When does digital behavior become a problem?

Most people use digital technology every day. Many young people use social media, play video games, and encounter an online environment that provides almost constant opportunities for engagement.

So when does frequent use become problematic?

A recent review by Jennifer Park and Marc Potenza looks at gambling and gaming disorders alongside problematic pornography use, social media use, and the emerging issue of problematic engagement with artificial intelligence chatbots.

Rather than thinking only in terms of whether someone does or does not meet the criteria for a particular diagnosis, the authors examine these behaviors along a continuum of severity.

That distinction matters.

Frequent use alone does not mean someone has an addiction. But when a behavior becomes increasingly difficult to control or begins interfering with relationships, school, work, sleep, or emotional well-being, the picture changes.

Looking at these behaviors on a continuum may also allow us to recognize problems earlier. Someone should not necessarily have to reach the most severe end of problematic behavior before support or intervention becomes appropriate.

The review also raises broader questions for addiction research. Digital environments provide continuous access, novelty, personalized content, and rapidly changing rewards. As technology continues to evolve—including the growing role of AI—we need research that keeps pace with the ways people interact with it.

Understanding how and when ordinary engagement becomes harmful may ultimately be more useful than simply asking whether a particular technology is addictive.

Read the research: Park J, Potenza M — Gambling and Gaming Disorders, Problematic Pornography Use, and Other Addictive Behaviors in Youth

With gratitude, The American Foundation for Addiction Research