More than half of the world's population approaching 8 billion uses the internet and exists in the digital environment. Nearly 4 billion individuals have mobile phones and 3 billion of them are active on the Internet via mobile phones. Can you imagine? 3 billion people can exist in the same network at the same time!
An average of 400 thousand tweets are sent in 1 minute on Twitter. All these data show us that digital transformation has taken place rapidly since the 2000s. Communication now takes place digitally. Individuals thus leave footprints in the digital environment. Imagine what information can be accessed and what can be done with this information by analyzing these footprints.
In digital environments; high participation, openness, mutual lively communication and connectivity features increase the use.
The individual can escape from the unrest in the society with the social media applications on his mobile phone.
Feeling inadequate in terms of social skills, People who have difficulties in communicating face-to-face, have a negative body image, and are insecure in interpersonal relationships can feel more comfortable with the digital communication they establish, and they may choose such relationships as their comfort zone and prefer real relationships and communication.
When the literature and researches are examined more detailed determinations can be found.
So what is Digital Addiction? Is it a disease? Is it a habit?
We know that addiction is the next level of habit. The full formation of addiction is related to the routine and excessive addictive behavior. According to Noyan, addiction; An irrepressible desire for an object, person or entity is the situation of being under the control of another will.
There is no standard definition of digital dependency. In the diagnostic criteria book of psychiatry (DSM 5), technology addiction is under behavioral addictions (such as pathological gambling.)
Digital addiction is an addiction fueled by a sense of incompleteness. Those who do not have a social life apart from the internet, stay away from mobile devices. An addicted generation has emerged, which feels lonely, differentiated or asocial, follows closely all kinds of applications that are created or developed on the phone, wants to be aware of all kinds of mobile innovations, provides conversations with their friends on social media and creates a new identity for themselves in the social media.
The summary of the symptoms of Technology Addiction that are accepted in the literature are as follows:
1-Developing tolerance: The use does not show the same effect in certain periods and the duration of use is gradually prolonged.
2- Withdrawal: Anxiety, restlessness, unhappiness, not enjoying anything when the use is stopped.
3-Unsuccessful attempts to reduce use
4-Continuing to use despite being harmed
5- Using more than intended
6-Inability to fulfill responsibilities and obligations due to use
7-Deterioration in psychosocial functions
Original discomforts caused by Digital Addiction can also be mentioned.
Netlessphobia: Fear of being without the Internet, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): Fear of missing the agenda, Plagomania: Anxiety of being out of money. I'll leave it today, never pick it up again, just use it for work… etc. .The addicts do not realize the duration.
Patients develop the syndrome of "One more minute". It's an ongoing request for one more minute and the chain continues. I'll quit this time, okay I understand the harm, I can quit if I want, are the classic words of addicts. These words should not be believed. Addiction outweighs thoughts and desires and ultimately becomes what addiction says.
Internet and computer are obligatory tools today. However, it is not compulsory for a person to use cigarettes. A person can live his life without smoking. But without digital tools, it has become difficult to sustain life today. It is widely used in work, school and family life, especially with the dimension of communication.
Staying away from the addicted object is one of the most important conditions of addiction treatment. In digital addiction, the person from the addicted digital devices It is impossible to keep away. This can be compared to an alcoholic working in a tavern.
The digital world increases social communication but also causes social isolation. Therefore, the treatment of digital addiction is difficult and complex. Considering today's conditions, "Controlled digital use" is seen as the most appropriate method. We also create a treatment plan for the patient with cognitive behavioral therapy methods.
Consult specialists for cause, symptom information and treatment methods that do not fit in this article.
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