Defining digital addiction: Key features from the literature

Abstract

Within recent years there has been increasing societal concern around the compulsive and excessive use of digital and Internet-enabled devices, such as the use of social media or online video gaming, and associated psychological and physical harms. However, problematic use or addictive behaviours are not yet included as diagnosable mental health issues in any major diagnostic system in Western countries and the conceptualisations of the phenomena are still inconsistent. To address this issue, the present study reviewed the current conceptualisations of digital addiction used within the research literature and identified common features of the definition of digital addiction. Definitions of the phenomenon were extracted from 47 studies, and they were analysed using a content analysis approach. The initial process assessed definitions for features of digital addiction within Internet, gaming and smartphone addiction. Two higher-order themes were identified, which focused on the harm caused by the phenomenon and on the user?s behaviours associated with the phenomenon. It was also found that key constructs are not specific to the usage domain, i.e. whether it is related to gaming, Internet or smartphone use. Several core features were found across different conceptualisations of digital addiction within the literature; however, it was also noted that some features are subjective and inconsistently applied. If a decision is to be reached on whether the phenomenon is a mental health disorder, then clearer definitions must be created.

Combating Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) on Social Media: The FoMO-R Method

“…For example, in [ 5 ], a correlation between motives for social media use and social media addiction was found. The definition of digital addiction in the literature was focused on usage styles and harm associated with them [ 6 ]. The role of social media in triggering problematic usage styles and also in correcting them is still an under-researched topic [ 7 ].…”

Procrastination on social media: predictors of types, triggers and acceptance of countermeasures

“…As discussed elsewhere (van Eerde and Klingsieck 2018) procrastination is a complex and under-researched topic. There may be conflation with other areas such as digital addiction, although there is also a lack of consensus and clear conceptualisation within that area as well (Almourad et al 2020). We do not claim that the measure of procrastination that we used to elicit the attitudes towards procrastination countermeasures are equivalent to fully developed and tested psychometric measures of procrastination.…”

The Mediating Role of Gaming Disorder in the Effect of Narcissism on Happiness in Children

“…In that case, children do not need to suppress their unhappiness with momentary pleasures and try to satisfy their need for attention and approval from the digital world. They play digital games for personal growth and flow experience, not for compensation [ 23 , 39 ]. Thus, the quality of life and life satisfaction increase more and reach long-term happiness [ 38 ].…”

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