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6-10% of Smartphone Users Display Signs of Internet Addiction

multiple_devicesWe’ve all experienced some of the social and interpersonal disruptions brought on with smartphone overuse; fewer face-to-face conversations, greater distractions, and a certain “hyper-vigilance” an inattention brought out with the anticipation of incoming text messages and phone calls. And all too often, what used to pass for manners and common courtesy has fallen by the wayside.

With smartphone usage in developed countries like the U.K. hovering around 71% of all households, the problem of smartphone overuse isn’t going away anytime soon. This recent story from TechRadar.com features interviews with Dr. David Greenfield and psychologist Phil Reed of Swansea University and sheds some new light on the subtle, insidious addictive qualities of smartphone use.

App addicts: has your smartphone become a drug?

The complete story from TechRadar.com is available here:

http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/app-addicts-has-your-smartphone-become-a-drug–1251024

By |June 29th, 2014|Addiction, Smartphone|34 Comments

Dr. Greenfield Featured in “Neurology Now” journal

LargeThumbA great source of information on the latest advances in the study of Neurology is the Neurology Now site,  a highly regarded journal for patients and their caregivers published by the American Academy of Neurology. In the most recent June/July 2014 issue, Dr. Greenfield was interviewed on the subject of “Game Theory: How do video games affect the developing brains of children and teens?”. According to Dr. Greenfield, gaming has definite addictive properties, as

“Playing video games floods the pleasure center of the brain with dopamine,” says David Greenfield, Ph.D., founder of The Center for Internet and Technology Addiction and assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. That gives gamers a rush—but only temporarily, he explains. With all that extra dopamine lurking around, the brain gets the message to produce less of this critical neurotransmitter. The end result: players can end up with a diminished supply of dopamine.

Take a game like that away from addicted adolescents and they often show behavioral problems, withdrawal symptoms, even aggression, according to Dr. Greenfield.”

The complete story in the Neurology Now journal can be found

By |June 9th, 2014|Neurology, Video Gaming|1 Comment

Dr. Greenfield Interviewed by Tech Radar

Cuddling_with_multiple_devicesThe compulsive (and frequently mindless) use of smartphones is a growing worldwide problem. Dr. Greenfield was recently interview by Tech Radar in the U.K. on this topic. Here is an excerpt from his interview with Simon Hill:

“It doesn’t matter where you are these days – people are being rude in a way they didn’t used to be. Ignoring you in the car or at a restaurant. Annoying everyone in the cinema. Blanking you at a party.

Look around and you’ll see why: there’s a good chance you’ll see at least one person using a smartphone. You might be reading this on one right now.

Smartphone penetration in the UK stands at 71% as of March this year according to data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech (with similar numbers in developed nations around the world) and that figure is still rising.

People take their smartphones to bed with them, lay them on the table as they eat, and even take them into the toilet.

The manners passed down from generation to generation are being forgotten in a Tweet. It’s not unusual for people to pull a […]

By |June 9th, 2014|Smartphone, Technology, Video Gaming|1 Comment

2014 Workshop in Singapore Virtual Addiction: Gaming and Internet Addictions

February, 2014, Singapore

singapore photoDr. Greenfield recently gave a 3-Day training to doctors and staff therapists on Virtual Addiction: Internet, Cybersex, and Gaming Addictions at the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS), National Hospital, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.

 

 

Here is an outline of the workshop’s agenda:

  • Dr. Greenfield’s Professional Background and The History and Development of the Emerging Field of Internet and Digital Media Use, Abuse, and Addiction.
  • What makes Internet, Digital Media, and Gaming Technologies so Addictive? (Part I)
  • What makes Internet, Digital Media, and Gaming Technologies so Addictive? (Part II)
  • When does Internet and Digital Media Use and Abuse become an Addiction?
  • Assessment and Diagnosis of Internet, Digital Media, Gaming, and Smartphone Use
  • Differential diagnosis and psychiatric co-morbidity
  • Signs and symptoms of Internet and Digital Media Addictions: Normal versus Pathological Use
  • Brief review of Psychiatric, Addictionology, and Neurobiological research on Internet, Gaming, and Digital Media Addiction
  • Treatment Issues, Techniques, and Strategies – Part I
  • Treatment Issues, Techniques, and Strategies – Part II
  • Treatment Techniques and Strategies: Educational and Therapeutic issues with Parents and Families
  • Monitoring, Blocking and Filtering Issues: Setting limits, Boundaries, and Consequences
By |April 29th, 2014|Internet Addiction, Seminars, Uncategorized, workshop|Comments Off on 2014 Workshop in Singapore Virtual Addiction: Gaming and Internet Addictions

Our new Smartphone Abuse Test is now online.

iphone + handIn response to numerous requests from our readers, we just created a new online quiz that can help you determine if you are overusing or abusing your smartphone.  Although these devices are wonderful tools for communications, productivity, and fun, their overuse may create an unhealthy imbalance in your life.

This short quiz takes less than five minutes to complete and can help you determine if you need to change your smartphone usage patterns:

Smartphone Abuse Test

By |April 24th, 2014|Smartphone, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Our new Smartphone Abuse Test is now online.

8 Ways Tech Has Completely Rewired Our Brains

BrainCircuitsInterested in some of the newest studies in neuropsychology and physiology covering how technology is changing our brains? Here’s an informative synopsis of some recent finding by the folks at the online news site Mashable. Topics covered include the impact of television on dreaming, fear of missing out (FOMO), insomnia, visual skill improvements, and impulse control.

Read the full story here:

8 Ways Tech Has Completely Rewired Our Brains

By |March 20th, 2014|Uncategorized|2 Comments