Social Media Dependence
As computers and the microchips that run them have excelled in speed, intelligence and creativity over the past 20 years so has the endless dimensions and strategics of masterful video games. The video gaming market in the USA alone exceeds all of Hollywood movie box office in sales every year by over $30 Billion dollars, a staggering statistic. Video games along with Social Media are designed on neural network paradigms to engage and absorb players and users to continue using them with disregard to time or attention to more productive and necessary activities such as academics, sports and personal social development and verbal face to face communication. Younger people have little or no ability to self regulate or time manage usage.
Dr. O’Hara has worked with all forms of addiction including pathological gambling since the late 1980’s and for the past 20 years has focused on developing effective behavioral and existential approaches to help people young and old to manage and enjoy the passive entertainment of video gaming, social media and other online activities while making its usage sustainable and efficient within peoples lifestyles.
Video Gaming Addiction, Gaming Disorder and “Fear of Missing Out”
People living in the world today are the “pioneers” of the computer age. Many Americans remember and know of a time without smartphones and computers and a simpler, slower way of life. Younger people have never known a time without it. Digital and media technology helps us simplify our lives, save time and resources and get many tasks accomplished with greater accuracy helping us be incredibly efficient. The downside, especially with younger people is the need to be ever “connected” to media and as a result the world is moving faster, and people with it, to keep up with the digital age.
As a result Dr. O’Hara works with Video Gaming Addiction with children, adolescents and young adults in treatment to help them create computer and screen time balanced lifestyle and also avoid the Obsessive-Compulsive use of screens and apps that lead to FOMO “Fear Of Missing Out” and the need to be constantly connected. Young people unable to balance computer use end up frustrated, anxious, irritable and depressed and neglecting other domains of their lives. Excessive Video Gaming Addiction in some young people is linked to future pathological gambling and “Hooking Up” on dating websites leads to indiscriminate and high-risk sexual activity in some, not all younger people.
Online Pornography Compulsion and Addiction
Since the inception of the internet online gambling and pornography have remained among the largest areas of attention, preoccupation and use of the internet. As with Video Gaming Disorder, the access to pornography in high definition with increasing intensity of sexual content has caused significant problems for people especially young men. This leads to individuals spending a significant amount of time viewing content and not fulfilling more meaningful human connections and interpersonal development. In married people pornography compulsion and addiction cause significant problems in relationships, trust and intimacy.