About this Research Topic
The term digital addiction means many aspects of compulsive digital device use such as problematic usage of the internet (PUI, which is an umbrella term, including global addiction and its subtypes such as cyberchondria, cybersex addiction, problematic gaming or social media use, etc.) and smartphone addiction (also including no-mobile phobia: nomophobia).
Digital addictions are widely studied phenomena with rapidly increasing research. These studies usually focus on children and adolescents, older individuals (>40 years and especially those >55 years) are rarely included. These populations may have different risk factors for compulsive digital device use compared to younger ones and also have increased rates of comorbidities (including cardiovascular disorders and pain syndromes).
Internet addiction is strongly associated with male sex among youngsters, while it is not so obvious in older populations and there are significant differences in the goals of internet use modifying the predecessors of PUI. The association of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AHDH) and PUI is well documented among adolescents but very limited data are available in adult populations (subclinical ADHD is also a relatively new term with limited available clinical data). Smartphone addiction and nomophobia are also sparsely studied among older ones.
The potential role of digital addictions on the development and severity of headaches and chronic (low) back pain syndromes (the leading causes of disability) are also unknown as well as in the case of cardiovascular disorders (hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, etc.) in the elderly.
Only a few studies focused on the association of PUI with mental issues, burnout, and quality of life among those aged > 40.
PUI has been shown to be associated with altered functional brain networks among adolescents, while limited data are available in the case of smartphone addiction and nomophobia. Data focusing on older individuals are practically lacking and there is a need to better define the impact of digital addiction in the aging population, which might negatively impact mood and behavior exacerbating several crucial alterations such as memory loss, confusion, anxiety, and depression to which the adult population is already potentially subject to with the aging process.
This Research Topic will focus on the complexity of digital addictions among people aged >40 (especially among those aged >55) aiming to discern between the role of sex and age as potential risk factors.
Studies focusing on the potential background (such as prevalence, subtypes, and risk factors) and consequences (such as burnout, subclinical ADHD, mental issues, pain syndromes, and other somatic diseases, etc.) among the elderly are warmly welcome.
Original research, meta-analysis, and review articles related to this Research Topic are expected, from preclinical research to multidisciplinary clinical management.
Potential themes relevant to this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Prevalence and risk factors of problematic usage of the Internet among older individuals
2. Sex and age as potential risk factors. Is there any difference between males and females? What is the difference between adolescents and adult/aging individuals?
3. Goals of internet use and its relation to digital addictions
4. Studies focusing on the potential role of cybersex, online shopping, social media use, time wasters, gaming, information seeking, timeless surfing, cyberchondria etc.
5. Smartphone addiction and nomophobia –mood and behavioral outputs: anxiety, memory loss, confusion, and depression.
6. Brain network changes in digital addictions. Is there a link with depression? What are the underlying neural and circuit correlates?
7. Detection of addictions including comparisons of different questionnaires
8. The association of mental issues and digital addictions
9. Cardiovascular changes in digital addictions
10. The association of digital addiction and pain syndromes
11. Digital addictions and cardiometabolic disorders
12. The causality of addiction and mental issues
13. The causality of addiction and somatic issues
14. Co-incidence of new and traditional addictions
15. Therapy of digital addiction
Digital addictions are widely studied phenomena with rapidly increasing research. These studies usually focus on children and adolescents, older individuals (>40 years and especially those >55 years) are rarely included. These populations may have different risk factors for compulsive digital device use compared to younger ones and also have increased rates of comorbidities (including cardiovascular disorders and pain syndromes).
Internet addiction is strongly associated with male sex among youngsters, while it is not so obvious in older populations and there are significant differences in the goals of internet use modifying the predecessors of PUI. The association of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AHDH) and PUI is well documented among adolescents but very limited data are available in adult populations (subclinical ADHD is also a relatively new term with limited available clinical data). Smartphone addiction and nomophobia are also sparsely studied among older ones.
The potential role of digital addictions on the development and severity of headaches and chronic (low) back pain syndromes (the leading causes of disability) are also unknown as well as in the case of cardiovascular disorders (hypertension, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, etc.) in the elderly.
Only a few studies focused on the association of PUI with mental issues, burnout, and quality of life among those aged > 40.
PUI has been shown to be associated with altered functional brain networks among adolescents, while limited data are available in the case of smartphone addiction and nomophobia. Data focusing on older individuals are practically lacking and there is a need to better define the impact of digital addiction in the aging population, which might negatively impact mood and behavior exacerbating several crucial alterations such as memory loss, confusion, anxiety, and depression to which the adult population is already potentially subject to with the aging process.
This Research Topic will focus on the complexity of digital addictions among people aged >40 (especially among those aged >55) aiming to discern between the role of sex and age as potential risk factors.
Studies focusing on the potential background (such as prevalence, subtypes, and risk factors) and consequences (such as burnout, subclinical ADHD, mental issues, pain syndromes, and other somatic diseases, etc.) among the elderly are warmly welcome.
Original research, meta-analysis, and review articles related to this Research Topic are expected, from preclinical research to multidisciplinary clinical management.
Potential themes relevant to this Research Topic may include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Prevalence and risk factors of problematic usage of the Internet among older individuals
2. Sex and age as potential risk factors. Is there any difference between males and females? What is the difference between adolescents and adult/aging individuals?
3. Goals of internet use and its relation to digital addictions
4. Studies focusing on the potential role of cybersex, online shopping, social media use, time wasters, gaming, information seeking, timeless surfing, cyberchondria etc.
5. Smartphone addiction and nomophobia –mood and behavioral outputs: anxiety, memory loss, confusion, and depression.
6. Brain network changes in digital addictions. Is there a link with depression? What are the underlying neural and circuit correlates?
7. Detection of addictions including comparisons of different questionnaires
8. The association of mental issues and digital addictions
9. Cardiovascular changes in digital addictions
10. The association of digital addiction and pain syndromes
11. Digital addictions and cardiometabolic disorders
12. The causality of addiction and mental issues
13. The causality of addiction and somatic issues
14. Co-incidence of new and traditional addictions
15. Therapy of digital addiction
Keywords: digital addiction, compulsive disorders, problematic usage of internet, nomophobia, cyberchondria, aging population, sexual differences, role of age, role of sex
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