Digital Addiction and Sleep

Abstract

In 2020, the World Health Organization formally recognized addiction to digital technology (connected devices) as a worldwide problem, where excessive online activity and internet use lead to inability to manage time, energy, and attention during daytime and produce disturbed sleep patterns or insomnia during nighttime. Recent studies have shown that the problem has increased in magnitude worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which dysfunctional sleep is a consequence of altered motivation, memory function, mood, diet, and other lifestyle variables or results from excess of blue-light exposure when looking at digital device screens for long hours at day and night is one of many still unresolved questions. This article offers a narrative overview of some of the most recent literature on this topic. The analysis provided offers a conceptual basis for understanding digital addiction as one of the major reasons why people, and adolescents in particular, sleep less and less well in the digital age. It discusses definitions as well as mechanistic model accounts in context. Digital addiction is identified as functionally equivalent to all addictions, characterized by the compulsive, habitual, and uncontrolled use of digital devices and an excessively repeated engagement in a particular online behavior. Once the urge to be online has become uncontrollable, it is always accompanied by severe sleep loss, emotional distress, depression, and memory dysfunction. In extreme cases, it may lead to suicide. The syndrome has been linked to the known chronic effects of all drugs, producing disturbances in cellular and molecular mechanisms of the GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems. Dopamine and serotonin synaptic plasticity, essential for impulse control, memory, and sleep function, are measurably altered. The full spectrum of behavioral symptoms in digital addicts include eating disorders and withdrawal from outdoor and social life. Evidence pointing towards dysfunctional melatonin and vitamin D metabolism in digital addicts should be taken into account for carving out perspectives for treatment. The conclusions offer a holistic account for digital addiction, where sleep deficit is one of the key factors.

Analyzing the changing relationship between personal consumption and suicide mortality during COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, using governmental and personal consumption transaction databases

“…Especially, the SDRs of 20s females in both regions positively related to increasing communication expense but those of 20s males did not relate. The positive impact of communication expense on suicide can be explained by the fact that WHO formally recognized addiction to digital technology (connected devices) as a worldwide problem, where excessive online activity and internet use lead to various disturbances of mental health ( 77 ). Furthermore, the expenditure on communication decreased in metropolitan during the pandemic, whereas that in the non-metropolitan region weakly increased in 2020, but converted to a weak decrease in 2021 (the reduction was predominant in the metropolitan region compared to the non-metropolitan region).…”

Revealing the Intellectual Structure and Evolution of Digital Addiction Research: An Integrated Bibliometric and Science Mapping Approach

“…It is increasingly considered that usage of smartphones, social media, video games, and other such innovations can be as addictive as tobacco smoking, taking nonprescribed drugs or illicit substances, or gambling [ 7 , 8 ]. Some even claim that digital media is a powerful “new drug” that presents a high risk of addiction [ 9 ]. Indeed, as Meng et al [ 10 ] recently stated, the global prevalence of smartphone addiction has reached nearly 27%, whilst Internet addiction has reached almost 15%, and game addiction is at 6%, indicating the potential addictive nature of using digital technologies.…”

“…[ 12 , 14 ]. However, the Internet, as a channel used to access digital material, can facilitate addiction through enabling users to instantly access whatever content they want from virtually any place and at any time [ 9 ].…”

“…Some scholars contend that digital addiction occurs through habit formation and self-control problems, just as seen in other behavioral addictions such as gambling or substance abuse [ 5 , 15 ]. The combination of these two forces often results in preoccupation with the digital media/device, repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop or reduce usage, greater utilization than expected or warranted, deleterious effects on school or work life, damage caused to relationships or social life, and even lying about the level of actual usage, all of which characterize typical addictive behaviors [ 9 , 16 ]. In other words, digital addiction “suggest[s] an increasing trend of compulsive behavior amongst users of technological devices, recognizing that over-exposure to and over-use of technology can result in a dependence on digital devices, leading to behavioral symptoms similar to any addictive disorder” [ 4 ] (p. 18).…”

“…In other words, digital addiction “suggest[s] an increasing trend of compulsive behavior amongst users of technological devices, recognizing that over-exposure to and over-use of technology can result in a dependence on digital devices, leading to behavioral symptoms similar to any addictive disorder” [ 4 ] (p. 18). However, in the case of digital addiction, the instant availability of the content being craved through the digital medium, without necessarily requiring any intermediary dealer, makes it an even more complex syndrome [ 9 ].…”