Is Someone You Know Addicted to Technology?

In the past, when we thought of addiction, we usually associated it with alcoholism or drug abuse. But anyone who has teenagers or even a Blackberry PDA, knows that the access, anonymity, and constant availability of the Internet, email, texting, chatting, along with other digital technologies, have helped create new forms of compulsive and addictive behavior. The same neural pathways in the brain that reinforce dependence on substances can reinforce compulsive technology behaviors that are just as addictive and potentially destructive. Almost anything that we like to do – eat, shop, gamble, have sex – has the potential for psychological and physiological dependence.

Whether we’re watching TV, playing an interactive video game, or simply searching on Google for an old movie title, our brains and other organs automatically react to the video monitor’s new and staccato stimuli: heart rate slows, brain blood vessels dilate, and blood flows away from major muscles. This physical reaction helps our brains focus on the incoming mental stimulus And the rapid flow of visual stimuli can shift our orienting responses into overdrive as we continue staring at the screen. Eventually, however, rather than continued mental stimulation, we begin to experience fatigue. After a computer or television marathon, our concentration abilities are diminished, and many people report a sense of depletion – as if the energy has been “sucked out of them.” Despite these side effects, computers and the Internet are hard to resist, and our brains can get hooked rapidly – especially young ones. Sales of video games are stronger than ever.

Self-proclaimed Internet addicts report feeling a pleasurable mood burst or “rush” from simply booting up their computer, let alone visiting their favorite websites – just as shopping addicts get a thrill from scanning sale ads, putting their credit cards in their wallets, and setting out on a spending spree. These feelings of euphoria, even before the actual acting out of the addiction occurs, are linked to brain chemical changes that control behaviors ranging from a seductive psychological draw to a full-blown addiction. The brain-wiring system that controls these responses involves the neurotransmitter dopamine, a brain messenger that modulates all sorts of activities involving reward, feeling good, punishment, and exploration.

Dopamine is responsible for the euphoria that addicts chase, whether they get it from methamphetamine, alcohol, or Internet gambling. The addict becomes conditioned to compulsively seek, crave and recreate the sense of elation while off-line or off-drug. Whether it’s knocking back a few whiskeys or betting on the horses, dopamine transmits messages to the brain’s pleasure centers causing addicts to want to repeat those actions – over and over again, even if the addict is no longer experiencing the original pleasure and is aware of negative consequences.

The mental reward stimulation of the dopamine system is a powerful pull that non-addicts feel as well. Studies of volunteers enrapt in addictive video games show that gamers continue to play on despite multiple attempts to distract them. The dopamine system allows them to tolerate noise and discomfort extremely well. Previous research has shown that both eating and sexual activity drive up dopamine levels. Even checking email can become a compulsive behavior that’s hard to stop.

It is not the Internet itself that is addictive, but rather the specific application-of-choice. People can get hooked on Internet searching, online dating, Web shopping, porn sites, on-line gambling, or even checking their email. Even if you are not addicted to the Internet or any other technology, you may be struggling with its enticement. Ask yourself if this is an issue for you, a family member or friend, then consider what you can do to help.

Gary Small, M.D. and Gigi Vorgan

Los Angeles, CA

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