Behind the problem of addictions to chemical or psychotropic substances are the large cultivation or production, processing, distribution and sale posters of these products, which seem irreducible. Soft and hard drugs and their synthetic versions make up a market that moves and treasures millions of dollars around the world.

Therefore, talking about addiction to new forms of communication , more commonly digital social networks, could be a trifle, in such a broad context of consumption of toxic substances.

However, the human being is an animal of habit, with a malleable brain, susceptible to pleasant feedback and learning by repetition and reward. This ability allows individuals to engage in activities not necessarily related to the use of psychotropic substances.

In this sense, addictions can expand to activities as diverse as games of chance, video games and virtual life or telematic presence. In principle, addictions are considered pathological behaviors.

The enormous investment in advertising by technology and communication companies to conquer new markets or users , has paid off. Nowadays, the lack of a wireless communication system (smart mobile phone) significantly reduces the possibilities of action and social interaction of citizens.

All individuals living in a city will sooner or later buy or get a smartphone. And surely, they will be users of at least one social network, depending on their age and daily activity .

All institutions, private and public, small and large organizations, have a virtual presence on the Internet . The so-called apps (application programs) promote and define private, social, economic, institutional and commercial life on the Internet. The e-commerce , network banking, payment services and digital billing, remote control devices (IoT), are only part of a repertoire of technological systems to the extent of a screen.

Addiction and new technologies: concepts and characteristics

Talking about addiction to new technologies then is fully justified in a context of so much information saturation and generations of subjects who are practically born in the middle of high-resolution screens and are naturally impelled, from children, to become literate in the contemporary iconosphere and the new principles of communication.

The use and abuse of cyberspace by certain people, led by emotional conflicts, stress, anxiety, constitutes a form of addiction. Although the most resonant compound term to define Internet addiction is cyber addiction (cyber addiction), pathologies lack a more specific naming and classification.

Addictions should be given names to certain applications that allow telepresence through a type of alter ego or hyperactivity in social networks and in video representations; in addition, compulsive online shopping and addiction to online games The cyber-addiction combination sums up the problem: the loss of control over technology and its excessive use.

The Internet is a rich source of information for those who want to cultivate their knowledge; but unfortunately younger generations tend to use it for its most basic and apparently most attractive qualities.

Addictions to these media are triggered when they begin to deprive the individual of freedom, confining their conscience and curtailing their existential possibilities. As with chemical substances, the digital medium hijacks the will of the user.

For example, pathological video gamers are absorbed by the virtual play environment for long hours, day after day, time that they could use to meet personally with friends, carry out academic assignments or work on new projects, etc. Therefore, there is a negative influence on people’s lives, who could manage their time in constructive activities .

Undoubtedly, there is an overwhelming and powerful spectacular in a smart mobile device , whose function of making and receiving calls is the least of its applications. Young people generally feel that they are in for nothing if they do not own one.

marketing strategy strengthens that idea of ​​omnipresent power. Reality only exists on the Internet and young people make their existence visible in the group through identities, often made up or adulterated.

The instant and real-time connection on social networks removes the fear of exclusion. It is the ideal medium to act in it “as if” of a popular personality, due to the amount of “likes” it receives or the number of followers it adds. The screen is thus a kind of mask and at the same time a link with a parallel reality.

The identity conflict is enhanced , under self-deception and invention. Behind the screen, the shame subsides and the love affair seems to flow more easily. In this medium, histrionics and narcissism are strengthened. Those looking for potential victims also come into play here.

The exacerbated use of digital technologies produces, in addition to addiction, important risks due to the proliferation of the various manifestations of online crime : child and adolescent pornography, incitement to hatred, etc.

In the psychic picture of dependence on technologies, addictive behavior is fed back by emotional and euphoric circumstances, related to the apparent conquests of the ego. The self-critical capacity of the subject is null or is compromised by the favors of immediate gratification.

In this sense, hyperconnectivity in virtual social networks, paradoxically, can lead to isolation, loss of concentration in learning, and disinterest in matters essential for human development. People addicted to the Internet or its applications often develop  parallel behavioral and physiological disorders (obesity), and suffer financial losses (in the case of mixing video games and gambling).

People addicted to new digital media subordinate their lifestyle to maintaining the habit . The problem is not that they are active users of the network, but the characteristics of the link with it.

Vulnerability and signs of addictive behavior

The younger generations belonging to a medium and high socioeconomic status represent the population most vulnerable to this type of addiction. And this is so because it is the social strata that energize the market for communication and information technologies. It is difficult for young people in Brazilian favelas or Haitian neighborhoods to have the dollars to buy technological devices, call it state-of-the-art computers and telephones.

In general, young people between 12 and 35 years old , especially adolescents, are the niche of consumption with the highest risk. And this is because adolescents themselves and extended adolescence tend to seek different sensations and are open to the unknown, apart from the fact that they are the ones who use the networks the most for recreational purposes.

Within the most vulnerable group, it should be emphasized that there are pre-existing psychological and environmental conditions that stimulate addiction. The characteristics of the personality susceptible to addictions should be studied:

  • Impulsive personalities , prone to dysphoria (which is basically a reduction in mood, translated into sadness, anxiety and hypersensitivity to stimuli). The video game, for example, is used as an escape strategy from conflict and dysphoria.
  • Subjects show little or no resilience . In other words, they have a low tolerance for external perceptions and internal painful sensations, which can range from physical ailments to psychological affectations due to the weight of personal responsibilities.
  • Vulnerability is also evident in people who seek to experience strong emotions.
  • In other cases, the subjects have suffered from bullying and have a history of abuse and mistreatment, configuring an extremely self-absorbed (shy) personality, a weakened self-concept and, finally, a rejection of their physiognomy.
  • Also among the vulnerable population are those who have suffered psychiatric disorders , such as: a) depression, b) attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, c) hostility, d) social phobia, among others. Social networks allow the true personality of the user to be kept intact. This is helpful for those with social phobia or public exposure anxiety.
  • Personal dissatisfaction in young adults can be an incentive to fall, not only into cyber addiction, but also into the consumption of narcotics or alcohol. Compulsive purchases on the Internet, online playful utopias, applications, etc. They function as oversized extensions of the body and its capabilities.
  • The factor of opportunity, context and place must be considered . Young people are at greater risk of becoming cyber addicts, because the reward habit is immediate, they have technological devices at hand, they feel pressure from their community and they have to deal with school frustrations, effective, social demands or the perception of disorientation .

In sum, the individuals most susceptible to addiction, rather than cyber addiction in particular, are those who, in general, have a conflictive personality, come from a dysfunctional family structure and maintain underdeveloped interpersonal relationships.

The signs of addictive behavior to new technologies are more or less stable; but, in particular cases, they can harm a person’s life. Cases have been known of people dying, spending days playing with other remote users. The addict indulges in gambling, putting aside his physiological needs. Another subtitle could be written: from addiction to addiction. And the signs are as follows:

  1. The truth is falsified regarding the real time that is connected to a social network or a video game.
  2. The notion of connection time is lost : the circadian cycle is severely altered. The cyberattack sleeps less than five hours a day. For example, continuous defeats or victories in strategy games keep the tension and adrenaline flowing in the blood, which stimulates the opening, each time, of another session.
  3. Going through withdrawal episodes when, for whatever reason, you can’t be connected. The irrational drive is triggered and the addict experiences irritability or mood swings. Also, if the connection fails, the addict expresses anger and helplessness.
  4. The cyber-decree will always find an excuse for not doing other activities , such as sharing with the family, cleaning your room or sharing household duties. In addition, work, academic and health care responsibilities are seriously compromised.
  5. Despite having a large following, young people really experience isolation in reality outside of the networks. At the same time, they tend to become withdrawn and irritable.
  6. Ecstasy manifests itself when in front of a computer or telephone screen.

Do you connect to the Internet immediately after waking up or arriving home? Do you pay more attention to your social networks when you supposedly share with your family? Do you spend more hours in front of a screen than the time you spend eating, washing and resting? If the answer is yes to all these questions, you are a cyber-abuser or on your way to being one.

The unmistakable sign of dependency is the inability to stop. As with other forms of dependency, cyber addiction develops tolerance; the previous day’s dose is no longer sufficient, setting up a consumption spiral to meet the need. The person is a prisoner of an illusory space-time .

How to deal with this problem? 

Beyond the pre-existing psychological conditions, which stimulate an addiction of this type, the abuse of digital devices and systems (social networks) leads to the loss of social skills , typical of the real world.

Assertive communication, including courtship between people, develops with exercise. The long years of human socialization cannot be left at the mercy of wireless connections and telepresence , since the human being is essentially a biological system, with particular needs.

Youthful behaviors in the networks tend to constitute artificial social bonds. The purpose of psychotherapeutic intervention in addictions without toxic substances is to de-habit (re-learn) behavior, in an episodic and tutored way.

Then, he is switched to a program to avoid falling back into addiction. Relapses, however, usually appear in the most severe cases. The determining factor to definitively get away from addiction is to reach several months, even several years, without relapses. Conditions improve and the person gradually regains control of his life.

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Alexa Clark specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She has experience in listening and welcoming in Individual Therapy and Couples Therapy. It meets demands such as generalized anxiety, professional, love and family conflicts, stress, depression, sexual dysfunction, grief, and adolescents from 15 years of age. Over the years, She felt the need to conduct the psychotherapy sessions with subtlety since She understands that the psychologist acts as a facilitator of self-understanding and self-acceptance, valuing each person's respect, uniqueness, and acceptance.

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