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Combatting digital addiction: Current approaches and future directions.

Cemiloglu, D., Almourad, M.B., McAlaney, J. and Ali, R., 2022. Combatting digital addiction: Current approaches and future directions. Technology in Society, 68 (February), 101832.

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DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101832

Abstract

In recent years, the notion of digital addiction has become popular. Calls for solutions to combat it, especially in adolescents, are on the rise. Whilst there remains debate on the status of this phenomenon as a diagnosable mental health condition; there is a need for prevention and intervention approaches that encourage individuals to have more control over their digital usage. This narrative review examines digital addiction countermeasures proposed in the last ten years. By countermeasures, we mean strategies and techniques for prevention, harm reduction, and intervention towards addictive digital behaviours. We include studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2021 and based on empirical evidence. In total, 87 studies were included in the review. The findings show that the main countermeasures could be grouped under four categories: psycho-social, software mediated, pharmacological, and combined. Overall, it has been shown that the proposed countermeasures were effective in reducing addictive digital use. However, a general statement on the efficacy of proposed countermeasures cannot be made due to inconsistent conceptualisation of digital addiction and methodological weaknesses. Accordingly, this review highlights issues that need to be addressed in future studies.

Item Type:Article
ISSN:0160-791X
Additional Information:Open Access funding has been provided by the Qatar National Library
Uncontrolled Keywords:Digital addiction; Intervention; Prevention; Harm reduction; Behaviour change
Group:Faculty of Science & Technology
ID Code:36377
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:14 Dec 2021 09:01
Last Modified:14 Mar 2022 14:31

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