How Recognized Addiction Models and Our Relationships with Digital Media Intersect

As our global reliance upon new technology, devices, and the media they deliver continues to perpetually increase, so do questions regarding their potential scope of influence, and long-term impact on our biological, psychological, and sociological well-being, beliefs, and behaviors. While countless benefits of digitized engagement are easily identifiable, allegations regarding any possible negative consequences of their use and utilization-including potential addictive risks for some users-have begun to emerge, as well. Due to the relative nascence of these new digital products and topics, there currently exists a paucity of evidence-based, much less longitudinal, research surrounding our use and utilization of devices, the Internet, and the opportunities they deliver. While Gaming Disorder has been officially recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization (WHO), to date no other cyber-based behaviors have been recognized as such by either WHO or the American Psychiatric Association. While more research certainly is vital, how our current device-driven beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors might align with those already well established as correlated with addiction is a current-and expected to be ongoing-topic of significant interest to researchers, treatment professionals, governments, organizations, and users.