President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan addressed the problems and proposed solutions within the family in the digital world in his book "Wisdom Vaccine for the Family".
Digital addiction can eliminate a person's free will
Defining digital addiction as a person's uncontrolled engagement with digital tools to a degree that impairs their functionality, Prof. Tarhan divides this situation into two: “The first is what we call dependence, which is misuse. The second is addiction, which practically enslaves the person. At this stage, the person's free will weakens, and addiction manages their behavior. The first symptom of addiction is when the person's behaviors and actions become the most prioritized and important issue in their life. They think about it for 50 out of 60 minutes. Even when interested in other things, they are constantly preoccupied with thoughts like 'What can I do to play a digital game right away, what can I do to enter a digital environment right away?' Digital gambling addiction also falls under digital addiction, just like digital game addiction.” he said.
How is the dopamine system affected in the brain?
“Recent research has determined that addiction is a disease similar to diabetes,” said Prof. Tarhan, adding, “In addiction, for those preoccupied with digital, entertainment, or substance pleasure elements, after a while, a pre-addiction state occurs, and the dopamine receptors in the brain are damaged. Just as insulin receptors are damaged in diabetes, dopamine receptors are also damaged. After a while, dopamine receptors demand more dopamine, more pleasure. After this, dopamine deficiency syndrome, or reward deficiency syndrome, begins. Thus, the person places the addictive substance at the center of their life. Whether it is digital/virtual, or chemical, it doesn't matter; the same dopamine system is affected in the brain.” he explained.
Generations' socialization tools
Stating that X, Y, and Z generations have been mentioned in recent years and defined by their relationship with technology, Prof. Tarhan said, “I try to evaluate these generations independently of age. Generation X is the radio generation, born and raised during the era of radio. They socialized by communicating with life through radio. Generation Y socialized with television. Generation Z is the social media generation, and they socialized and communicated through social media. Generation Z is a generation that has made social media the most important communication element in their lives. Very rapid changes and significant differences have occurred between these three generations. Older generations matured through hardship. The social media generation, however, has to mature in abundance because they have easy access to everything.” he stated.
How to identify digital addiction?
Noting that the criteria used for substance addiction are also applied to understand digital addiction, Prof. Tarhan continued:
“When we apply these criteria to digital addiction and screen exposure, we see excessive mental preoccupation and unsuccessful attempts to quit. This means the person continues despite seeing negative consequences, and dangerous uses emerge. Especially in the digital world where young people live, cases of learned autism are increasing. Young people are observed to have difficulty establishing meaningful communication with others, expressing themselves in social environments, and expressing and understanding their emotions. This situation arises as a result of the learning and communication methods brought by the digital world.”
Digital game addiction
Stating that the popularity of digital game addiction increased especially after the pandemic period, Prof. Tarhan said, “Because people became isolated and stayed alone at home. They turned to games extensively as a form of entertainment and interest. Research conducted worldwide showed a 50% increase in addiction diagnoses during the pandemic. After the pandemic passed, this should have gradually returned to normal, but it did not return sufficiently. Digital addiction also entered the literature as a type of addiction. It appears more often in children, especially adolescents. They gravitate towards it because it's easier to find pleasure there than in other areas. Most games are not single-player games but strategy-style games played with online groups. TÜİK's statistics for children aged 6-15 in 2021 showed a 66% increase compared to previous years. We also observe this frequently in our own clinical experiences.” he said.
Violence in digital games
Stating that being controlled in digital games particularly attracts children, Prof. Tarhan said, “They kill people with weapons in a virtual environment, and children enjoy this. Since abstract thinking and skills have not developed, children see it as entertainment. For example, children can be told, especially by citing the events in Gaza, 'Look, you're playing a virtual violence game, but in reality, children there are left without mothers, fathers, or homes.' Or, the suggestion could be offered: 'This is a game; play it as a game. Every human brain needs entertainment, but this should not exceed 20% of a person's daily time. There are other forms of entertainment, like chatting with friends; you should allocate time for these too.'” he spoke.
The importance of empathy education
“If you were to fill a room with all the evil in the world right now, the door would be opened by a lack of empathy. Because someone without empathy looks at events only from their own self-interest and is not bothered by the suffering of the other party,” said Prof. Tarhan, and continued:
“We see more game addiction in children who do not spend time with their parents. In fact, these children become so addicted to games that they use a plastic bottle in their room for their toilet needs to avoid losing time. Game addiction disrupts the brain's reward-punishment system; in other words, it is no different from cocaine addiction. We should not say, 'What's the big deal, it's just a game!' Many mothers also say, 'Oh, he's just playing at home, right in front of my eyes. What's the harm?' and don't take it seriously. When they don't take it seriously, after a while, the child starts not taking pleasure from other things. Addicts are now referred to as having reward deficiency syndrome. In these individuals, the brain reaches for rewards and pleasure much more easily. That region needs to be treated, but of course, this treatment works if the person wants it.”
Stating that neuroscientific methods are used in addiction treatment, Prof. Tarhan concluded his words by saying, “The damaged reward system in the brain is tried to be re-regulated with magnetic stimulations. However, if the person does not want it, no treatment works.”
