Are We Addicted to Addiction?

As time goes on, humans become to addicted to more and more things. Are we addicted to addiction? Watch Matt on SourceFed: ****** Follow Matt on Twitter: ****** Read More: The Addictive Society ****** “The numbers of things that we are potentially at risk of becoming addicted to is a staggering list, which makes one wonder if there is anything out there that is not seen as potentially addictive.” What Facebook Addiction Looks Like in the Brain ****** “For many Facebook users, the urge to like a kitten video or snoop on a high-school flame is almost irresistible.” No, You Probably Won’t Get Addicted To Facebook ****** “As social media use has surged, so too has research on its addictive potential and negative psychological impacts.” What Is Addiction? ****** “Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol,cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.” Gamers Are Dying in Taiwan’s Internet Cafes ****** “Hsieh would often disappear for days at a time inside an internet cafe in Kaohsiung, the second-largest city in Taiwan. But on January 8, after binging for three days straight on computer games, he collapsed. He wasn't discovered until hours later, after his body had already begun to stiffen. As medics and police filled the cafe to retrieve Hsieh's carcass, other customers barely looked up from their screens. At the hospital, doctors determined he died of cardiac arrest.” ____________________ DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos twice daily. Watch More DNews on TestTube ****** Subscribe now! ****** DNews on Twitter ****** Trace Dominguez on Twitter ****** Julia Wilde on Twitter ****** DNews on Facebook ****** DNews on Google ****** Discovery News ****** Download the TestTube App: ******

I have a confession to make. I’m an addict. Wow, that’s a load off. Yeah, finally the world knows...that I’m addicted to saying that I’m addicted to stuff. Hey everyone, Matt Lieberman here for DNews. Self-diagnosis of addiction is rampant in today’s society. And I’m not talking about alcoholism, or drugs, or anything substance-based. I’m talking about phone addiction, twitter addiction, facebook addiction, Chipotle addiction - well, that’s obviously a real thing. But are all of these diagnoses actually addictions? Where does our addiction to addiction come from? Well, substance and behavioral addictions are becoming more widely recognized as common. Compulsive sex, shopping, and gambling as reactions to stress are accepted as addictions because of how the brain processes the cycle of stress, compulsion, and reward. In addition, and most importantly, the part of your brain that inhibits these risky behaviors are quieted. However, when it comes to things like Facebook and Twitter, no such quieting occurs. The issue stems not from our ability to stop ourselves, but from a lack of motivation to do so. AKA, it’s easier to check my notifications than to delete my profile and potentially miss out. A recent study from Cal State Fullerton found that only between 0.7 and 11 percent of the people surveyed were “strongly impacted” by the addictive tendencies that they displayed concerning the internet and various internet services. Now the American Society of Addiction Medicine defines addiction as “a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry. It’s characterized by the inability to stop, cravings, and most importantly, a lack of recognition of significant problems with their behaviors. Namely, if you have the awareness to claim addiction, you might not actually be addicted. Additionally, we have to talk about the definition of excess. If someone plays World of Warcraft for 5 hours a day, they obviously have a serious habit. But if that person could not stop playing to save themself, like a man in Taiwan who died at an internet cafe after three straight days of nonstop play, something more sinister is obviously at work on a biological level. Okay, so maybe we exaggerate when we say that we’re addicted to poking people or crushing those goshdarn candies, but what drives us to do so? According to Psychology Today, society has an addiction to addictions. The cycle is eerily similar to that of drug addiction, namely, a new technology is introduced, we overuse it to excess, and find ourselves hooked. When we stop using it, we go into withdrawal. However, rather than go into recovery, we label our overuse as an addiction to regain some control over our behavior. It’s not my fault that I can’t stop snapchatting, I have a disease. Hold on, that’d actually make a good snapchat. Sorry, I’m addicted. Our addiction to addictions and the rampant over-labelling, not to mention the highs and lows of watching people battle addictions on television, are rewiring our neurochemical impulses and pushing personal responsibility further and further into the background of our society. But hey, it’s not our fault that we’re irresponsible. We’re just addicted. Are you an “addict” who’s not really an addict? Fess up in the comments below and be sure to subscribe for more DNews every day of the week. And you can find me over at SourceFed. Come say hi!