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Over the past two decades or so, industries have sprung up to treat ‘addictions’ to everything from excessive eating or sex to video games. And colloquially, use of the word ‘addictive’ seems to have reached a peak, used in headlines and casual conversations to describe everything from Nutella to the latest streaming series. In this short video from BBC Ideas, Andrew Przybylski, a professor of experimental psychology at the Oxford Internet Institute, examines the phrase ‘technology addiction’, offering a brief history of the term, and ultimately arguing that, unlike research on addictions to gambling, drugs or alcohol, the research on technology addictions is inconclusive. For Przybylski, it’s more than a matter of semantics: given the lack of conclusive research, new ‘addiction’ treatment markets have become fertile ground for opportunists looking to make a quick buck. Also, like conflating sadness with clinical depression, pairing ‘tech addiction’ with medically proven conditions risks minimising very serious brain disorders.
Video by BBC Ideas
Animator: Cheng-Hsu Chung
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Wellbeing
Through a poetic account of childhood trauma, one woman reclaims her past
28 minutes
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Politics and government
‘Without a poster, you don’t exist!’ – on the curious political banners of Mumbai
20 minutes
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Earth science and climate
A biologist on the sorrows of documenting the Great Salt Lake’s collapse
6 minutes
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Film and visual culture
The old-time cinema experience endures in a quiet corner of Japan
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Gender and identity
‘I didn’t fall in love with a couple of body pieces’ – on marriage and transition
3 minutes
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Sports and games
The brutality and beauty of the West African martial art of ‘dambe’
15 minutes
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Animals and humans
What happened when one woman raised an abandoned squirrel as her own
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Life stages
At 14, Asal is excited about her engagement. Her relatives all have their own opinions
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The future
What’s the healthiest way to handle a creeping feeling that the world is ending?
15 minutes