Dopamine Detox to beat Digital Addiction
Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma
Professor of Clinical Psychology
SHUT Clinic,NIMHANS,Bengaluru,Karnataka
Why Internet use is a concern?
India spent 1.12 trillion hours on mobile devices in
2024.
45% of the global population watch 60-90 minutes
you tube videos per day.
54.5& of internet traffic happen on mobile phones.
MUST DO VERSUS INHIBITORY CONTROL
UP man does surgery on himself watching Youtube.(Times of India 2025)
Yound adults (N=75000),aged 18-24 years “Severely Distressed “,blames
Smartphones ,Ultra -Processed Food.( News 18,2025).
Increased screen time contributed toSocialWithdrawal/Hikikomori .(Hindustan Times
2025)
Gaming gone wrong:Karnataka see 18 suicides in 3 years.(Bangalore Mirror ,2025)
AI Companion chatbot is promoting validation and increased use(Eonomic
Times ,2025)
Average Screen time by ages
Average screen time for kids ages 0 to 2 – 49 minutes a day,
Average screen time for kids ages 2 to 4 – 2 to 2.5 hours a day,
Average screen time for kids ages 5 to 8 – Over 3 hours a day,
Average screen time for tweens ages 8 to 12 – Almost 5 hours a day,
Average screen time for teens /adults– Almost 7.5 hours a day. ( Statista 2022)
Average screen time for Adult-10 hours day( Ashwini & Sharma 2024)
Case Vignettte
15 years old male, single child of a upper middle socioeconomic
status nuclear family,got access to all modern devices from the age
of 9 years.
Overinvolved/permissive parent, mother is more overinvolved.
Develop preference for gaming from 10 years, started playing 8to 10
hours a day, got a rank in gaming & other benefits, led to academic
and psychosocial dysfunction, anger expression/expression of suicidal
ideation whenever stopped for playing or slow internet speed.
History of ADHD and conduct issues
History of forced rehabilitation admission, led to more
uncooperativeness and even he was not aware of nature of visit to
SHUT clinic.
Adolescent:
I am not an addict.; All
Family disturbance/depression in my Friends
mother anduse it.;I use
marital screen
issues. to
connect to my friends.
Parents:He or She remains in his or her room.; Become irritable when we
ask him or her to stop.; Irregular in sleep pattern and academic.
Ambivalence remain to go with Criteria/Hours of Use or Harms
ADOLESCENT PERSPECTIVE ON TECHNOLOGY USE
THEMES FINDINGS FROM NARRATION
Technology Our daily lives surrounded by technology. It is not technology which is included but we
are included in the technological world. You start your day with gadgets, you put
having relevance alarm, you get up with your phone and then when you end your day with a gadget
in their lives too.
Internet has lot of Validation: you post stuff, you get good comments, it makes you feel good and
perks that makes then you keep doing that. It becomes a cycle.
Affiliation: when people do not have more social connection, they feel like they
you dependent on need someone and then the internet is all always there like an angel, waiting to
it save them.
Escaping the real world: you can mold your personality to be something else,
something which you are not. You can be something which you inspire to be.
Internet has become a getaway for so many people.
Anonymity: you can just write or talk your heart out. So, it’s another way to
express yourself.
Coping: It relieves stress ; I use my phone only when I’m alone, rather than when
I’m with someone else
Happy hormones: it's like an immediate serotonin; I feel like, you know 15-30
minutes of that, you feel completely refreshed
Comfort space: it easier to talk online than to meet new people because there
others I mean like social anxiety which you don't really have to worry about when
you are texting someone.
What does thIS Happy Harmone lead
to…
Losing control over use of
technology Leading to IMBALANCE
Between
Becomes the prioritize
activities.
Goal Directed
Behaviors
Continuation of use
despite consequences VS
/\ Habit Learning
Problematic—Addictive use
Co Morbidities & Treatment
Attention deficit Disorder
Stress
Anxiety Predictive Relationship
Mild depression
Neuroticism
Conduct issue
Treatment: Majority need Psychotherapy,other offered combined approach.
Manifestation of Excessive use
Nomophobia
Phantom vibration syndrome
Zero inbox syndrome
Binge Gaming/Watching
Selfitis
Digital Burnout
Smartphone Lavatory Syndrome
What do we do at Clinic
Assessments &Therapeutic Alliance (Online & Offline)
Interventions( Individual & Family)- 8 sessions program( Multimodal intervention
program for Technology use, Sharma et al 2022)
Family Support group
Pattern at Clinic
Age of contact for initiation of treatment :11 years, Treatment is being initiated by
caregivers .
Age group treatment seekers:15-20 years, predominantly male
Major online activity among treatment seekers : Online games, social media,
browsing,Gambling, Pornography
Reasons for seeking help: academic decline, life style disturbance, negative family
communication, psychological distress etc.
Stage of motivation of treatment seeker: Precontemplation (majority of clients are in this
stages)
Factors affect treatment compliance :Focus on motivation enhancement, life style
changes, helping them to build up controlling strategies, family communication, online
contact/email from treating team
Caregiver burden among treatment seekers: Significant
Improvement was seen at 3to 6 month regular follow up
Challenges-To keep client in treatment
• Recognize
• Reduce
• Recommendations
Recognize the problem with internet use
I. Track and maintain record of online activity
II. Notice the triggers
III. Assessment
It is important to remember 5 C’s
Assessment of Craving- continuous desire to use technology
screen time
Control-loss of control once you initiate the use
(sometime person loses the control or technology
enable the person to lose control).
Coping-Use technology to relax
Compulsion-have to use.
Consequences-Health (eye strain/sleep
disturbance); academic/ work related; personal
relationship
In case of children, it is the ‘Consequences’ of screen
time which is most relevant
CAGE
C-Do you feel a desire to cutdown smart phone use?
A-Do you feel annoyed due to smartphone use ?
G-Do you feel guilty for your smartphone use?
E-Do you start using smartphone as a first thing of the day?
Track & Maintain online activities-
Maintaining an internet diary
REDUCE
Advise to all clients?
Assist yourself for healthy use of technology:
Physical:
• Take frequent break, definitely after 30 minutes of screen use ( do
blinking of eye 10 times, move head forward and backward 5 times each,
move wrist clockwise and anticlockwise (5 times each).
• 60 minutes of physical activities everyday recommended for from 6 to 17
years age group.
• To avoid binge watching, take break of 10 to 15 minutes after each
episode.
• Scheduled time for sleep, Scheduled meal timings
• Minimizing delays for sleep and meals
• Restructuring the day routine for academic tasks/ work
Assist yourself for healthy use of technology:
Digital hygiene:
1. Frequent break,
2. Schedule three meals a day,
3. Break after 45 minutes of headphone use
4. Bring indoor physical activities,
5. Take care of self hygiene
6. Use of apps for monitoring of daily usage and
ensures concentration and efficiency
• 30 to 45 minutes before sleep time ,no online activities
• Decrease digital leisure activities
• Digital fasting
Basic Strategies to Promote Healthy
use
Digital Literacy
Digital hygiene
Digital fasting
Digital resilience
Yoga as an adjunctive therapy
The program duration was 35 minutes (plus 10 minutes weekly philosophical
discussion/trataka kriya). It was implemented along with the developed
Multimodal intervention program.The module consisted of yoga loosening
practices with breath synchronization interspersed with periods of mukha dhauti
(washout breathing) after each practice. External retention of breath (bhahya
kumbhaka) was emphasized for enhancing the mindfulness and self-awareness
(as per Patanjali Yoga Sutra: 1.34). This was followed by fast Kapalabhati Kriya
(skull shining breath) at 90–120 strokes/min for 2 min, Bhastrika at 20 strokes
per cycle for 2 cycles, Chandra anuloma villoma pranayama (left nostril
breathing) for 2 min, and Bhramari (humming breath) pranayama for 3 min and
Om chanting with O and M in the ratio 1:3 for 3 min. Chanting was emphasized
to bring limbic deactivation and enhance vagal tone.
Ref:Tadpatrikar A, Sharma MK, Bhargav H, Anand N, Sharma P, Sharma S. Yoga
as an Adjuvant with Multimodal Psychological Interventions for Excessive Use of
Technology: A Randomized Controlled Trial from India. Int J Yoga. 2024 ;17(1):37-
45
Mindfulness based intervention?
• Awareness of Triggers: Mindfulness enhances awareness of internal cues
(e.g., cravings, urges) and external triggers (e.g., specific situations, people).
• Non-judgmental Observation: Mindfulness helps individuals observe their
urges and behaviors without judgment, reducing shame and self-criticism.
• Increased Self-Control: Mindful awareness improves impulse control by
helping individuals pause and choose healthier responses before acting on
compulsions.
09/25/202
5
Family Factors Community Factors
Open communication, Community awareness and imparting education about healthy and
Offline routine activities, and deviant digital use,
Common shared knowledge and practice of digital hygiene and Cybercrime reporting and investigating units
open discussions about digital deviance and Technology deaddiction centres
Individual Factors
General Specific
Health, Nutrition, Sleep, Exercise, Emotional Regulation,
Confidence, Self-Esteem, Flexibility, Behavioural Inhibition,
Coping strategies, Resourcefulness, Secured hardware and software,
Problem Solving skills, Optimism, Digital Hygiene Skills,
Purposefulness, Gratitude, Awareness of online etiquette,
Strong relationships, and Hobbies and Awareness of digital deviance
DIGITAL RESILIENCE ( Sharma et al 2022)
DigitalBurnout Doom surfing
Cyberbullying Digital Failures
Webinar Fatigue Doom Scrolling
Digital Detox Helpline
Adolescent are the
predominant group for seeking
help .
Though our research indicate
presence of internet related
issues among adults
We are getting enquiries from
adult 25+ for Mobile use,social
media, Excessive use of screen
& Pornography
