--- title: "The Low Effort High Reward Paradox | Denver Psychiatry Blog" description: "Managing internet harm" lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": [ "MedicalBusiness", "MedicalOrganization", "LocalBusiness" ], "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#organization", "name": "Denver Psychiatry", "alternateName": "Denver Psychiatry - Dr. Steve Sarche", "description": "Denver Psychiatry is a private psychiatric practice founded by Dr. Steve Sarche in 2004, providing comprehensive mental health services for children, adolescents, and adults in the Denver metropolitan area.", "url": "https://denverpsychiatry.com", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/logo.png" }, "image": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/og-image.png", "telephone": "+1-303-393-8808", "faxNumber": "+1-303-399-6069", "email": "drsteve@denverpsychiatry.com", "foundingDate": "2004", "founder": { "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#physician" }, "priceRange": "$$", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "720 S Colorado Blvd, Suite 910N", "addressLocality": "Denver", "addressRegion": "CO", "postalCode": "80246", "addressCountry": "US" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 39.7086, "longitude": -104.9567 }, "areaServed": { "@type": "GeoCircle", "geoMidpoint": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": 39.7086, "longitude": -104.9567 }, "geoRadius": "50000" }, "medicalSpecialty": [ "Psychiatry", "Child and Adolescent Psychiatry", "Adult Psychiatry" ], "employee": [ { "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#physician" } ], "availableService": [ { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "Psychiatric Evaluation", "description": "Comprehensive initial evaluation for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning" }, { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "Medication Management", "description": "Expert prescription and monitoring of psychiatric medications" }, { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "Child & Adolescent Psychiatry", "description": "Age-appropriate psychiatric care for children and adolescents (ages 10+)" }, { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "Anxiety Treatment", "description": "Treatment for generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, and PTSD" }, { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "Depression Treatment", "description": "Comprehensive treatment for major depression and mood disorders" }, { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "ADHD Treatment", "description": "Diagnosis and treatment of attention deficit disorders in all ages" }, { "@type": "MedicalProcedure", "name": "PTSD & Trauma Treatment", "description": "Compassionate, evidence-based care for post-traumatic stress and trauma-related conditions" } ], "openingHoursSpecification": { "@type": "OpeningHoursSpecification", "dayOfWeek": [ "Monday", "Tuesday", "Wednesday", "Thursday", "Friday" ], "opens": "09:00", "closes": "17:00" }, "aggregateRating": { "@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "5", "reviewCount": "50" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@type": [ "Physician", "Person" ], "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#physician", "name": "Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O.", "alternateName": "Steve Sarche", "description": "Dr. Steve Sarche is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry. 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For children and adolescents, this includes integrated meetings with parents. By the end of 1-2 visits, you'll have a clear clinical formulation and personalized treatment plan." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Denver Psychiatry treat both children and adults?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, Dr. Steve Sarche is board certified in both general psychiatry and child & adolescent psychiatry. Denver Psychiatry provides comprehensive care for patients ages 10 and older, with age-appropriate treatment approaches." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What mental health conditions does Denver Psychiatry treat?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Denver Psychiatry treats a wide range of mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, situational stress, behavioral problems, and relational difficulties. Dr. Sarche takes a comprehensive, holistic approach to diagnosis and treatment." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Denver Psychiatry offer non-medication treatments?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Absolutely. While medication can be an important part of treatment, Dr. Sarche also emphasizes non-medication modalities including sleep hygiene strategies, lifestyle modifications, stress reduction techniques, and therapeutic approaches. Treatment is tailored to each individual's needs and preferences." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the difference between a D.O. and an M.D. psychiatrist?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Osteopathic physicians (D.O.s) receive the same training as M.D.s but with additional focus on the interconnection between the body's systems. This holistic perspective informs Dr. Sarche's approach to mental health, considering how physical and emotional well-being influence each other." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How do I schedule an appointment with Denver Psychiatry?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You can schedule an appointment by calling Denver Psychiatry at (303) 393-8808. The staff will help you find a convenient time and answer any questions about your first visit." } } ] }, { "@type": "Blog", "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#blog", "name": "Denver Psychiatry Mental Health Blog", "description": "Expert insights and articles on mental health topics from Dr. Steve Sarche, board-certified psychiatrist in Denver, Colorado.", "url": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/blog", "author": { "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#physician" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/#organization" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "The Low Effort High Reward Paradox", "description": "Managing internet harm", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O.", "jobTitle": "Board Certified Psychiatrist" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Denver Psychiatry", "url": "https://denverpsychiatry.com" }, "datePublished": "2026-05-13T15:20:13.139+00:00", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://denverpsychiatry.com/article/the-low-effort-high-reward-paradox" } } ] --- [ Denver Psychiatry Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O. ](#home) [](tel:303-393-8808) [ Denver Psychiatry Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O. ](#home) [Home](#home) Services ### Conditions We Treat [ ADHD Treatment Child & adult ADHD specialist care ](/adhd)[ Anxiety Treatment Generalized anxiety, panic, social anxiety ](/anxiety-treatment)[ Depression Treatment Major depression, bipolar, mood disorders ](/depression-treatment)[ PTSD & Trauma Treatment Trauma recovery focused on full healing ](/ptsd-trauma-treatment) ### Specialty Care [ Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship-trained, ages 10 and up ](/child-adolescent-psychiatry)[ Performance Optimization Precision psychiatry for high performers ](/performance-optimization)[ Medication Management Expert prescription and monitoring ](#services) #### Talk to Dr. Sarche Call to schedule your initial evaluation [Call Now](tel:303-393-8808) About ### About Us [ Dr. Steve Sarche, D.O. 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Board Certified Psychiatrist • Wednesday, May 13, 2026 • 4 min read Share: [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fthe-low-effort-high-reward-paradox)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fthe-low-effort-high-reward-paradox&text=The%20Low%20Effort%20High%20Reward%20Paradox)[](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fthe-low-effort-high-reward-paradox&title=The%20Low%20Effort%20High%20Reward%20Paradox)[]() We live in an age dominated by screen time, which generally is a low effort high reward activity. Technology advances so fast that we have not been able to keep up with how to regulate and manage our time on the internet, with social media, AI, video games, etc. On a side note, the internet also has no moral code; people can put what they want out there with little oversight or regulation. That is unsettling and potentially harmful. This is especially relevant to children and adolescents who are not mature and struggle more to use these resources in safe and healthy ways. As adults, it is challenging to help them manage as screens and internet access are ubiquitous, and because of how quickly anybody, especially under 18-year-olds, can develop patterns of addiction. Here is a way to think about what is happening with excessive screen time use and how to talk to a young person about it. Introduce the concept of the low effort high reward paradox. Low effort and high reward sound good and can be a great thing in life. Examples of positive low effort and high reward activities can include drinking a glass of water to start the day, going on a short walk, or spending 5 minutes outside to break up the workday. Be careful with this concept, however. From a psychological perspective, a day filled with certain low effort high reward activities can be harmful. Examples of low effort high reward activities that can cause harm include excessive video games, doom scrolling, or substance use. These activities can lead to effort-reward imbalance. This is a term that originally was used to identify a work environment where there is high stress with low rewards such as poor pay, no gratitude or respect, or wavering job security. Effort reward imbalance leads to depression, anxiety, burnout and potential health issues. The trap with an overbalance of low effort high reward activity is that the brain becomes accustomed to expecting instant reward in life in general. Many of the daily obligations we have, including academic and professional commitments, require greater effort and delayed gratification. In a typical functioning brain, the reward circuits will deem the efforts involved as “worth it”. In addition to the above challenges, people who overuse low effort high reward activities tend to experience low motivation, poor self-discipline, irritability or resistance to tasks, and less resilience and ability to persevere when needed. The dopaminergic circuits in a low effort high reward brain will not work well when faced with delayed gratification tasks. People with this pattern will tend to surrender quickly if challenged; if they even get to the point of task initiation. Basically, they will have the sense that doing an activity that is not immediately gratifying or rewarding is not worth doing. This is called a “reward prediction error”. As adults, we must first focus on managing our own low effort high reward activities. It is a tough message to tell a kid what they should be doing for health and well-being when we are not doing it ourselves. Next it is imperative to limit and monitor screen time in younger kids and then work with them more as they enter adolescence in how to use screen time in a safe and healthy way. Kids appreciate understanding the science of how the brain works and using these concepts helps them make better decisions for themselves. It is more effective to enter these conversations in a collaborative and productive way than with a focus on lecturing and being punitive. The internet is an amazing and wonderful tool and filled with major traps and potential harm. The more we can understand those pitfalls and teach them to our children, the more we can use it for good. It is gratifying working on a challenging project, helping others, or gaining a useful skill in the world and then applying it. That stuff is power for the mind, the body and the soul. Let’s get back to that for ourselves and our children. Let’s get focused on strong effort, best reward! Share: [](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fthe-low-effort-high-reward-paradox)[](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fthe-low-effort-high-reward-paradox&text=The%20Low%20Effort%20High%20Reward%20Paradox)[](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fdrsteve.lovable.app%2Farticle%2Fthe-low-effort-high-reward-paradox&title=The%20Low%20Effort%20High%20Reward%20Paradox)[]() ### Need Help With Your Mental Health? Dr. Steve Sarche provides compassionate psychiatric care for children, adolescents, and adults in the Denver area. [Call to Speak With Dr. Sarche](tel:303-393-8808) ### Get new articles from Dr. Sarche We'll only email you when Dr. Sarche publishes a new article. Unsubscribe anytime. 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