Interview with Alfonso Cruzado Cardona: addiction to new technologies

In this interview with psychologist Alfonso Cruzado we talk about addiction to new technologies.

The new technologies linked to the Internet and the digital world have experienced a boom in recent decades that has led them to be used massively around practically the whole world.

But this diversity and popularity of social networks, video games and others implies that organizations have had access to a lot of information about how to create functionalities capable of "hooking" the user. In the digital world, practically everything is possible, so it is also easy to create constant incentives adapted to each user profile.

This has given way to a problem that in the world of psychology is often called "addiction to new technologies". Here we will see what it consists of the hand of an expert on the subject, the psychologist Alfonso Cruzado..

Interview with Alfonso Cruzado: how addiction to new technologies develops.

Alfonso Cruzado Cardona is a General Health Psychologist and expert in addictions to new technologies; he consults in the city of Ceuta, and also through online therapy by video call. In this interview he talks to us about the way in which certain electronic devices and digital platforms such as Instagram or Facebook are capable of "trapping" us in the dynamics of addictions.

The term "new technologies" is very broad. Specifically, what types of electronic devices or digital platforms are most conducive to dependence on their use?

The purpose of new technologies is to make our lives easier. In the society in which we live today, it is unthinkable our daily life without the use of these devices, but they can become a problem, especially for children, if they are not used correctly. The use of smartphones, especially in the use of social networks, is currently what most favors dependence.

Taking into account that the people who use these technologies the most tend to be young people, can it be said that children and adolescents are more exposed to these kinds of problems?

Certainly we are all exposed to these problems, although in young people it is observed with greater incidence, because they have access to these tools at increasingly younger ages.

From what you have been seeing as a psychologist, would you say that there are a series of common characteristics in video games that have a greater capacity to "trap" users and lead them to lose control of their use of time?

Excessive use of video games can lead to addiction. This leads to the development of behaviors such as communication problems, decreased academic performance, decreased attention, family conflicts and even abandonment of other recreational activities. The video game produces an immediate reward system and is always offering you "something new", so it facilitates the loss of the notion of time.

And as far as social networks are concerned, what are the mechanics and functionalities that you think have the greatest addictive potential?

Social networks, in and of themselves, are created to get us "hooked" on them. Every photo we upload and get a "like" on is a dopamine rush that causes us to feel good, so we tend to repeat the behavior that has given us pleasure.

But this tendency often makes us lose track of the time of use, makes us isolate ourselves, and not being able to control these problems can lead to affective disorders, and even diminish self-esteem, as it becomes dependent on other people.

Does the fact that there is not much information about these kinds of problems mean that most people are slow to see that a problem is brewing in their lives, or in the life of a friend or family member?

I think people are becoming more and more aware of this problem, but sometimes they are slow to seek help. Also, today it is more difficult to discriminate, because of the health situation we are living in. We have spent time in confinement; a time that has multiplied in people with this addiction. When I say that it is more complicated to discriminate, I mean that everything has become even more digital, and has caused us all to be even more aware of the devices, as well as social networks.

What is done in the psychologist's office to combat this type of inappropriate patterns of use of new technologies?

The most important thing for the success of the therapy is the recognition of the problem by the patient. As with any addiction, denial is found in the early stages and is the first thing to work on. Starting from that point, different objectives are set, favoring a re-education of the use of the device or platform in question. In the case of children and adolescents, in addition to individual therapy, a therapeutic approach with the families is also advisable, so that they are part of the process.