re slowly losing the ability to focus, regulate your emotions, tolerate discomfort, and do the hard things that make a healthy life possible? Because here’s the truth: longevity isn’t just about keeping your body alive longer. It’s about preserving your agency. Your attention. Your motivation. Your resilience. Your ability to make decisions that align with the life you want to live. And that’s exactly why I’m excited about today’s conversation. Most longevity discussions focus on biomarkers, blood tests, exercise protocols, and nutrition strategies. Those things matter. But there’s a question we don’t ask often enough: Why do so many people know what they should do and still struggle to do it consistently? Today’s guest, Dr. Silja Litvin is a clinical psychologist, researcher, entrepreneur, and executive advisor. She is the founder and CEO of PsycApps, creator of the award-winning emotional fitness game eQuoo, which has reached more than 500,000 users worldwide and was featured on the NHS Apps Library. With a PhD in Clinical Psychology and experience spanning healthcare, research, and venture-backed leadership, Silja works at the intersection of resilience, mental health, technology, and human performance. She has partnered with organizations including the NHS, Unilever, Bosch, Mental Health America, UCL, LMU Munich, and the Resilience Research Centre. Drawing on both clinical expertise and more than a decade as a CEO, she advises founders, executives, and boards on resilience, leadership, emotional regulation, and navigating complexity under pressure. Silja is also the co-founder of the Healthy Digital Childhood Alliance, a parent-led initiative promoting science-based approaches to children's digital wellbeing.. We’re talking about why your environment is often more powerful than your willpower. How modern technology is rewiring reward systems through endless novelty and low-effort stimulation. The difference between cheap dopamine and earned dopamine. Why a little-known part of the brain called the mid-cingulate cortex may hold important clues about resilience and healthy ageing. And how families can create environments that protect attention, sleep, autonomy, and mental health in a world designed to steal all four. Most importantly, we’re exploring a new way to think about longevity. Not as the pursuit of living longer at all costs. But as the pursuit of staying capable—capable of focusing, adapting, growing, connecting, and doing meaningful things for as many years as possible. If you’ve ever wondered why healthy habits feel harder than they should, why your attention feels fragmented, or how to build a life that supports both your health span and your happiness, this conversation is for you.