Addiction is often associated with drugs and alcohol, but Hooked, a compelling new documentary from RTÉ One, reveals a more complex reality. The film, officially titled Hooked: Addiction Beyond Substances, makes it clear that modern society faces a wider set of temptations—from gambling to the irresistible allure of smartphones.

A Story of Transformation at the Heart of an Addiction Documentary

The narrative anchor of Hooked is Dr Brian Pennie, a lecturer at Trinity College with a devastatingly honest past. Pennie’s story is well-known among those interested in addiction documentaries. After discovering drugs at just 14, his life spiralled into heroin addiction by age 16. For fifteen years, drugs shaped his existence until recovery set him on a new academic path.

Pennie’s experience is not unique, yet the documentary achieves something rare. Rather than focusing only on his personal struggles, Hooked draws viewers in with empathy and an understanding of addiction that reaches well beyond substances.

Hooked Addiction Beyond Substances: Technology and Temptation

One of the most powerful moments in the documentary comes early on, as Pennie addresses a classroom filled with young faces. He suggests that while many people manage to avoid drugs or alcohol, virtually everyone is in touch with more insidious forms of addiction in daily life. He explains that designers created the smartphone to capture our attention and feed a cycle of dependency.

“Every time I have a sniff of boredom in my life… where’s my phone?” he says, highlighting just how innocently digital habits become compulsions. Pennie is careful not to draw a false equivalence between watching YouTube and injecting heroin, yet the addiction documentary never shies away from the fact that both can have serious, long-term effects on well-being.

Gambling: A Modern Plague Explored in Hooked

The dangers of online gambling, amplified by mobile technology, are explored when Pennie visits a residential recovery centre. Gambling, viewed here as an addiction equal in power to substance dependencies, is described by one resident as being just a lunch break away from disaster.

“I could have my whole week’s wages gambled during a lunch break,” the individual confesses, his voice tinged with regret. The addiction documentary exposes how constant digital access leaves many at risk, underlining the often-overlooked dangers of gambling in everyday life.

Refusing to Judge, Refusing to Glorify

Unlike many shows in the addiction documentary genre, Hooked stands out by never resorting to finger-wagging or judgement. There’s no glorification of Pennie’s difficult years or a temptation to wallow in suffering. Instead, the focus is on constructive conversations, empathy, and allowing individuals to tell their own stories.

Pennie keeps his own story relevant but in perspective. A brief segment shows his home chart, tracking every week he’s lived. It’s not a tally of lost years, but a visual guide to the value of the time he has ahead, and the possibility of change.

Childhood Trauma and the Roots of Addiction

Hooked does not shy away from the origins of destructive behaviours. Meeting with an expert at Cambridge, Pennie revisits difficult memories of childhood surgery without anaesthetic. This trauma left a sluggish, dragging sense of vulnerability. Drugs became a way to mask panic and anxiety. “I found heroin when I was 16,” Pennie admits, explaining that for many, addiction begins as an attempt to escape pain.

The addiction documentary delicately points out that while triggers may vary, the path into dependency often starts with a void that individuals strive to fill, whether through substances, gambling, or compulsive digital habits.

Addiction Documentary Key Message: Compassion Over Condemnation

At the film’s outset, Pennie states, “Nobody wakes up wanting to be addicted.” The line echoes throughout the hour, framing every account with care and understanding. By painting a stark picture of the dangers posed by gambling and constant online stimulation, the documentary advocates compassion over condemnation.

This approach serves as a quiet reminder that anyone can fall into destructive patterns. Preventative awareness and honest conversation are key to helping those who may be vulnerable, without judgement or shame.

What Makes Hooked Worth Watching?

• Unbiased Storytelling: By steering away from melodrama and blame, Hooked stands out in the crowded field of addiction documentaries.
• Timely Topics: By covering not just classic substance abuse but modern compulsions like social media and gambling, the series feels genuinely current.
• Powerful Insights: Interviews with those in recovery offer a raw window into how addiction can quietly take hold, sometimes in the least expected forms.

Why Prevention and Empathy Are More Important Than Ever

The documentary’s strongest legacy may lie in its indirect message about the necessity of prevention. By not moralising, it gently nudges viewers to be more mindful of their own habits, those of their friends, and the wider cultural systems that encourage dependency.

Whether you are concerned about your own behaviour, worried for a friend, or interested in fresh perspectives on addiction, Hooked has something useful to say. Its lasting message is one of hope, self-awareness, and the enduring possibility of change.

Source: Irish Times