TECH ADDICTION

A Working Group For A New Era of Mental Health

Today I was asked by Petros Levounis MD, MA, president-elect of the American Psychiatric Association, to serve on his Presidential Initiative Working Group to support his theme Confronting Addiction: Prevention to Recovery. Chaired by Smita Das, MD, PhD, MPH,  Committees of the Presidential Work Group members will provide expertise to lead the development and review of content as well as serve as spokespersons for APA in support of the theme. There will be four areas of focus during the year: vaping, opioids, alcohol, and technology.

What Can A Working Group do?

Presidential Initiative Working Groups aim to educate mental health professionals and the public on new and rising threats to mental wellness. With regards to this specific Working Group, I see our responsibility as two-fold. One: we have to educate others on how to form healthy, sustainable relationships with technologies such as social media platforms and video games. Two: we must emphasize that, yes, technology can be addictive, but it’s also necessary in this day and age.

How Will I Make the Most of This Opportunity?

It has always been a passion of mine to speak about social media, video games, and other new technologies, directly to those who enjoy using those technologies the most (and are therefore more at risk of unhealthy use). For me, that has meant speaking about Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) at video game expos and conventions in a non-judgmental manner, as a fan myself. This Working Group is a great opportunity to continue that work and reach new audiences in the process.

A New Direction for the Field of Psychiatry?

I want to thank president-elect Levounis for his leadership of the American Psychiatric Association and inviting me to be a part of this initiative. I think this is a wonderful, new direction for the organization to head in. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

By Dr. Sherer