Modern mobile phones were more than 30 years old when Apple introduced the iPhone in 2007, but it suddenly changed communication. Within seven years, the World Health Organization held a three-day conference in Japan to discuss an expanding dilemma. The gathering was held to consider the “implications of excessive use of the internet, computers, smartphones and other electronic devices.” Specifically, technology addiction had quickly become a global concern.
According to a summary of the conference, the public health implications of excessive technology use are among actions called “behavioral addictions.” The World Health Organization didn’t include the term in its official nomenclature, but the phrase was and remains increasingly used in scientific literature.
Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous, or ITAA, was founded in 2017 by a few original members who met for a different reason and discovered they shared another personal circumstance. As the organization details, “Those of us who have come to identify as phone addicts experienced several common symptoms. We used our phones for longer than we intended, despite attempts to control or cut back our use. Even when we were aware of the consequences and wanted to stop, we were unable to do so. When we weren’t using our iPhones or our devices were not near us, we experienced distraction, anxiety and irritability. We were unable to enjoy and be present in our offline lives.”
The ITAA, based on the fellowship principles pioneered by Alcoholics Anonymous, has also grown quickly. It now has members in 80 countries and every U.S. state (and from several cities in Southwest Florida). The organization has in-person and online meetings.
Similar to other addictions, mobile phone addicts use their devices to alter their moods and escape problems. Relationships, educational pursuits and career opportunities are jeopardized. Extreme phone use involves shame and demoralization.
“A lot of people struggle to imagine, ‘How can I stop my technology addiction if I have to use my laptop or another device for school or work or for family?’” says Mateo, an ITAA member who requested his last name remain anonymous. “The path is not to cut out technology, but it’s to learn healthy habits. It’s how to have a healthy relationship with technology so that it can become a tool for living in alignment with our values instead of a way of escaping or numbing our emotions.”
The ITAA and other technology addiction experts categorize the problem into numerous segments: Gaming (online, computer, console), Social media (X—formerly called Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), Smartphone, Internet, Computer, Compulsive internet use, Online shopping, Virtual sex (cybersex), Pornography, Online auctions and Online betting.
Technology addiction is placed under the umbrella of behavioral addictions following scientific suggestions that some of these conditions, such as gambling addiction, compulsive sexual behavior and problem internet use, may have neurobiological similarities with substance use disorders, or SUDs. They can disrupt the central psychological mechanisms and patterns of behavior, such as emotion management, eating or social interactions.
Research suggests technology triggers the brain’s reward system and dopamine release, producing good feelings similar to substance use. However, technology gives instant satisfaction in comparison to the latter’s delayed effect.
Treatment and prevention of technology addiction include cognitive-behavioral therapy, participation in support groups (including 12-step programs) and consultation with mental health technicians, according to the American Psychiatric Association. It defines technology addiction as “excessive use of technology that leads to problems and distress. When a person is addicted to technology, these activities are done to avoid or alleviate feelings of anxiety or irritability, rather than for fun and recreation.
“People with technology addiction can experience symptoms of tolerance and withdrawal similar to people with substance use disorders. Technology addiction is increasing across diverse populations.”
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation location in Naples is part of the national addiction treatment and advocacy organization created in 2014. It’s the merger of the long-time Minnesota-based Hazelden Foundation and the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.
In its assessment of technology addiction, the foundation states: “Technology impacts the pleasure systems of the brain in ways similar to substances. It provides some of the same rewards that alcohol and other drugs might: It can be a boredom buster, a social lubricant and an escape from reality.”
“It’s kind of the difference between digital desserts and digital vegetables,” says Mateo, now five years into his recovery. “I pretty much only eat digital vegetables. I’m not doing all of those yummy, giant sugar-filled bombs, like YouTube binges and video games. I’m getting the fun, the connections from other areas of my life that don’t trigger my addiction.”
