Are digital addictions dangerous?

When I talk about digital addictions, I most commonly refer to gaming addiction, porn addiction, gambling addiction and social media addiction. Sometimes it’s controversial to call something an addiction when the disorder is so new that researchers are still debating how to classify it.

However it’s not a debate that right now, that some people are struggling to control their use, and it’s causing problems in their lives.

At this point in time, we don’t fully understand what the long term effects of being digitally addicted even are. The addicted gamers, porn users and modern app gamblers of today don’t typically have a long addiction history compared to “traditional” substance abusers and gamblers (and let’s keep in mind that you can have multiple issues at the same time). So the data for long term harm doesn’t yet exist for comparing it to other well researched addictions such as alcohol addiction and substance use disorders. But what we do understand about addiction, we understand really well. A psychologist who is focused on addiction recovery and therapy understands what starts, keeps, breaks and prevents an addiction. So if you’re considering recovery, you could benefit from talking to a psychologist.

Sometimes I’m asked what makes digital addictions uniquely dangerous. Here are some thoughts that come to mind:

1. Digital addictive stimuli are more easily accessible than your drugs. Your smartphone can be whipped out whenever you want to use porn, game or gamble. Let’s imagine what life was like in pre-smartphone era:

Porn (pre-smartphone / pre-broadband):

• Then: I’d have to awkwardly stumble into a dvd store or try to order something online to use porn. You also had to pay money

• Now: I pull out my smartphone or jump onto my computer for free porn.

Gaming (pre-smartphone / pre-broadband):

• Then: I had to physically purchase games

• Now: I pull out my smartphone or jump onto my computer or console (buy it immediately on Steam or etc)

Gambling (pre-smartphone / pre-broadband):

• Then: I had to physically go to a venue to gamble (pub, casino, club and etc)

• Now: I pull out my smartphone or jump onto my computer (also, I can engage in micro-betting sessions).

Now I know “then” is a little vague, but let’s consider that people in the pre-smartphone era still jumped over these “effort hurdles” and developed problems.

2. Digital addictive stimuli (or “crutches”) are becoming increasingly powerful. Innovation in the digital age is much faster, games more pleasurable, immersive and rewarding. In porn, new categories and new niches are being developed and released daily. In gaming, new mechanics are developed to reward daily and consistent play. In gambling, there’s no shortage of bet variations and apps that can encourage play.

Porn:

• Then: Limited categories, “softer” categories

• Now: Any niche, fetish, multiple levels of “hardcore-ness” or combination can create unique and powerful arousal. Different patterns of use are possible such as the “hunt for the perfect clip” or “binge until I’m sore”

Gaming:

• Then: Smaller studio budgets, smaller communities, low interaction among players

• Now: Very immersive, more innovative mechanics, more diversity to cater for different tastes and player moods

Gambling:

• Then: Limited range of sports and options for betting

• Now: greater diversity in betting and bet modifiers (early payouts, diversity in odds), greater access and information to bet on other sports and different leagues

3. Digital addictions don’t have clear physical signals to limit consumption. Perhaps it’s a little controversial, but I think that you can tolerate massive amounts of gaming, porn and gambling before you get physically driven to stop. I’ve talked to gamers who regularly play for 8 hrs a day, for multiple days, then add a binge day or marathon on top. Those struggling with alcohol or non-virtual sex addiction would have difficulty matching that schedule without some physical alarms that would limit them (and the ones that ignore the limits often require medical attention). This could be liver damage, hangovers, STDs, lack of funds or injury caused by intoxication. In other cases, our physical signals to regulate digital consumption are also easily side-stepped. For example, people who are addicted to porn don’t typically become addicted to one particular video clip because it quickly loses its ability to arouse (i.e. it gets boring). So most users would then find another clip that might arouse them, sometimes this pattern even occurs immediately after they orgasm. This is a very common way to sidestep your physical signals to self-regulate. Similarly in gambling, if you have a regular full time job, you can continue for some time before your levels of debt become a physical barrier to your habits.

Source: Ales Nesetril, Unsplash

So if you’re struggling with porn addiction, gaming addiction or gambling addiction, it’s worth keeping in mind that digital addictive stimuli or digital crutches are just as vulnerable to overuse as your substances of abuse. In addition, totally abstinence a form of recovery is also tricky, because you can’t give up your phone/computer the same way a person who abuses alcohol can give up going to bars. Take heart, this just means that your planning your recovery from digital addictions is an important step to success.

Happy recovery!