Managing Digital Addiction
MANAGING DIGITAL ADDICTION
How many hours did you lose to internet addictions this week? Whether it was gaming, social media or online dating my question is, what did you lose as a consequence? Was it work productivity, sleep or quality family time?
When all the odds are against us, how do we break free from internet addiction? No one is immune, we've all experienced internet or digital addiction at some point to some degree. But I think I've escaped relatively unscathed. So, how can I help?
I'm going to share my tactics. But before we try to curb an unproductive habit, we need to get some leverage. That comes from getting a good grasp on the situation, our habit, and its consequences. We need to know;
How bad our situation is
How we ended up here
How it's damaging us mentally
How it's damaging us physically
How it's damaging our relationships
How it's damaging our lives
What impact it's having on our well-being and longevity
With this overview, you'll have the will and motivation to make the simple and small steps (down below) needed to take back control of your digital world, which is empowering in its own right. You'll get all the benefits of conquering your digital addiction symptoms and the benefits of taking back your power.
UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL ADDICTIONS
The thing about digital addictions, like all addictions, is that it sneaks in the back door. And before you know it, you're hooked. Digital platforms spend billions designing their platforms to get you hooked. Their teams of psychologists know your psychology better than you, and they're tapping right into your psychology right under your nose.
So, let's start by identifying how badly you're hooked.
What is Digital Addiction?
Digital addiction, otherwise known as internet addiction, is a harmful dependence on digital media, video games or high-tech devices. Many psychologists believe it's similar to substance addictions. Digital addiction occurs when technology harms the user’s life, and you find it difficult to stop despite its harmful effects and negative consequences.
Internet Gaming Disorder: A Specific Form of Digital Addiction
Internet gaming disorder is defined as online gaming behavior that negatively impacts the gamer’s life, causing impairment, mood disorders or distress. Possible symptoms of the disorder include neglect of responsibilities, social isolation, and decreased interest in other activities.
Am I Addicted to my Phone, the Internet, Gaming or Social Media?
What do you think? Only you can decide whether your digital habits are harming your life or your health and well-being somehow. And if the answer is yes, are you struggling to stop? This blog will help you find the answer to the first question, understand why you find it difficult to stop and give you tools to overcome it.
But if you're reading this and you're reading it for yourself rather than a concern for someone else, you've probably got a problem. Deep down, we know if we're overusing an app or platform. And that knowing has brought you here today.
It's challenging to think of ourselves as addicts, but if you want to overcome an addiction, you've got to be honest with yourself. I want you to be honest and kind. Like heroin and tobacco, the odds are against you. But arming yourself by getting clear about what's going on psychologically and putting into place the tips below, you can take back control of your life, energy and time.
THE CAUSES OF DIGITAL ADDICTION
Several risk factors drive digital and social media addiction. This is important to know because if there's more than one cause, there's more than one solution.
The Role of Algorithms in Digital Addiction
First off, it's all part of the design. Digital platforms, social networking sites, games, digital media and app suppliers have a duty to make money for their shareholders. One way of doing this is to sell advertising. The more engagement a platform has, the more advertising revenue. To increase engagement, algorithms are set to maintain engagement.
That means the algorithms are personalized specifically for you. To keep you engaged, the personalised algorithms give you what you find addictive. In other words, internet addiction is driven by internet algorithms. Video games, social networking sites, and digital media are designed to keep you hooked. That's the intent behind the algorithms and design of most online activities.
Instant Availability of the “Digital Drug”
This addictive substance lives in your pocket. Unlike cocaine, alcohol and sugar that, you have to go out an purchase every time you use it, the digital drug is an extension of yourself. Never more than a few meters from you. Always there in sight, beckoning you, teasing you, and sucking you in.
Additionally, the ease of access via smartphones and the social validation from online interactions contribute significantly to compulsive internet usage. These elements combine to form habits that are hard to break, leading to an addiction-like reliance on digital and social media platforms.
Psychological Well-being Issues Cause Addictions
Addiction, whether it be substance abuse, shopping, sugar, sex or internet addiction, is usually rooted in psychological issues. I'm not necessarily talking about a complex trauma bio. Psychological issues leading to excessive online activity and internet addiction can range from childhood trauma to more present-day problems like a difficult marriage or a toxic or unsatisfying work environment.
The Need for Confirmation Bias Keeps Us Addicted
Our world is chaotic right now, and our survival program is trying to make sense of it all. This leads us to search for answers. And we have to be certain we've got the right answer for our survival. In psychology, we call this confirmation bias. This bias fuels our internet addiction by driving us to seek out information that validates our pre-existing beliefs and opinions. The constant search for confirming information keeps users hooked, leading to increased screen time and deeper dependency on digital media.
THE NEUROSCIENCE OF DIGITAL ADDICTION
Like all addictions, digital addiction triggers the brain's reward system, releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and motivation. Each notification, win, like, or new content on digital platforms provides a dopamine hit, reinforcing the behavior.
Over time, the brain's reward pathways adapt, making you crave more frequent and intense engagement to achieve the same dopamine release. This cycle causes your brain to become increasingly dependent on digital stimuli for pleasure.
Your prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and impulse control, is also impacted, leading to reduced self-regulation and increased compulsive behavior. And that's how you ended up losing three hours of sleep last night!
THE CONSEQUENCES OF DIGITAL ADDICTION
It's not only sleep you're missing out on. The consequences of internet addiction can run deep and have a profound effect on your life. There's a correlation between how addicted we are and how much damage it causes, but we've all felt the negative consequences of internet addiction.
Mental Health Problems
You might experience immediate negative consequences in the form of negative emotions such as guilt, disappointment, inadequacy, outrage, fear or jealousy, depression and anxiety from your technology addiction.
But what about the longer-term consequences? Research has shown that digital addiction can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. And those problems don't stop when you stop. Sadly, the negative emotions related to addiction increase when you're unable to access your digital devices.
The Negative Impact of Internet Addiction Across Our Life
But it's not just the damaging impact internet addiction has on your mental well-being. The consequences can affect every area of your life. Research has shown that digital media overuse, whether video games or social media, can have the following consequences.
Decreased productivity
Impaired social interactions
Sleep disturbances
Reduced physical activity
Strained relationships
Cognitive impairments (attention, memory)
Neglect of responsibilities
Increased stress levels
Cyberbullying exposure
Let's put that into context, shall we? Prolonged sedentary behavior associated with excessive internet use can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic health conditions. If that's not bad enough, poor sleep quality, increased stress, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression can also negatively impact overall health and life expectancy.
Neglect of responsibilities decreases productivity, and cognitive impairments lead to dead-end careers and lower income. Lower income is correlated to a shorter life expectancy. While strained relationships add further emotional stress, which also negatively impacts your health and longevity.
Are you getting the picture here? It's not a pretty picture. And it's not the bright future you hope for. Surely, your time could be better spent? Surely, you deserve more out of life? Isn't now the time to take back control? And build a life you love?
TAKING BACK YOUR POWER
Even if the only consequences you're feeling right now are sleep problems, an array of fleeting negative emotions and internet-induced dopamine hits, aren't you worth more than that? Is that really how you want to spend your life?
Or do you want to feel fulfilled, with purpose and a mission? Do you want to feel unstoppable, excited and energised? Do you want to feel physically dynamic and strong? Do you want to feel innate joy and gratitude? Do you want to nourish yourself and your relationships and live the life you came here to live?
Well, the first step to combatting a problem is getting to know the problem inside out. So., you’re already on your way. Quantifying the problem and knowing the personal consequences is the next step.
DIAGNOSING AND TREATING DIGITAL ADDICTION
When diagnosing mental health problems, psychologists and psychiatrists use The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association. It mentions internet gaming disorder as an area for further research but does not list internet addiction. It was published in 2013. A lot has changed since then, and the debate on what constitutes a diagnosis for internet addiction is still alive.
How Can Internet Addiction be Identified
Despite the lack of consensus on what constitutes an internet addiction, there are options for identifying whether you have an internet addiction disorder.
The Internet Addiction Test (Young)
The best way to quantify the problem is through testing and measurement. There are measures for identifying whether someone has an internet addiction problem. The Internet addiction test is a 20-question test that you can find here. The PDF includes scoring.
Proposed Internet Addiction Diagnostic Criteria (Tao et al., 2010)
Alternatively, psychologist Tao and team propose eight criteria for identifying internet addiction;
Preoccupation with the internet
Withdrawal symptoms
Tolerance
Unsuccessful attempts to control internet use
Continued excessive internet use despite knowledge of adverse psychosocial problems
Loss of interests, previous hobbies, and entertainment as a result of, and except, internet use
Use of the internet to escape or relieve a dysphoric mood
Deception of family members, therapists, or others.
If you suspect that you have an internet addiction disorder, I recommend you seek professional help. Book an appointment with your doctor or psychiatrist to discuss this further and get the help you need.
I highly recommend the 12-step process for addiction. It's a powerful program that has helped millions of people overcome addiction.
HOW TO CURB EXCESSIVE INTERNET USE
If you don't think you've got a diagnosable internet addiction problem but are still concerned about excessive internet use and are not happy with how much you're using digital technology, it's time to take it into your own hands and reclaim your life.
The following exercises should help you identify your weak points and ways to reduce temptation and reclaim your life and power.
Identify the Triggers
When we're uncomfortable, we look for a dopamine hit, and electronic devices offer us a candy shop of choices to deal with the discomfort. It's time to do a discomfort audit on your life. Start identifying the discomfort triggers in your life from the list below.
Reflect on how you can reduce them. Reflect on how you manage them. If you use the internet to cope with them, how else could you cope with them instead? What can you put in place instead?
For example, when you’re feeling lonely, maybe picking up the phone and actually speaking to a friend might be a better option than playing a game or doom-scrolling. Maybe go for a run when you feel stressed or adopt a healthier bedtime routine that includes reading a book instead of engaging in social media.
So, which of these triggers prompts you to pick up your phone or game console?
Stress
Depressive thoughts
Avoidance
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
Needing Validation
Loneliness and social isolation
General malaise
Overwhelm
Rejection
Identify the Habits
Our habits lead our behaviour. Habit formation can develop very quickly, especially when they're stacked. For example, if you take your phone with you to the toilet for a couple of days, you are now in the habit of using the internet on the toilet.
Notice the habits around your internet use and which daily habits trigger unhealthy internet use. Reflect on how you can remove the trigger or replace the subsequent habit. For example, you can practise mindfulness during meals, read a self-help book on public transport, or do breathing exercises when you get into bed. Here are some examples of habits that might cue internet use to get you started;
Waiting for public transport
Eating meals
When you have to hang out with family you don't want to
When you should be studying
On the toilet
When you get into bed
When you wake up
When you sit on the sofa
When you get a notification, check emails, etc.
Electronic Devices Hygiene
We can't live without our mobile phones and electronic devices; they are inevitably a large part of our lives. But we can have different devices for different activities. For example, you won’t find a social media app on my phone, but you will find Duolingo. That’s because I want to learn Italian, and the app isn't too addictive.
To use social media, I have to go to my office and turn on my laptop. Now, that won’t work for everyone. Many people won't get any work done if they have social media on their laptops. But for me, I love my work. It gives me more happy hormones than social media does, so having it on my computer isn't a problem.
If social media is your problem, have a device with only social media on it. Keep the device in a drawer or cupboard. Your brain will no longer associate your phone with social media, and your phone will no longer be a cue to use social media.
Likewise, if gaming addiction is your problem, put your console in a cupboard when you're not using it. Just seeing it is a cue for your brain; when you can't see it, the cue is removed, and you've got half a chance of beating your internet gaming disorder problems.
You can also use the Sleep Mode to automatically turn your screen to greyscale at a certain time in the evening. It's amazing how boring your phone becomes in black and white. I’ve also seen other options for making your phone home screens less like candy shops, so it’s worth looking around. to reduce your daily internet usage.
Internet Usage Audits
Do a regular audit of your digital media use. You can use the Digital Wellbeing tracker in the settings on your phone to track usage. If you find you've got problematic internet use with specific apps, you have three options.
In settings, set app timers.
Move them to another device where you're not cued to use them throughout the day.
Delete them from all devices.
Number three sounds a bit extreme but you can always re-install them if you find you were a bit hasty. Deleting an app doesn’t delete your account. Of course, you could do that, too, if you were really committed to claiming back your life from internet addiction.
Limit the social media apps that you use. The more social media accounts you engage with, the more likely you are to suffer from mental health disorders. Pick one or two and only use those.
So, there you have it. You’ve got four big guns in your arsenal of weapons against internet addiction. The first two, emotional triggers and habits, are psychology-based. The second two, electron device hygiene and internet use audits, are electronic device-based. That means you’ve got a two-pronged approach to overcoming internet addiction: internal and external. Applying all four of these will have a massively positive impact on your life. But even if you only adopt one thing from one strategy I think it can make a small difference to your well-being.
INSIGHT HIGHLIGHTS
Internet addiction and digital technology abuse is a real problem in today's world. Even if you would not be classified as suffering from digital addiction, digital overuse could be causing some problems in your life with unexpected negative consequences. That might only be self-disappointment, but now is the time to manage your digital habits wisely and regain control of your life. What can you do now to reclaim your power and defeat the algorithms designed to keep you slave to your electronic device? Commit to taking one action right now.
Thanks for reading, and as always, keep striving for growth and well-being, and never settle for less!
How I Can Help
I hope you found this blog post helpful and inspiring. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don't hesitate to reach out. As someone who’s deeply passionate about well-being and personal growth and development, I offer services designed to help you cultivate a life you love. Whether through one-on-one sessions, workshops, or online resources, I’m here to support your journey towards becoming the best version of yourself.
Here’s to your growth and success!
Head over to the services section on my website for more information on how we can work together to achieve your goals. I work online and face to face on the Côte d’Azur, in France.