Hostname: page-component-6d856f89d9-jrqft Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-16T04:02:05.519Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Problematic Internet use two decades later: apps to wean us off apps

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 October 2018

Elias Aboujaoude Open the ORCID record for Elias Aboujaoude [Opens in a new window]
Elias Aboujaoude*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA
*
*Address for correspondence, Elias Aboujaoude, MD, MA, Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Email: eaboujaoude@stanford.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Two decades of research into problematic Internet use have not yielded an established definition, much less an accepted treatment algorithm that is based on the psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions that have been tested. Meanwhile, technology-mediated tools that purport to curb unnecessary use of Internet-related technologies and the associated negative consequences are gaining in popularity, despite the lack of rigorous clinical trials into their efficacy and safety. Some popular new offerings that vary in browser, operating system and platform compatibility are reviewed. While they share similar goals as “traditional” treatments, they may be more efficient, scalable, and affordable. Using technology against itself may be counter-intuitive, but the popularity of these tools and their potential advantages make them worthy of researchers’ attention. Telepsychiatry platforms, which are gaining a foothold in the treatment of established disorders, may, paradoxically, also prove beneficial for the management of problematic use of Internet-related technologies.

Keywords

AppsInternet addictionInternet gaming disordernomophobiaproblematic Internet usesmartphonetelemental healthtelepsychiatry
Type
Perspectives
Information
CNS Spectrums , Volume 24 , Issue 4 , August 2019 , pp. 371 - 373
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References:

Starcevic, V, Aboujaoude, E. Internet addiction: reappraisal of an increasingly inadequate concept. CNS Spectr. 2017;22(1):7–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuss, DJ, Lopez-Fernandez, O. Internet addiction and problematic Internet use: a systematic review of clinical research. World J Psychiatry. 2016;6(1):143–176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aboujaoude, E. Problematic Internet use: an overview. World Psychiatry. 2010;9(2):85–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, KS. Treatment outcomes using CBT-IA with Internet-addicted patients. J Behav Addict. 2013;2(4):209–215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dell’Osso, B, Hadley, S, Allen, A, et al. Escitalopram in the treatment of impulsive-compulsive internet usage disorder: an open-label trial followed by a double-blind discontinuation phase. J Clin Psychiatry. 2008;69(3):452–456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bostwick, JM, Bucci, JA. Internet sex addiction treated with naltrexone. Mayo Clin Proc. 2008;83(2):226–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Han, DH, Lee, YS, Na, C, et al. The effect of methyphenidate on Internet video game play in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity. Compr Psychiatry. 2009;50(3):251–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sakuma, H, Mihara, S, Nakayama, H, et al. Treatment with the Self-Discovery Camp (SDiC) improves Internet gaming disorder. Addict Behav. 2017;64:357–362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Center for Humane Technology. Take control of your phone. http://humanetech.com/take-control. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Apple. iOS 12 introduces new features to reduce interruptions and manage screen time. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2018/06/ios-12-introduces-new-features-to-reduce-interruptions-and-manage-screen-time. Accessed June 10, 2018.Google Scholar
Techcrunch. Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global raises $30M so you can work less and sleep more. https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/29/arianna-huffingtons-thrive-global-raises-30m-so-you-can-work-less-and-sleep-more. Accessed June 10, 2018.Google Scholar
Aboujaoude, E, et al. Telemental health: a status update. World Psychiatry. 2015;14(2):223–230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moment. https://inthemoment.io. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Flipd. http://www.flipdapp.co/#features. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Thrive. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.thriveglobal.thriveapp&hl=en_US. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Siempo. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.siempo.phone&hl=en_US. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Freedom. https://freedom.to. Accessed May 30, 2018.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
RescueTime. https://www.rescuetime.com. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
uBlock Origin. https://www.extremetech.com/internet/214151-ad-blocking-for-the-masses-part-one-ublock-origin. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
F.lux. https://justgetflux.com. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Bowles, N. Is the answer to phone addiction a worse phone? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/technology/grayscale-phone.html. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Gould, G, Loria, K. Here’s why the iphone’s Night Shift is such a big deal. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/smartphone-iphone-apple-night-shift-mode-tim-cook-technology-silicon-valley-a8139701.html. Accessed May 30, 2018.Google Scholar
Quirk, MB, St. John, A. How to quit Facebook. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/social-media/how-to-quit-facebook. Accessed June 10, 2018.Google Scholar
Brian, F. Apple face a shareholder backlash over what the iPhone may be doing to our kids. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/01/08/apple-faces-a-shareholder-backlash-over-what-the-iphone-may-be-doing-to-our-kids/?utm_term=.56d731245376. Accessed June 10, 2018.Google Scholar
Hsu, T, Kang, C. Demand grows for Facebook to explain its privacy policies. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/26/technology/ftc-facebook-investigation-cambridge-analytica.html. Accessed June 10, 2018.Google Scholar