What is Digital Addiction? What are the Types of Digital Addiction?

The concept of digitalization emerged with the transfer of the physical world to the internet. Digital communication tools, which are an important step in globalization, have brought about transformations in the technological field. 

Digital addiction, caused by the overuse of mobile networks, is one of the most important dangers of technology today.

What is Digital Addiction?

Addiction is defined as the inability to stop the desire for an entity or object even though it negatively affects one's life, while digital addiction is a behavioral disorder resulting from excessive attachment to virtual reality on mobile devices.

The factors that make an individual dependent have diversified over time. Today, the continuous development of technology has created the concept of "digital dependent individual". The digital-dependent individual prefers social media friendship instead of one-to-one communication with his/her environment and feels lonely as soon as he/she is away from mobile devices.

Anxiety Disorders of the Digital Age: Phobia, Nomophobia, Netlessphobia

Phobia, which is recognized as a type of anxiety disorder in psychology, is a state of extreme fear of any phenomenon that makes a person feel in danger. It is a mood disorder that results in exaggerated and irrational reactions to a phobic object or situation. It is a treatable disease if the elements that make up the phobia are brought together and their effects on cognitive behaviors are determined.

Nomophobia is the fear of being deprived of communication with one's cell phone. During cell phone use, the brain's dopamine secretion increases and the individual may develop a sense of addiction to the phone. It is a mental occupation that occurs as a result of communication with the digital world exceeding the limit of balance. If the effects of addiction to the outside world reach traumatic dimensions, it can lead the person to depression.

Netlessphobia is the fear of being in an environment without the internet due to excessive internet use. Netlessphobic individuals avoid being in places that will interrupt their communication with the digital world and thus avoid socializing. The desire to be active on digital platforms around the clock soon becomes addictive. It leads to behavioral and mood changes. Netlessphobia, which has become a global problem, causes individuals to be negatively affected both psychologically and physiologically.

What is Digital Gaming Addiction?

Digital game addiction is defined as the excessive playing of online games, leading to uncontrollable emotional and behavioral disorders. The feeling of interaction and socialization for the game can make the individual addicted. The loss of control of the person as a result of behavioral disorders poses a threat to both himself and his environment.

This feeling can be eliminated by identifying the factors that cause addiction and taking preventive measures. Digital game addiction can lead to impaired mental functions and serious health problems. While playing controlled games improves mental aspects such as focus and concentration, overdoing it can lead to addiction no matter how old the person is.

Gender Dimension of Digital Addiction

Digital games are generally divided into girl games and boy games. While men are more likely to play war and violent games, the opposite is true for dress-up and make-up games. The negative discrimination that persists in society also shows its effect on digital platforms.

This perception, developed in popular culture, creates self-confidence problems based on gender factors. While boys are portrayed as more powerful, this is the opposite for girls. The virtual identities created in digital games may reflect reality or may be associated with the person's desire to become the character they want to be.

Finally;

Today, developments in the field of communication technologies have introduced many new concepts to the literature. Digitalization, defined as the transfer of accessible information online, is one of them. Mankind has not limited education to certain patterns since its existence, on the contrary, it has entered a process of great technological transformation in which borders have almost lost their meaning.

The innovations brought by the modern era in the field of communication technologies have brought new norms to the academic education process.

To learn more about the digital education process, you can take a look at our content called What are the Importance and Effects of Digitalization in Academia.