Assessing and Treating Digital Behavioral Addictions: Insights at APA

Discussing his presentation at this year’s American Psychiatric Association meeting, Hector Colon-Rivera, MD, highlighted emerging concerns surrounding behavioral addictions, digital technology, and the expanding influence of artificial intelligence on mental health. Colon-Rivera described behavioral addiction as an increasingly important topic in psychiatry, particularly given the rapid growth of digital platforms, video gaming, online gambling, and social media use.¹

He noted that clinicians are now encountering a broader range of problematic behaviors associated with excessive engagement in technology-driven activities.²

Colon-Rivera emphasized that behavioral addictions extend beyond traditional internet overuse and may include compulsive gaming, extreme online gambling, and even maladaptive exercise behaviors shaped by social media culture. He explained that these behaviors can impair functioning and contribute to emotional distress in vulnerable individuals. According to Colon-Rivera, “behavioral addiction is a hot topic right now with all the digital technology coming out.” He suggested that psychiatrists should remain attentive to the evolving ways technology affects cognition, mood, and interpersonal functioning.

Colon-Rivera also focused extensively on artificial intelligence and concerns regarding dependency on AI-assisted tools. He warned that excessive reliance on AI may weaken independent cognitive functioning and creativity over time. He described scenarios in which individuals increasingly depend on AI systems for tasks they previously managed independently, potentially contributing to deficits in memory, thought organization, and self-efficacy. As he stated, patients can become “dependent too much on AI to do what you were able to do in the past without it.”

Colon-Rivera further cautioned that overdependence on AI could have broader psychological consequences, including anxiety, depression, and diminished creativity. He used examples involving writers and musicians who may become reliant on AI-generated assistance to the point that functioning without it becomes difficult. Colon-Rivera emphasized that psychiatry must proactively address the mental health implications of rapidly evolving technologies while balancing innovation with preservation of healthy cognitive and emotional functioning.

Dr Colon-Rivera is medical director for the Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha and is president-elect of the American Society for Adolescent Psychiatry.

References

1. Huble C. National survey finds widespread gambling participation before age 21 amid public concern about youth exposure risk. National Council on Problem Gambling. March 2, 2026. Accessed March 20, 2026. https://www.ncpgambling.org/news/survey-finds-widespread-gambling-participation-before-age-21/

2. Amirthalingam J, Khera A. Understanding social media addiction: a deep dive. Cureus. 2024;16(10):e72499.