Digital Addiction Intervention Approaches Based on People’s Subjective Perception and Definition of Addiction

Abstract

Digital addiction received widespread concern but was poorly defined. Self-perceived addiction can aid users in refraining from addiction. People primarily perceive digital addiction subjectively rather than through its objective definitions. The research gap concerning people’s subjective perceptions of digital addiction requires further exploration. This study determined how people subjectively perceive and define addiction based on behavioral and cognitive factors. A between-group experiment involving 109 participants from different countries was conducted to classify whether hypothetical individuals described in hypothetical questions were addicted. The findings reveal that regret plays a crucial role in self-perception. People perceive digital behavior through its image, content, and impact rather than the medium itself. The study suggests potential interventions, such as presenting information that can trigger regretful emotions, reinforcing negative images of the behavior, indicating harmful content, or demonstrating adverse consequences in application designs, to prevent or abstain users from digital addiction.