What is Technology Addiction?
Technology addiction* (or disorder) is an umbrella term for problematic usage of any technology. While there are several different definitions of this concept, some common characteristics of technology addiction include an inability to control technology use and significant relational, occupational, educational, or personal problems that arise from excessive use.
Concerns about technology use have been documented as early as the late 1920’s, when people and policy makers expressed fear that radio stations and movies could be used to spread propaganda to the public and youth. More modern forms of technology addictions include problematic usage of things like computers, internet, video games, social media, video watching (e.g., binge-watching Netflix, YouTube), shopping, online pornography, and smartphones.
Defining technology addictions depends on perspective, with the two most prevalent being diagnostic and interference-based. Proponents of the diagnostic model use an established list of criteria to determine if someone meets the clinical threshold for a diagnosis like Gaming Disorder, which will be included in the 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases. While this method may produce more consistency in determining diagnoses, critics have argued that it could over-pathologize leisure behaviors and could lead to more false positives than interference-based methods (Ferguson, Coulson, & Barnett, 2011).
Proponents of the interference-based model would determine problematic technology use by exploring how someone or someone significant in their life would describe the interfering nature of their technology use. For example, a parent might express concern about how their child’s video game playing interferes with their education or family interactions. While the interference-based method has the benefit of quickly identifying concerns and potential solutions, it may lack the consistency that can be provided by using diagnostic criteria.
Regardless of how one defines addictions, disorders, or problematic usage related to technology, one common belief is often shared – many people have identified technology having a negative impact on their life. At the Center for Technology Wellness, we target the improvement of this relationship to help people feel fulfilled when they use technology, and when they don’t.
Technology Addiction Symptoms
Symptoms of technology addictions can vary depending on the user’s personality and their preferred technology. For example, people struggling with problematic pornography use are more likely to describe distress about how their use doesn’t align with their morals than someone struggling with problematic gaming.
Nevertheless, there are common symptoms that are expressed by people struggling with any form of technology use, including but not limited to:
- Unsuccessful attempts at control
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Impulsivity
- Distortion of time
- Sleep deprivation
- Irritability
- Loneliness
- Low self-esteem
- Feeling unproductive
- Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
- Oppositional behaviors when asked to stop
- Aggression towards objects or others
- Feeling like they want to “escape” from their life
- Loss of interest in previous hobbies
- Lying about use to others
- Using technology to avoid resolving other problems
- Losing relationships, jobs, or educational opportunities
Technology Addiction Therapy and Treatment
Because of how new modern technology addictions are, researchers have yet to establish which clinical models are best suited to address them. Most researchers looking into treatment for technology addictions have reviewed cognitive behavioral therapy, though the authors of a recent meta-analysis stated that they couldn’t conclude that CBT is more effective at addressing internet and smartphone addictions than other psychological interventions (Malinauskas & Malinauskiene, 2019).
While aspects of CBT will certainly be helpful for those seeking therapy for technology addictions, there are several other modalities being studied that will provide a variety of options for those seeking treatment. Some other approaches and techniques include:
- Psychoeducation
- Mindfulness
- Time Management
- Addressing Unfulfilled Needs
Contact The Center for Technology Wellness for Your Free Technology Addiction Consultation Today!
In addition to using individual approaches to help people, the Center for Technology Wellness uses holistic approaches that consider how systems within a person’s life may be contributing to their technology use and how these systems can be used to support someone’s journey to technology wellness. For example, research has shown that family dynamics often play a critical role in the formation and maintenance of problematic technology use. One of the initial founders and researchers of Internet Addiction, Dr. Kimberly Young, advocated for Brief Strategic Family Therapy for gaming addictions for this reason. Other systemic influences worth exploring in therapy include culture, country of origin, schools, work environments, and current relationships affecting the person seeking therapy.
The Center for Technology Wellness uses a harm reduction approach in the treatment of people struggling with problematic use. We do not assume that people want to entirely remove a particular technology from their life (though we can help do this if you would like us to). Instead, we understand that many people would like to reduce certain aspects of their use or reframe their use to gain more pleasure from it. For example, a person might want to reduce video game playing that interferes with their ability to perform their job but maintain playing for leisure. Another person might want to reduce guilt associated with social media use. By using a harm reduction approach, we can construct a treatment plan that better suits the unique needs of each individual seeking help.
To summarize, the most effective approach to problematic technology use will likely include aspects from both individual and systemic modalities. By collaborating with people seeking help for technology addictions and using a harm reduction philosophy, therapists at the Center for Technology Wellness will perform assessments that will illuminate each person’s unique concerns and co-construct treatment plans that work for them and their families.
*The term “addiction” in relation to technology is controversial amongst researchers and clinicians. Although some are attempting to use terms “addiction” and “disorder” to describe problematic usage of technology to develop scales and diagnoses for clinical settings, others contend that these terms are inappropriate for several reasons (e.g., they could stigmatize people, they mislead people into thinking substance addictions are identical to technology addictions).
These terms are used on this site because it is the language that most people commonly use when seeking information and help on this topic. At the Center for Technology Wellness, we use the preferred terminology of our clients, whether it includes more diagnostic terms like “addiction” and “disorder,” or simple descriptions provided by our clients (e.g., “I feel like I’m watching Tik Tok too much”).
Sources:
Ferguson, C. J., Coulson, M., & Barnett, J. (2011). A meta-analysis of pathological gaming prevalence and comorbidity with mental health, academic and social problems. Journal of psychiatric research, 45(12), 1573-1578.
Malinauskas, R., & Malinauskiene, V. (2019). A meta-analysis of psychological interventions for Internet/smartphone addiction among adolescents. Journal of behavioral addictions, 8(4), 613-624.
Young, K. (2009). Understanding online gaming addiction and treatment issues for adolescents. The American journal of family therapy, 37(5), 355-372.
