New Book Issues Wake-up Call on Technology Addiction

Sep 22, 2021

Washington, D.C., Sept. 22, 2021 – A new book from APA Publishing, Technological Addictions, is a wake-up call alerting the medical community—and society at large—to the addictive potential of technology. Edited by Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., and James Sherer, M.D., the book provides context and understanding around potential addiction to a variety of technologies, along with discussion of assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into every facet of modern life, technological addictions are also becoming increasingly prevalent. The book addresses the difference between the functional, healthy engagement with technology—ubiquitous and necessary in our everyday lives—and addictive use, and how to assess when that line has been crossed. The authors provide both background context and practical information for psychiatrists and others interested in technological addictions.

The 10 chapters address the different kinds of technological addiction and impacts on particular population groups. Among the topics covered are:

• Video games and internet gaming disorder
• Cybersex and online pornography
• Internet gambling
• Texting, emailing, and other online messaging
• Internet surfing and information overload
• Social media
• Online shopping and auctions
• Children and adolescents: youth and tech
• Special considerations for older adults
• New and emerging addictive technologies

"Most people enjoy technology’s benefits from internet gaming to cybersex to online shopping with no or minimal trouble. But some people go on to develop a serious technological addiction that requires psychiatric evaluation and treatment," said Levounis.

Levounis is professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and associate dean, at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and chief of service at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, and Sherer is chief resident in the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, New Jersey.

Other contributors to the book include Muhammad Aadil, M.D., Lukman-Afis (Lukmon) Babajide, M.D., Rafael Coira, M.D., J.D., Diego Garces Grosse, M.D., Faisal Kagadkar, M.D., Yonatan Kaplan, M.D., Seyed Parham Khalili, M.D., MAPP, Aitzaz Munir, M.D., Lancer Naghdechi, D.O., Donya Nazery, D.O., Ana Claudia Zacarkim Pinheiro dos Santos, M.D., Robert Rymowicz, D.O., and Heather Wurtz, M.D.

American Psychiatric Association

The American Psychiatric Association, founded in 1844, is the oldest medical association in the country. The APA is also the largest psychiatric association in the world with more than 37,400 physician members specializing in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention and research of mental illnesses. APA’s vision is to ensure access to quality psychiatric diagnosis and treatment. For more information please visit www.psychiatry.org.