Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that when a person plays digital games or spends time in a digital environment, a large part of their mind focuses on this activity. He stated, “The person thinks about when they will be in a digital environment, and these thoughts occupy most of their life. This situation includes various types of digital addiction, such as digital game addiction and digital gambling addiction.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan: “If there is a safe environment at home, if parent-child relationships are healthy, and if children can meet their psychological needs, this addiction risk decreases.”
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, addressed the issue of digital addiction.
Digital addiction means a person's excessive preoccupation with digital elements
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that digital addiction means a person's excessive preoccupation with digital elements. He explained, “This addiction is of two types: first, 'dependence,' defined as behaviors that negatively affect a person's life and create addiction; and second, 'addiction,' which causes a person to lose their free will and become enslaved. Digital addiction is the state of a person being captive to the digital world, where the individual is at the center of the addiction. The first symptom of addiction is when the activity a person engages in becomes the most prioritized and important issue in their life. For example, when a person plays digital games or spends time in a digital environment, a large part of their mind focuses on this activity. The person thinks about when they will be in a digital environment, and these thoughts occupy most of their life. This situation includes various types of digital addiction, such as digital game addiction and digital gambling addiction.”
As a generation growing up in the digital world, young people are most affected by these types of addiction
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that young people, as a generation growing up in the digital world, are the group most affected by these types of addiction. He commented, “Young people, who see the digital world as a native environment, can use this technology comfortably, and therefore, their potential for misuse is higher.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that addiction and diabetes were identified as similar diseases at the Addiction Congress. He explained, “In diabetes, prediabetes (a pre-diabetic state) develops as a result of insulin receptor damage due to years of high carbohydrate consumption. In this state, blood sugar becomes unusable, and diabetes occurs. If diabetes is not treated, insulin deficiency emerges, and insulin injections may be necessary. Similarly, in addiction, constant preoccupation with pleasurable elements (digital environments, substances, entertainment, etc.) eventually leads to addiction. First, in the pre-addiction phase, dopamine receptors are disrupted. As in diabetes, when dopamine receptors are damaged, the person seeks more dopamine, meaning more pleasure. This leads to reward deficiency syndrome. 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.”
Excessive mental preoccupation is the main symptom…
“One of the main symptoms of addiction is excessive mental preoccupation,” said Prof. Dr. Tarhan. He added, “The person constantly thinks about the object of addiction, and this leads to a loss of control. For example, a person might say, ‘From now on, I will only play for two hours,’ but the next day, they return to the same situation. These unsuccessful attempts to quit and the loss of the sense of control are among the fundamental symptoms of addiction.”
The social media generation is forced to mature amidst abundance
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan explained that today, there is talk of X, Y, and Z generations, and continued as follows, stating that Generation X, having grown up with radio, socialized and communicated with the world through radio:
“Generation Y emerges as a generation that socialized with television. Generation Z, on the other hand, is a generation that has socialized and communicated through social media, making social media the most important communication element in their lives. There are significant and rapid differences between these three generations. While older generations matured amidst difficulties, the social media generation is forced to mature amidst abundance. In human life, children begin to mature with adolescence. For example, a small child perceives the world as revolving around them and expects everything they want to happen immediately. However, as they grow, they confront the realities of life; the world is not just about them, they are not the only passenger on the bus, there are other people too. Learning this truth takes time and is part of the maturation process. However, some families raise their children as if they are the leader of the house, and the child continues to perceive everything as a system revolving solely around them. A child who wanted a toy car when small begins to want real cars as they grow, and their threshold for satisfaction rises. One of the biggest risks of the digital age is that this easy accessibility and abundance have created a generation unable to manage pleasure.”
Impulsivity and impatience have become widespread today
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that impulsivity and impatience have become quite widespread today. He stated, “Feelings of respect and shame have weakened. People are becoming increasingly self-centered and see the world as revolving solely around their own interests. The most important indicator of psychological maturity is a person's ability to discipline their ego. A person must be able to distinguish between their own personal boundaries and the boundaries of others. The lack of this skill negatively affects psychological maturity and resilience, making the person vulnerable to illnesses. It also isolates the individual.”
The 'if it doesn't serve you, discard it' approach is wrong!
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that one of the biggest problems of this era is loneliness, and behind it lies egocentrism, or narcissistic personality traits. He said that the belief 'the world should be as I want it to be' creates deep problems in relationships.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that posts frequently seen on social media like 'If it doesn't serve you, discard it' actually blunt problem-solving abilities. He remarked, “This approach is also seen in marriages; if problems arise, people immediately resort to divorce, and new generations have even become afraid of getting married. However, people need to develop their ability to cope with difficulties. Easiness and the search for comfort have become widespread. As a result, marriages are decreasing, the cycle of marriage and divorce is becoming prevalent, and the institution of marriage is losing value. There is social decay in the world, and value erosion is accelerating. At its core are egocentrism and opportunism. A lack of empathy is at the center of this problem. Empathy means understanding the boundaries of others; it does not mean making excessive sacrifices, but it does require understanding the feelings and boundaries of others. A lack of empathy is one of the fundamental causes of evil.”
Some individuals may pull a knife on their mother or father who takes away their modem
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan noted that technology addiction and digital addiction show similarities with the criteria for substance addiction, and continued as follows:
“When we apply the same criteria to digital addiction and screen exposure, we see symptoms such as excessive mental preoccupation and unsuccessful attempts to quit. The person continues this behavior despite realizing its negative consequences. Examples of dangerous use include staying awake all night and being preoccupied with a phone while driving. Furthermore, even when experiencing financial difficulties or losing money, the person may continue their addictive behavior. The concepts of dangerous use and harmful use come into play at this point. With dangerous use, social consequences emerge. With harmful use, the person continues the harmful behavior despite experiencing health problems. For example, like someone with stomach or lung disease continuing to smoke. A similar situation applies to digital addiction. The person doesn't go to school, ruins their future, and family relationships deteriorate, yet they continue using. So much so that some individuals may pull a knife on their mother or father who takes away their modem. In one case, a person was urinating into a plastic bottle in their room to avoid losing time. That is, their addiction had progressed to such an extent.”
The brain is not satisfied with the pleasure hormone known as dopamine…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that in this situation, the person starts to fail in performing their daily functions. He said, “They don't go to work, they go late, they play games during the day, they fail in their work or school life. Screen exposure, just like in substance addiction, disrupts the brain's reward system and leads to similar consequences. The brain is not satisfied with the pleasure hormone known as dopamine… Sometimes this addiction manifests as gambling, sometimes as digital games, and sometimes as other digital content. For example, a mother or father neglects their child at home, constantly saying, ‘I have work, I'm busy,’ thus subjecting the child to emotional neglect. Young children are also frequently given phones or tablets, and these children, when they reach three or four years old, are still unable to speak. In these children with delayed speech problems, the word-production areas in their brains have not developed. If this problem persists beyond four years of age, it becomes very difficult for the child to learn to produce words. This situation is called 'acquired autism.' These children exhibit autism-like behaviors; despite having good academic skills, their social and emotional skills remain weak. They cannot converse, cannot laugh in social settings, and become isolated. All of these are considered symptoms of addiction.”
There are specific criteria for digital addiction
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that there are also specific criteria for digital addiction. He said, “When deprived, the person goes into crisis. In 2017, we developed and published a criterion called 'Fomo' (Fear of Missing Out). This criterion refers to a person's fear of missing out on things. When they cannot connect to the internet, they exhibit behaviors such as getting angry, arguing, and fighting. If there is no internet where they go, they experience great stress.”
If there is a safe environment at home, the risk of addiction decreases
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that games have become more attractive because they offer immediate rewards, which seriously motivates the person. He continued, “Therefore, when a person is interrupted by others while playing, they start to quarrel. If the person plays fanatically, this can also lead them to violence. Fanaticism is also a type of addiction. For example, a football fanatic might sacrifice themselves for football. Such situations show similarities with game addiction. We see people falling off cliffs while taking selfies; these are also examples of dangerous use. When such risky behaviors occur at a certain rate in society, they may not seem very important, because there always risky individuals. However, the most common situation we observe is that if family ties are weak and there is no safe, rule-bound environment at home, children become addicted more easily. If there is a safe environment at home, if parent-child relationships are healthy, and if children can meet their psychological needs, this addiction risk decreases.”
Humans also have psychological needs
Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained that just as humans have needs such as food, drink, protein, carbohydrates, and greens, they also have psychological needs, and he noted the following:
“Parents, while paying attention to their children's physical needs, may not meet their psychological needs with the same care or may misguide them. Humans need attention and emotional sharing. Being a parent is not just about making the child happy. It means preparing the child for life, teaching them to cope with difficulties. For example, one of the common mistakes in our culture is that when a child starts walking and wants to climb onto a sofa, we immediately pick them up and place them on the sofa, just so they don't fall. The child achieves their goal, but their self-confidence does not develop because they did not achieve it through their own efforts. However, in developed countries, such as Japan, the child is left to try to climb on their own. They fall, get up, and try again.”
The search for excitement leads to addiction to the digital world…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the first step in coping with addiction is usually a detox process. He said, “Just as detox is done for substance addiction, detox is also applied for digital addiction. For example, in Japan, children are taken to nature camps for three months to keep them away from digital devices, isolating them. UNESCO also made a decision on this matter, and Turkey complied with this decision. This year, the Ministry of National Education also supported and banned the use of mobile phones in schools. Mobile phones will no longer be used in classrooms because this situation has become a global threat. Completely banning digital devices is not easy, as these devices are constantly in our hands. However, what is important is to teach how to use these devices smartly. Addiction is actually a result; we need to find the underlying causes. In most cases, there is hidden depression. Because the person is unhappy, they turn to digital addiction as a stress-reduction technique. Some people even become addicted to the digital world due to a search for excitement. Someone who is not happy sees these tools as a means to happiness. If a person learns to be happy and can manage dopamine production in their brain in a balanced way, they can overcome addiction.”
We manage the chemistry in our brains in our daily lives
Prof. Dr. Tarhan explained that we manage chemicals like dopamine and serotonin in our brains. He stated, “In our daily lives, we manage the chemistry in our brains; this is called ‘neuromanagement.’ For example, when studying for an exam, by saying ‘I will succeed!’, you cause your brain to release dopamine. This expectation of dopamine release, that is, the expectation of reward, brings a reward to the brain. When the reward is achieved, dopamine release decreases, and the brain seeks a new reward. When you postpone the reward and reach the goal, the brain continues to release dopamine gradually during this process. The cycle needs to be broken. There is a vicious cycle. If that cycle is broken somewhere, it can be fixed. It is not something that cannot be fixed. Most of the time, those who succeed for six months follow through.”