Technoaddiction: what is it and what are its causes and symptoms

For a few decades, new technologies are part of our lives and have caused important changes in our way of relating to the environment and with others. Due to technological advances, social networks and the presence of the Internet, we spend many hours connected to technological devices, be it our computer and our mobile phone.

Such has been the impact that some people can feel lost in this world dependent on new technologies if they do not have access to these gadgets. Experts affirm that if new technologies are not properly used, phenomena such as internet addiction, nomophobia or FOMO syndrome may appear.

What is technoaddiction

Technoaddiction is the uncontrollable desire to be connected to ICT at all hours, and a behavior that can cause discomfort and deterioration in the life of the individual. It is a relatively new phenomenon, often described as the inability to control the use of various types of technology, in particular the internet, smartphones, tablets and social networks, such as: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This phenomenon has worsened with the proliferation of the use of smartphones, since internet access and social media can now be done from almost anywhere and at any time. Many of us are connected to technological devices practically all day, from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed. The use of technology alone is not bad, but if used inappropriately it can cause serious problems for a person's well-being.

Much of the problem resides in the education of individuals, which, being such a current phenomenon, even the same Parents are the first to be affected by this problem and are unable to properly educate their children in this regard.

Is it a disorder?

Some experts have classified this problem as a disorder due to its negative consequences and the impact that a person's life can have. Technoaddiction is not a disorder recognized by the DSM, but it is It is a problem that has aroused a lot of interest among health professionals since the 1990s.

In 1995, Kimberly Young, an American psychologist, created the Center for Internet Addiction and the first treatment plan for technology addiction based on cognitive therapy techniques behavioral. That same year, the term "Internet addiction disorder" was coined by psychiatrist Dr. Ivan Goldberg.

However, the concept of technoaddiction encompasses different phenomena, among which nomophobia and the FOMO syndrome stand out.

What the Research Says

Scientific studies show that, in the case of internet addiction, in the United States and Europe 8.2% of the population suffers from Internet addiction. In 2006, researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine conducted a telephone survey that found that one in eight Americans is addicted to the new technology.

Technology addiction is recognized as a widespread health problem in other countries, such as Australia, China, Japan, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, which have established dedicated clinics to address this growing trouble.

Like other types of addiction, addiction to technology can range from moderate to severe, with some researchers claiming that dependence is psychological rather than physical. Of course, being without internet access or without the possibility of using the smartphone can cause serious problems such as anxiety or discomfort. Dependence on new technology is so great today that people with tech addiction feel lost in the physical world. New technologies affect our daily lives, interpersonal relationships, academic or work performance ...

Frequent symptoms

Addiction Technoaddiction is a heterogeneous phenomenon that includes both addiction to technological devices and the need to be in contact with the virtual world; however, both are related. In general, technoaddiction manifests itself as follows:

• Compulsive checking of text messages and chats
• Frequent change of Facebook status and excess of selfies to upload to the network
• Anxiety and stress when losing access to the internet or technological devices
• Social isolation
• Need to buy the latest technological innovations on the market, even if they are not necessary
• Loss of interest in activities that do not involve a computer, telephone, or other technological gadget
• Restless feelings when unable to go online
• Sometimes people can develop sleep disorders Y depression

The problem is not technology, but its misuse

The appearance of this phenomenon does not have its cause in the use of technology itself, because like any addiction, its origin may be in the lack of social skills of the person or their low self-esteem. New technologies provide us with multiple benefits, as they allow us to be connected to anywhere in the world and have information almost instantly.

The psychologist Jonathan Garcia-Allen suggests that education is key to preventing this phenomenon, as it explains that “the main problem is not new technologies, but the pathological use of them, which can materialize both in addiction and in uses that can generate problems psychological ”.

In this sense, the answer to this problem is not to prohibit internet use or to remove smartphones from children's lives or adolescents, but the important thing is to make them understand that their misuse brings harmful consequences to their health emotional. It is the task of all educators and parents to educate them from an early age to avoid the improper and pathological uses of new technologies.

Nomophobia and FOMO syndrome

Two phenomena associated with new technologies that have had the greatest media impact in recent times are the fomo syndrome and nomophobia. The first is related to the formation of identity and the impact that social networks have when it comes to relating to others. LNomophobia is addiction to smartphones or smartphones.

You can delve into both phenomena in our articles:

• “FOMO syndrome: feeling that the lives of others are more interesting”
• “Nomophobia: the growing addiction to mobile phones”