The world is a lot different today that it was just a few short years ago. While digital transformation (DT) is a movement that Americans have been hearing about for more than a decade, things have ramped up exponentially of late as algorithms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning indicate that there is no turning back. There is no denying that DT has greatly improved upon communications, productivity, transport, consumerism, leisure, entertainment, and a variety of daily household functions (et cetera) but it has proven to be much more than a technical phenomenon. There are concerning sociocultural and societal side effects that have been impacting the mental and behavioral health of an entire nation.
Each month, thousands of Americans search for insight into the digital addictions (and semantic variations) that they and/or loved ones struggle with:
Source: Google Keyword Research (by U.S. state)
The term “digital addictions” is a laymen expression that refers to what are more aptly known as process addictions. Process addiction is a term used to describe a compulsion to continually engage in behaviors despite negative outcomes. Given that you, among thousands of other Americans, have performed an online search for help on such matters, it’s clear that DT has had a negative impact on your life in some shape or form.
While we’re glad that you’ve taken the first step (searching for information) in getting help, we want to draw attention to the fact that what many perceive as an addiction to a digital device is actually misguided. The device is instead a vessel or conduit to a digital activity or experience that a compulsion has developed around. In this article, we provide a succinct look at the most common digital activities and experiences that millions of Americans have a problematic relationship with. And more importantly, we conclude with a call to action that let’s it be known that digital therapy is the key to overcoming these digital addictions. Fighting fire with fire, so to speak. Please keep reading.
8 Digital Activities Vulnerable Americans Are Developing Addictions to that Require Virtual Therapy
I. Online Gambling
The 2018 removal of the federal ban on sports betting and subsequent proliferation of online gambling which includes sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and casino gaming has led to a problem gambling crisis in the country. This crisis is ripping apart the lives of millions of Americans and American households. Approximately 2% of the general population has a problematic relationship with gambling. Although, there are certain segments that exhibit significantly higher rates due to enhanced vulnerabilities to problematic gambling behaviors. Examples include the military population, elite athletes, and those who struggle with other mental or behavioral health issues.
Virtual (online and telehealth) interventions from Kindbridge Behavioral Health for this particular digital addiction have proven very effective. View our most recent treatment outcomes report for gambling disorder right here.
II. Online Prediction Markets
While not yet a widespread issue, per se, prediction markets are something that regulators, mental health support groups, and the public (yourself included) are urged to remain on high alert for when it comes to the threat of digital addictions. A prediction market is an exchange-traded market where individuals can “invest” on the outcome of a variety of events with an unknown future. In other words, it’s a form of online gambling.
Prior to the 2024 presidential election, prediction markets were relatively unknown by the general population. But then a federal judge felt that it was a good idea to lift the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)’s prohibition on betting on U.S. politics just two weeks prior to the November 5th election. The result? Americans wagered billions on the Trump vs Harris outcome. Yes, billions. This federal move has let millions of Americans know that they are now able to essentially gamble on anything. View more on the inevitable rise of online prediction market betting.
III. Online Day Trading
Online day trading is a type of financial trading aimed at earning money from very short-term investments. Research shows that around 8% of investors displayed symptoms of problematic gambling of whom around half fulfilled the criteria of gambling disorder. Their compulsion may not be directed at casino games or NFL point spreads, but securities such as stocks, currencies, futures, options, commodities, and cryptocurrency.
Kindbridge offers virtual therapy services specific to the treatment of online day trading.
IV. Unhealthy Gaming
Data confirms that unhealthy video gaming afflicts somewhere between 1.96% and 3% of Americans. If you or a loved one exhibits signs of this digital compulsion, incorporate these healthy alternatives into daily routines and speak to a Kindbridge counselor who specializes in unhealthy gaming treatment.
V. Online Pornography
Studies find that 11% of men and 3% of women self-report as porn addicts. This indicates that an average of 7% of American adults have an unhealthy relationship with digitally delivered adult content. Symptoms can be found here, but as with problem gambling, hypersexuality issues of this nature may be more prevalent in certain population segments, including among military servicepersons and elite athletes.
Kindbridge has made available a self-help guide to beating porn addiction which you can download here. Moreover, we have online therapists who specialize in the treatment of problem porn use.
VI. OnlyFans
On the surface it may seem as if the newest adult content platform, OnlyFans, should be looped in with pornography as a digital addiction. However, there are further issues that need to be explored with respect to OnlyFans – there may be a separate risk that involves unhealthy feelings for the platform’s content creators. View more on recent concerns regarding OnlyFans addiction which addresses the need for interventions such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Both therapies can be provided online through Kindbridge.
VII. Online Shopping
Statistics indicate nearly 6% of the US adult population has compulsive buying disorder (CBD). Someone who has a problematic relationship with online shopping compulsively takes to Amazon, eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, and/or a variety of curated and independent eCommerce sites to get their daily dose of dopamine while spiraling into debt and despair. Research shows that psychotherapy, especially CBT, seems to be the main intervention supported by current evidence.
VIII. Social Media
Problematic use of social media may very well be the most concerning of digital addictions. The reason, is that each of the categories addressed above are promoted across all social media platforms, triggering those who are vulnerable to developing compulsive behavior. For instance, someone suffering from problem gambling is placed at significant risk of being exposed to gambling promotions by simply opening up their Instagram app.
On top of social media content triggering engagement in unhealthy habits, usage of Instagram, TikTok, and SnapChat itself can lead to compulsive behavior among vulnerable populations. California State University reports an estimated 10% or more than 33 million Americans are addicted to social media. Doomscrolling is of particular concern, which is a relatively new phenomenon on social media:
The phenomenon of doomscrolling rose to prominence during the pandemic when our upended lives prodded us to relentlessly track the latest COVID casualties. But more than four years later, we’re still living through tremendous social, political, and economic unrest, and doomscrolling has emerged as an insidious threat to our minds and bodies (Harvard Health)
So not only may social media use consume an unhealthy amount of our time and thoughts, the content we’re exposed to can threaten our mental wellbeing and induce feelings of irrational anger, anxiety, stress, and depression. If someone already suffers from these conditions, or other issues/disorders, interventions becomes even more complex.
Understanding that most of our lives are intertwined with social media to the point that we cannot abstain, Kindbridge has put together a guide for how to navigate through social media while mitigating risk to your mental wellness. Read “How to Take a Mental Health Social Media Break, When You Can’t” right here.
In every instance above we have indicated that you can fight digital addictions with digital therapy. Digital therapy (aka virtual therapy) offers the benefit of remote and anytime access, enhanced confidentiality, and offers greater overall convenience while proving to be just as effective as in-clinic therapy. And when you consider that Kindbridge therapists specialize in process addictions that manifest in digital environments, you will find that there is no better resource to get help for yourself (or a loved one). Reach out via the contacts provided below to get started.
Concerned About Your Relationship with Digital Activities?
CALL +1 (877) 426-4258
OR
Email [email protected]
