Technology addiction is a behavioral addiction characterized by an inability to control screen use, progressively increasing usage time, and experiencing restlessness when screens are not available.
Social media, games, video content, and applications eventually begin to compete with the brain’s reward system.
Symptoms of Technology Addiction
- Inability to control usage time
- Inability to stop despite saying “just a little more”
- Anger and restlessness when away from screens
- Decline in academic performance
- Sleep disturbances
- Withdrawal from social relationships
- Lack of interest in offline activities
This condition is not merely a “lack of discipline”; it is associated with disruption in the brain’s dopamine system.
How Can We Deal with It?
- Clear rules: Setting screen time limits as a family
- Role modeling: Parents regulating their own screen behavior
- Providing alternatives: Sports, arts, and outdoor activities
- Screen-free time periods: During meals, at least 1 hour before bedtime
- Removing screens from rooms: Especially bedrooms
- Professional help if necessary: When addictive behavior is severe
The solution is not to fight technology, but to establish healthy boundaries with it.
Dr Mehmet Çolak, SpecialistChild and Adolescent Psychiatrist