Are we all Addicted to tech?

Is internet "addiction" on the same level as addictions to alcohol, drugs and gambling? Should we drop the quotes and consider it a clinical addiction, to be treated as such? Let's explore

A young and scrawny Dave Chapelle stands nervously at a podium. A banner behind him displays the word REHAB.

“Hi, my name’s Thurgood”.

The camera flips over to a disheveled audience extending a friendly reception. It then turns back to Chapelle as he musters the courage to continue.

“I’m here today because I’m addicted...[long pause]…. to marijuana.”

The audience erupts, collectively bemoaning “awwww, c’mon man, you can’t be serious!?”

Bob Saget (RIP) jolts up, saying. “I used to [do something explicit you wouldn’t expect the wholesome dad from Full House to say] for coke… now that’s an addiction, man. You ever [do that explicit thing] for marijuana?”

The crowd proceeds to jeer and boo Dave Chapelle off the stage.

…

Though I’ve never been booed off a stage, I’m able to empathize with Chappelle’s character in that scene from the 1998 movie Half-Baked.

This was years ago; back when my depression symptoms had really began consuming my daily living and I finally made the decision to talk to someone. During a triage-type interview, I can recall expressing to a social worker how I was legit addicted to the internet and was finding it impossible moderate. I got a little smirk from her that said aren’t we all hun. Feeling embarrassed and chastened, I swiftly changed the subject and never brought it up again—not with her or any subsequent health care worker.

Looking back, clearly that social worker lacked some tact; but still, even today, I get where she was coming from.

It’s natural to be reluctant to stretch and potentially dilute the meaning of a potent word like “addiction”. It’s hard to fault the jeering crowd in the movie for getting riled-up—no one dealing with the devastating effects of, say, meth or crack addiction wants to be lumped in the same category as wimpy kid struggling with something as seemingly benign as marijuana.

Perhaps it would be better, simpler, for me to say “I have a tech overuse problem”. Or else I’m dealing with some really really bad and persistent habits. Or maybe I can get away with saying I’m “addicted” to YouTube; but everyone would understand that I’m not addicted addicted. Not like that.

It’s just, well, here’s the thing. While I know nothing about marijuana addiction, I do know all about an internet addiction; and it’s anything but benign. In fact, I want to a make a case that this addiction—as characterized by the compulsive, tireless and problematic consumption of digital media like YouTube, Reddit, streaming TV, porn and video games—is in the same realm as other, more traditional addictions, like drugs, alcohol and gambling.

Simply put, the compulsive and persistent overuse of tech deserves the word addiction.

…

But before I open that Costco sized can of worms, I need to first touch on why I feel a need to do this.

It’s because I want us to starting taking this seriously.

By “us” I first mean society. There is still so much stigma surrounding the issue of internet addiction, and that stigma has real consequences. It prevents those affected from seeking and getting help, and being taken seriously enough when doing so. It leaves them weighed down by shame and embarrassment; vulnerable to anxiety, depression, stress and chronic underachievement.

A lot is at stake here. It goes beyond the semantics of a word’s definition.

But by “us” I also mean you and I. If you’re reading this, chances are you know exactly what it’s like to have zero control over what you do. Chances are, you’ve experienced time and time again the gut-wrench of realizing you’ve done nothing all day.

Broken commitments, reckless procrastination, days-long secretive binges; these are the chronic issues that have pervaded our entire existence… and it f**king sucks.

And yet I actually don’t think it’s vital that you come to identify with the loaded word of “addicted”. What’s important, what is vital here, is just for you to take this thing of yours seriously—as serious as if you would had you a more recognized disorder like alcoholism.

By seeing it on this level, you can carry on with your self-improvement journey with the proper mindset, tools and support. It ceases to be about you and your apparent lack of self-control or willpower. Productivity hacks and tricks you watch on TikTok or whatever just won’t cut it. It goes beyond that.

…

This is a pretty big topic, so I’ve decided to break it up into a multi-part series (which I don’t know if I’ll write and release it all back-to-back; might take a while to thoroughly research and explore this topic).

The next part, Part 2, will unpack the argument that tech-use disorders are on the same level as traditional addictions. I will take 3 avenues to get us there:

1. I’ll first take the “official” route. I’ll pull up the 11-point addiction checklist, as published by the American Psychiatric Association in their diagnostic reference, the DSM-V. We’ll go through the list, seeing if we end up ticking enough boxes to classify tech-abuse as addiction.

2. I’ll then take on a comparative argument. I’ll expand on the aspects that make substance abuse so egregiously problematic. I’ll then make the case that, what tech-addiction lacks in terms of the long-term consequences like ill-health or even death, is made up in spades by what I call the issue of accessibility.

3. We’ll then back up a bit to take on the greater question of why?. Why are people addicted in the first place? What drives this behavior, both as it originates and later as it perpetuates? You’ll see that what drives people to take-up and eventually abuse substances is fundamentally the same as what drives you and I to abuse tech.

From there, Part 3 will pump the brakes a bit. I feel a need to address the potential drawbacks of us using labels like “addict” or “X-oholic”. Just because it may be true in the clinical sense, does it mean it’s necessarily helpful for us here trying to get better? What are the inadvertent ramifications of taking on potent labels? Let’s acknowledge all these risks before discussing how to minimize them.

Part 4 will argue that we are on the precipice of a societal shift when it comes to digital media. On a wide enough timespan, we can observe addictions going through a series of phases. As it happened with tobacco, we are experiencing a sort of societal awakening as to its detriment. Problem is, while it may be easy to wake-up, it’s something else entirely to stay awake.

Part 5 will wrap things up with my vision of what is to come. I foresee a movement—something akin to the open-air #sobriety communities you can now find on social media (which I guess formed as a much needed alternative to the hush-hush vibe of AA church basement type meetings). I’m all for it and may strive to play a part. Of course, a “digital sobriety” movement happening on social-media is, well, #ironic… but, I think I can figure something out.

…

So that’s it for now. But before I delve into exploring and writing the other parts, I’d love to hear your perspective. I’ve opened up comments to this email newsletter. Or else you can respond privetely to me by hitting reply.

You can freely speak your mind, or address specifically one or more of the following:

1. Do you relate to having a tech-addiction? Do you use that word, either in an official sense, or more so in a colloquial sense (like how you’d say “I’m starving” when really you’re just very hungry)?

2. Do you have any experience with getting professional help, specifically as it relates to your use of digital media?

3. Do you have life experience with more traditional addictions? How do you feel about the “appropriation” of that word for non-substance related behaviors? I’ve never experienced substance addiction—I never felt the anxiety of cravings or the agony withdrawals. Do you feel like I’m completely out of my league with my claims? Go ahead and be blunt.

4. If, hypothetically, you managed to completely rid yourself of all tech related issues, would you be primed to identify as someone who is “digital sober”? Would you be saying that openly or even with some pride? Would you be inclined to join and contribute to an online community of others living a similar “clean” lifestyle?

Thanks for reading,

Simon ㋛