Are we addicted to new technologies?

In recent decades, the use and enjoyment of new technologies has been increasing exponentially. Television has been the first to enter our lives, although we hardly think about it anymore when we talk about new technologies.

The so-called Technology of the information and communication (ICT) have contributed to the development of the so-called information or knowledge society, what is the one we currently live in.

With the increasing use of new technologies, voices have emerged that point to a possible abuse or addiction of them, especially by certain sectors of the population.

One of these sectors are youth and teens, that increasingly early they have technologies such as mobile phones or computers. Social networks and video games are the main attraction for this group of the population. In the case of video games, there are more and more pages dedicated to them, from specialized blogs or YouTube channels to price comparators such as cdkeys that allow comparisons between providers of different video games to find the best deals..  

With so many options, it is not surprising that this group considers itself to be high risk, for a series of characteristics that I will tell you later. But, Can we really talk about addiction to new technologies?

The studies that we currently have offer conflicting results. First of all, it is important to note that no formal diagnostic disorder exists related to addiction to new technologies in general, or to any one in particular. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), does not contemplate among its pages any of these disorders, as it does with pathological gambling.

What can we consider addiction?

The studies carried out to date do not agree on what we understand by addiction to new technologies. Some authors take as a reference the amount of time dedicated to the technology in question (mobile, computer, video games, etc.). However, other authors prefer to consider the following aspects:

• Lost of control.

• Dependence: urgent need to carry out the activity related to the technology in question.

• Tolerance: increasing doses of the technology in question are needed.

• Serious interference with the person's daily life.

Therefore, addiction to technology could be defined not so much by the type of behavior that is carried out, as by the relationship with technology concerned.

Today, technologies, for the vast majority of us, are a means that allow us to achieve certain ends: for example, entertainment, work, socialization, etc. However, there is a great risk of becoming addicted to technology when it is ceases to be a means and becomes an end.

When technology becomes an end in itself, the symptoms that I mentioned before appear: loss of control, dependence, tolerance and interference with the person's daily life.

In relation to this last aspect, the daily life of the person is affected at different levels, starting with a restriction of interests, which happen to revolve around technology. The person will begin to reduce their social relationships, to find problems in their studies or work, to increase their bills related to technology (in some cases, such as mobile), etc..

Another aspect that would clearly define an addiction to technologies would be the abstinence syndrome. Although classically it has been related to drug addiction, it is also present in the subject at hand. This syndrome is characterized by:

• A intense drive to perform the behavior.

• A rising tension until the behavior is carried out, characterized by different mood alterations (anxiety, depression, irritability, ...), cognitive (impaired concentration) and sleep.

Who is most at risk for this addiction?

Different studies indicate that certain psychological variables can influence a person to have increased predisposition or vulnerability to be addicted to new technologies.

Some of these variables would be, for example: impulsivity, low self-esteem, low mood, inadequate coping strategies (towards problems), lack of affection or scarce social relationships.

A particular population group that has been found to be specifically vulnerable are the youth and teens. And they are so for several reasons: they have grown up with new technologies and have a high availability of them, the life stage they experience is characterized by the search for sensations, as well as by the great influence that the peer group has..

How can we prevent addiction to technology?

1. Education

Reaching parents, and from schools and universities, educational guidelines should be introduced in young people that allow an adequate and healthy use of technologies. As we have seen, they constitute the group most vulnerable to this addiction..

2. Norms and rules

It is important to establish a series of norms and rules, on the one hand, parents with respect to adolescents and young people and, on the other, adults with ourselves. Some suitable strategies would be:

• Place the computer or game console in a common place in the house (never in the bedroom, for example).

• Establish the time to be devoted to the technology in question.

• Know the contents that are handled (in the case of adolescents and young people, by parents), trying to agree on the use of those most appropriate according to age.

• Use technology rationally and with a clear purpose: entertainment, work, socialization, etc..

3. Alternative activities

Programming alternative and incompatible activities with the use of technology is a good strategy to reduce the amount of hours that are dedicated to it. Those activities that involve relationships with others, that are recreational, cultural or sports, outdoors, etc. would be good options..