Technology: Addictive or Not?
In an interview done by Mike Pesca, he speaks to Adam Alter about his book Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked. They talk about how technology has become addictive and it is in the same category as drug and gambling addictions. Screen addiction has become just as bad among people as tobacco and cigarette addiction was before the companies had legal regulations placed on them. This leaves the question, has screen addiction become so bad that we need to place regulations on technology companies and what they can sell to consumers, or is this addiction just “different” because it is the “norm”?
Before anyone can decide if screen addiction is truly an epidemic facing our world, there has to be a clear definition of what the word “addiction” means. According to Alter, his definition of addiction is, “an activity that you engage in compulsively, return to it over and over again, [and] it is pleasurable in the short term, but it diminishes your well-being in the long term in at least one way.” For Alter, this definition would describe people with addictions ranging from drugs, to gambling, to screens. Being on phones is a compulsive act that people do over and over again throughout the day and it is pleasurable in the moment, but may have long term damaging effects. Alter mentions a scenario where people will take a ten second elevator ride, yet will still pull out their phones to keep them occupied for that ten seconds. This proves how screen use has become second nature to people and it is such a compulsive action to just pull your phone out of your pocket and look at it for that ten seconds. Just because screen use fits the definition of addiction, according to Alter, there are other similarities to other addictions that place them in the same category.
Gambling addiction is something that everyone can agree is a “real thing,” and that people truly suffer from the ability to not be able to leave the casino or put down the dice. Gambling addiction is usually to fill a void in the person’s life, possibly to make them feel less lonely, less depressed, or have less anxiety. The gambling addiction also gives people self-confidence, the fact that they could possibly win something is invigorating to them. All of these “symptoms” of gambling addiction, apply in some way to screen addiction. Screens are able to fill the void of loneliness, depression, and anxiety. On the internet, you never have to be alone, you can always find someone or something to do. It also gives people an escape from their lives which can help with anxiety and depression. Also, you have the chance of a “win” on your phone, to boost your self-confidence. You can get likes on social media, level up or win games, the abilities are endless. Screen addiction, since it is the normal in today’s society, isn’t deemed as bad as gambling addiction, but in fact they are more similar than you would think.
In conclusion, we see throughout the interview with Adam Alter how screen addiction has made its way into society and is here to stay. But the real question is what are we going to do about this addiction. Does the government get involved and place regulations on technology companies or do we allow people to use their own self-control to handle themselves? Seeing all of the correlations between screen addiction and gambling addiction puts it into perspective and will give people a new outlook on what we call “screen addiction.”