Fatores biopsicossociais predisponentes à dependência tecnológica em adolescentes

Abstract

Technological addiction is a behavioral addiction associated with a low repertoire of social skills. An individual is considered dependent when he/she experiences significant damage to his/her physical, psychological and social health, as a result of excessive and uncontrolled use of technologies, especially social media and electronic games. This addiction may be a manifestation in certain people, whose biopsychosocial and environmental background makes them more predisposed. The predisposition in adolescents presents itself as: Biological Factor: Genetic predisposition, delay in the maturational development of the brain, and personality traits; Psychological Factors: Dysfunctional thoughts; unpleasant emotions; and maladaptive behaviors, associated with anxiety and depression and the activation of the reward center of the limbic system, reinforcing addictive behavior, consolidating the abusive use of digital technologies, and characterizing a bidirectional system; and Sociological Factor: the transformation of a behavior into a compulsion may be associated with the need to compensate for difficulties encountered in the real world, such as: social inadequacy, toxic relationships, and invalidating families, leading to the use of technology as an escape from reality. Adolescents who face biopsychosocial difficulties to consolidate their identity and assert themselves tend to virtualize their lives to obtain pleasure and fulfillment, becoming technologically dependent. This condition implies the need for therapeutic treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBT) have proven to be effective in treatment, developing coping strategies and reducing symptoms related to dependence, as they enable the promotion of self-regulation, cognitive reframing, and the development of healthy interpersonal relationships, providing a better quality of life.