Technological Addictions: A Wake-Up Call to the Mental Health Community

Authored by renowned expert Petros Levounis, Technological Addictions is a groundbreaking book that alerts the medical community and society at large to the addictive potential of technology and its implications on mental health. As the first comprehensive guide to tackle this critical issue, it contextualizes technological addictions as legitimate psychiatric conditions that warrant medical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

This authoritative book is co-authored by Petros Levounis and James Sherer, who have recruited a team of esteemed contributors to provide in-depth insights into the complex world of technological addictions. The 10 chapters delve into the various forms of addiction, their manifestations, and their impact on specific populations, highlighting the fine line between addictive and non-pathological use.

Gaming Disorder: The Controversy and Its Implications

The inclusion of “gaming disorder” in the ICD-11 in 2019 sparked heated debates, raising crucial questions about the addictive potential of video games. This book provides clinicians with a nuanced understanding of video games as a cultural phenomenon, examining both their social importance and addictive potential.

The Dark Side of Cybersex and Online Pornography

Cybersex and online pornography can hijack our brains’ reward pathways, leading to devastating consequences such as relationship breakups, financial losses, and mental health issues. This book offers a brief history of the topic, followed by a thorough discussion of diagnostic criteria, screening tools, associations, and treatments.

The Addictive Nature of Social Media

Even seemingly harmless social media can become addictive, leading to the creation of online personas that confuse and undermine our sense of self and connection to the world. This can result in anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and ADHD. The book helps readers distinguish between healthy and pathological social media use and explores treatment options for the latter.

Information Overload: The Hidden Dangers of Technology

Technology has become an integral factor in “information overload,” a phenomenon linked to decreased performance, job dissatisfaction, work-related stress, social isolation, impaired sleep, and relationship issues. This book examines the underlying psychology of internet addiction and problematic internet use, their comorbidities, psychopathological models, and treatments.

The Unique Challenges of Older Adults in the Digital Age

Older adults, who were introduced to the internet at a later stage in life, face unique challenges and vulnerabilities in their interactions with technology. This book explores the evolving understanding of technology’s role in their lives, including its positive changes and potential harms.

Technological Addictions is an indispensable resource for psychiatrists, mental health professionals, patients, parents, teachers, students, administrators, and anyone interested in the human-technology interface. This thought-provoking book offers a fascinating exploration of the complex relationships between technology and mental health.

Publication Details:

• Publisher: American Psychiatric Association Publishing
• Publication Date: July 8, 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9781615372935 (hardcover), 9781615372942 (paperback)