Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds since the Industrial Revolution, and has not slowed down until today Particularly, during the last decades we have seen the emergence of new technologies such as social networks, video games or online pornography, and their global massification. This type of technology allows us almost unlimited access to powerful stimuli immediately. And since they are extremely novel inventions, we still do not fully understand the extent to which they affect human behavior and psychology.
At the same time, human beings have hardly evolved for tens of thousands of years. We are, basically, from a biological point of view, the same as we were in the times when we were hunter-gatherers. This is extremely logical, if we consider that this was the reality and way of life of our species for almost its entire existence.
So we have, on the one hand, new ultra-stimulating technologies that appeared, and became widespread, during a tiny portion of our existence, and on the other, human beings, whose brain has not changed in 50 thousand years, despite gigantic scientific advances. This should not be something we overlook.
At the same time, and despite living in a time of access to resources and security unprecedented in the history of humanity, we are going through a mental health crisis that disproportionately affects younger people. And yes, this crisis precedes the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantines and other restrictions.
Another way to understand the concept of addiction
Many studies have found a significant correlation between higher levels of depression, anxiety or social skills deficits (among other psychological problems) and greater use of social networks, video games and online pornography.
Although there is still controversy about whether the term “addiction” is the most appropriate to describe these problematic behaviors, some experts, such as Adam Alter (author of the book Irresistible “Who has turned us into electronic junkies?”), question the idea that only some behaviors are potentially addictive but one could become addicted to practically any behavior if certain requirements are met, which we will see below.
The only difference between these new addictions and other more classic ones, such as alcoholism, is the absence of a substance itself. However, there are addictions such as gambling that are universally recognized as such, and They are called behavioral addictions since they comply with the following patterns, just as potentially any type of behavior can.
Characteristics of addictive behavior
The requirements to classify a behavior as addictive are the following.
1. A negative impact on life
The first thing is that addictions mean unintended consequences for the person suffering from this problem
In the case of these new addictions, we can notice certain effects on mental health such as higher levels of anxiety, depression, deficits in social skills, poor concentration, irritability or poor sleeping habits.
In the case of pornography, it can also include problems of a sexual nature, such as inability to achieve erections, premature ejaculation or anorgasmia.
2. Dependency
Dependence means that, despite all these negative consequences in the subject’s life, he cannot stop emitting the behavior that causes them
This dependency generates a lack of control in an individual’s daily life, and their long-term values and objectives are affected by short-termism and lack of judgment in making decisions.
Every time a peak of pleasure is generated when receiving a reward for a behavior, and it is compulsively repeated, the phenomenon of tolerance will be generated: that is, the need to increase the “dose” of it in order to achieve the same effect Therefore, an increasing amount of stimuli will be needed to achieve satisfaction. That is why alcoholics need to consume greater quantities of alcoholic beverages, on average, to become intoxicated.
4. Abstinence
While the first times we emit a behavior we may do it because it generates pleasant sensations, once an addiction is generated, we will do it to avoid the discomfort that not carrying out said behavior generates. For example, when you start using Instagram and receive “likes” on your photos, you can feel happy at every sign of approval that each like implies. By generating an addiction to this social network, and particularly the feedback provided by those likes, a person You may look for that stimulus more to calm the anxiety that not having it produces, than for the joy that a like in itself can give you
Conclusion
We can say that these types of behaviors could be classified as potentially addictive, and it would be good if they were treated in this way. Many people may not be aware that they have a problem, and all the ramifications that may arise from it
Although one can become addicted to practically any behavior (in theory), generating a dependence on lettuce is less likely than on chocolate, due to the ease of generating immediate pleasure that the latter has, due to certain evolutionary characteristics that make us especially prone to experience pleasure and excitement when faced with strong doses of sugar.
The strength of the stimuli produced by new technologies, added to the ease of accessing them almost unlimitedly, poses a considerable risk of generating addictive behaviors, which are not present in the same way in other types of behavior.
As a society, it is increasingly necessary to begin to become aware of this problem, while mental health professionals must catch up with the latest advances on the most effective treatments against these addictions, in order to avoid a crisis in even greater mental health.
