Why you shouldn't underestimate addiction to new technologies

When we think of the word "addiction", it is easy for the image of a very worn out person to come to mind. physically, that she has been totally consumed by the drug, and that mistreats her body in order not to fall into the abstinence.

It is one of the most widespread stereotypes about this type of pathology, normally associated with the idea of ​​social marginality; And while it is true that most addicted people have few resources and base their dependence on the use of psychoactive substances, this hides a lot of nuances.

For example, not all dependency-based disorders have to do with introducing a substance in the body itself, be it alcohol, cocaine, heroin or any other with the power to generate addiction. There are addictions based on behaviors, and in part it is common not to see them as a problem precisely because they do not involve the use of drugs. Addiction to new technologies is an example of them, and in this article we will see why it is a bad idea to underestimate it.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

What is addiction to new technologies?

The term "new technologies" is very broad and its limits are blurred. Practically everything around us could be qualified that way, considering that even a fireplace with logs burning inside is a show of technology.

That is why it is necessary to specify more: in practice, when we talk about addictions to new technologies we are referring to behavioral patterns that reveal dependence on digital and display electronic devices. Usually these are mainly computers (whether PCs, tablets or laptops) and smartphones. These products are characterized by being a source of very varied visual and auditory stimuli, on the one hand, and by being connected to the Internet in most cases.

But it is not these devices themselves that can be subject to excessive use, but what happens in the digital world to which they give access. In this sense, addiction to new technologies materializes above all in two types of addictive behaviors: the constant use of social networks, and the abuse of online video games.

The two great poles of addiction to new technologies

These are the characteristics of each subtype of addiction to new technologies.

Social networks addiction

Social networks are designed to expose their users to a constant stream of potentially interesting content for each individual, since these digital platforms have all the information necessary to personalize what is shown on the screen. In addition, a phenomenon known as FOMO is promoted: Fear of Missing Out, or anguish at the idea of ​​missing content that others are enjoying and sharing.

• You may be interested in: "FOMO syndrome: feeling that the lives of others are more interesting"

Online video game addiction

Once again, the simple use of video games is not a problem in itself: electronic entertainment is a perfectly legitimate form of entertainment and culture; However, sometimes misuse of these resources leads to psychological disturbances.

In the addiction to online video games, this becomes not only the main form of leisure of the person, but even displaces the time that she would normally dedicate to her responsibilities or to a proper rest and care of her body and her mind. It is a phenomenon that mainly affects the young population, especially men, but it can occur in any type of person who frequently uses video games.

Although there are also cases of addiction to video games that are played in single player mode, In recent years, the most common is that those who "hook" in a problematic way to these games use the online mode to compete with people from all over the world; competition mechanics are especially absorbing and can even become the main way of socializing for many young people.

How are these problems reflected?

As we have seen, addiction to new technologies does not materialize in problem behaviors that are easy to detect. Just as drug use is easily recognizable as such, the point at which the use of a digital resource becomes problematic is more blurred. However, these psychological disturbances are capable of leading to significant problems. The following stand out:

• Hostility and irritability when it takes "too many" minutes or hours without having access to the computer or smartphone.
• Poor management of sleep schedules due to the use of these digital platforms.
• The use of these technologies occupies almost all your leisure time.
• The use of these devices limits the social life of the person, avoiding face-to-face interactions.
• Concentration problems (the person thinks about things related to video games or social networks).

Fortunately, these types of problems can be effectively overcome and treated through psychotherapy.

Are you looking for professional psychological assistance services?

If you are interested in having the help of a psychologist to have support against some form of addiction or when raising a son or daughter, Get in touch with me. I am a psychologist specialized in the cognitive-behavioral model, which is aimed at allowing people to develop new ways of manage emotions, interpret reality in a more constructive way, and better adapt to the environment through the adoption of new habits. I attend both in person in my office in Madrid and online by video call.

Bibliographic references:

• American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Freeman, C.B. (2008). Internet Gaming Addiction Treatments. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. pp. 42 - 47.
• Pantic, I. (2014). Online Social Networking and Mental Health. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 17 (10), 652-657.
• Van Rooij, A.J.; Schoenmakers, T.M.; Vermulst, A.A.; Van den Eijnden, R.J.; Van de Mheen, D. (2010). Online video game addiction: identification of addicted adolescent gamers. Addiction. 106 (1): pp. 205 – 212.