Alok Kanojia, also known as Dr. K, born on October 7, 1982, is an American psychiatrist and co-founder of Healthy Gamer, a mental health coaching company. He gained prominence for his work addressing mental health issues within the gaming community and the digital generation. Kanojia is also an online streamer on Twitch, where he conducts interviews and discusses mental health topics.
Dr. K's approach combines his background in medicine and psychiatry with knowledge of Eastern philosophies, including yoga and meditation. He almost failed out of college due to video game addiction but later visited an ashram in India, which led him to incorporate these practices into his life and work. He received his medical degree and Masters in Public Health from Tufts University and completed his residency at Harvard Medical School’s Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program. He is currently an instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
Kanojia's Healthy Gamer platform offers coaching, content, and community support, particularly for young people. The platform addresses issues like gaming addiction and failure to launch syndrome. In addition to his work with Healthy Gamer, Kanojia has also authored "How to Raise a Healthy Gamer," a book providing guidance for parents navigating technology addiction in children. He also leads the Healthy Gamer Foundation and the HG Institute, collaborating with organizations like the United Nations and the White House to advocate for youth mental health. Recently, Kanojia has cautioned against consuming self-help content as a form of entertainment, emphasizing the need for dedicated effort in personal development.