by Warren Buckleitner
First a disclosure. I am hopelessly addicted to my mobile phone. If it’s not in my pocket, I feel out of touch, and can start feeling withdrawal symptoms.
Last month Common Sense Media released another survey called Technology addiction: Concern, controversy, and finding balance. The report was based on phone survey of 640 families.
The paper began with some welcome caution that is appropriate when dealing with loaded terms like “addiction.” I immediately appreciated the cautious, scholarly tone: “There is also ongoing controversy over whether Internet addiction can be considered an addiction in the same sense as substance abuse or a behavioral disorder.”
Despite this rational start, things started to get strange around page 11, that’s when you learn that this same “addiction” might open a “mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway.” Words like this make you want to lock all gadgets in a lead vault. It goes on… “Without treatment or engagement in recovery activities, addiction is progressive and can result in disability or premature death.”
Why the switch from a scholarly tone to such dramatic phrasing? Perhaps because there are such different advisors to the report. Listed beside respected names like Howard Gardner and Ellen Wartella is Douglas Gentile, a known vocal foe of the video game industry, with a track record of using long scary words and selling the cure via book, lecture or video.
His contribution is amplified by Common Sense Media founder James Steyer, who recklessly links technology exposure to the worst possible addictive behaviors. His quotes in the executive summary include “Kids and parents feel addicted to their mobile devices, that it is causing daily conflict in homes. Problematic media use can negatively affect children’s development and that multitasking can harm learning and performance. As a society we all have a responsibility to take media use and addiction seriously and make sure parents have the information to help them make smart choices for their families.” It’s not surprising that Steyer’s organization, Common Sense Media, is the go-to source for such answers.
People will take what they want from this paper. For example, I’ll use the lit review and the scholarly caution.
I’d highlight two important points:
1. The report calls for more research on children specifically. “So much of what we know about problematic media use and its repercussions is based on studies of adults and college students.”
2. The report did not consider the upsides of “addiction.” Serge Brin and Larry Page were both probably early screen addicts. A strong passion for things like coding, communicating, writing or creating might also foster valuable skills. I recommend that you read the report and weigh in.
Citation: Felt, L. J. & Robb, M. B. (2016). Technology addiction: Concern, controversy, and finding balance. San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.
(Below: some of the news coverage from the report reinforces the fear, then suggests the solution).
