dMOS™the Digital Media Overuse Scale
$20 USD/individual
Clinicians and treatment programs,
contact us for quantity discounts.
Evaluates your internet and smartphone application use to identify risk in these areas:
● Social media addiction ● Pornography addiction
● Video game addiction ● Internet addiction
● Smartphone addiction
Video: Learn the 5 Types of Internet Addiction
Social media, video games, online pornography, online spending and information overload all come with the risk of overuse and addiction. Who’s affected and what are the signs? Watch this video to learn.
How to Know if You’re Addicted
Digital media use occurs on a spectrum from healthy to addictive use. The vast majority of users fall under the category of overuse. While digital media overuse isn’t addiction, it comes with its own set of health problems. A small, but not insignificant percentage of users also develop full-blown behavioral addiction. We developed dMOS®, the Digital Media Overuse Scale, to help regular people, clinicians, and treatment programs measure digital media use and gain a better sense of an individual’s risk for overuse and addiction.
Who benefits from taking the Digital Media Overuse Scale (dMOS™)?
The Digital Media Overuse Scale (dMOS) was created specifically for individuals 18 & older who want an easy-to-read report on their digital media use detailing areas of concern and providing general recommendations. It’s a validated and reliable assessment tool that can be used by mental health professionals and treatment programs or by regular people.
The dMOS benefits:
- Individuals 18 & older
- Professionals in the mental health, addiction, medical and related fields who are seeking a valid and reliable tool to include in their assessment process for digital media overuse and addiction issues.
- Treatment programs that want to identify clients with digital media addiction or overuse issues and develop a well-rounded treatment plan for them.
- Research settings. If you’re a researcher interested in utilizing the dMOS™ reach out to us for more information.
About Behavioral Addiction
A behavioral addiction is a compulsive preoccupation with repeatedly engaging in a specific behavior despite knowledge of adverse consequences. Those who struggle with behavioral addiction experience a short-term reward when they engage in their addictive behavior just like the reward experienced by users of addictive substances.
Gaming Disorder Becomes a Behavioral Addiction
In 2022, the World Health Organization included gaming disorder in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases.
Gaming disorder is characterized by persistent or recurrent gaming behavior (often called “digital” gaming or “video-gaming”) with a loss of control over:
- Starting and stopping
- Frequency
- Intensity
- Duration
- Context
Those with gaming disorder give increasing priority to gaming until it eventually takes priority over other life interests and daily activities.
Despite negative consequences, gaming disorder sufferers continue their gaming behaviors, or even increase them.
For gaming disorder to be diagnosed, these behavior patterns must be severe enough to cause significant problems in key areas such as:
- Personal
- Family
- Social
- Educational
- Occupational/Job
- Other important areas of functioning
These impairments usually need to be evident for at least 12 months in order for a diagnosis to be made. However, if all diagnostic requirements are met and symptoms are severe, a diagnosis can be made in less time.
Other Digital Media Addictions
Video games are not the only digital media that pose a risk for overuse and addiction. In a study of 800 college students conducted by our research team at Digital Media Treatment & Education Center and Binghamton University, video games, social media, online pornography, internet video steaming, and smartphones all proved capable of causing problems for users.
Signs & Symptoms of Digital Media Addiction
Those who struggle with digital media addiction and overuse commonly experience several, if not all of the following signs and symptoms.
- A preoccupation or “need” to engage in the online activity.
- Increasing priority given to online behaviors such as gaming, social media, spending, pornography, or information seeking to the extent that the behavior takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities.
- Health interests, personal care and responsibilities become neglected.
- Feeling or experiencing a strong, negative, unpleasant reaction when the device and/or application is removed and/or not available.
- Increased tolerance and repeated use to avoid or lessen withdrawal symptoms.
- Inability to stop engaging in the behavior, despite experiencing adverse consequences in key areas of life such as academics, workplace, social/relationships, and financial.
- Lying to conceal the extent of the online behavior.
Types of Behavioral Addiction
In general, most people struggle to effectively manage their time on the Internet and while using smartphones. More specifically, there are 5 categories of digital media that many people struggle to use in moderation at one time or another.
- Social media
- Video games
- Online Pornography
- Online Spending
- Information Overload
A smaller portion of those users are at-risk for developing a behavioral addiction.
The compulsive play of online video games and the impaired ability to control online and even, offline, gaming activities at the expense of other activities, relationships, and self-care.
Persistent inability to control intense, repetitive sexual impulses to view online pornography, engage adult chat rooms and/or GPS “hook up” apps that cause distress, adversely impact relationships and may contribute to sexual dysfunction.
Excessive and compulsive use of social media platforms such as Instagram, SnapChat, Twitter, and Facebook that may adversely impact relationships, contribute to poor self-esteem, body image issues, self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation exacerbate mood disorders.
Compulsive and uncontrolled behaviors involving the need to spend money, regardless of the need or financial means, through online shopping (Amazon, Ebay), gambling (i.e online poker, sports) and online trading which may result in relationship conflicts and negative financial consequences.
The compulsive desire to search and consume information on the internet, “binge watch” entertainment through feeds and streaming platforms (i.e. Reddit, YouTube, Netflix), and to obsessively engage in non-job related computer programming, often leading to isolation, poor sleep, and disengagement from others.
Internet addiction
Internet addiction, also called technology addiction, online addiction, or digital media addiction, is an umbrella term that can refer to a behavioral addiction to video games, online pornography, social media, online spending, or information overload. Only a small percentage of the population meets criteria for internet addiction, but most users fall in the overuse category which poses its own health risks.
Social media addiction
Social media addiction is characterized by a person’s excessive preoccupation with social media. This can include any social media platform but some of the more addictive platforms to be documented through studies are Instagram and TikTok.
Video game addiction
Video game addiction is characterized by a preoccupation with internet-based video games. Users experience strong, unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when the video game is removed or unavailable. Research on online gaming shows that social anxiety is directly associated with four motivations to game:
- Escape from distressing feelings, thoughts, and experiences
- Coping
- Immersing into fantasy
- Recreation
Many people who struggle with video game overuse report that they began to lose control over their use after meeting other like-minded gamers with whom they could engage socially online. The virtual world of online games often serves as a safe place for making friends and establishing relationships, especially for socially anxious gamers. Online communication is valued as less risky and more effective than face-to-face. However, the risk for these players is they become more and more isolated from real life, friends, family, and activities they used to enjoy. This often leads to experiencing more significant problems such as debilitating anxiety, depression, and for some, suicidal ideation.
Pornography addiction
Pornography addiction is marked by a preoccupation with viewing online pornography. Those who struggle with pornography addiction spend a lot of time thinking about and planning for the next time they’ll watch pornography. In the lead up to viewing pornography, they feel great excitement and stimulation, which is part of the behavioral addiction. Once they finish viewing pornography, however, they are often flooded with feelings of remorse, shame and guilt. This eventually leads them to seek out pornography again, in part to mask the negative feelings, and the cycle repeats.
Compulsive spending
Compulsive spending includes uncontrolled behaviors around spending money through any online platform, regardless of need or financial means. Compulsive spending can be a primary focus such as when a person is addicted to shopping on platforms like Amazon or eBay, or a cross-addiction such as with in-app spending in video games, online gambling or sports betting, or online trading. Those who struggle with compulsive spending experience relationship conflicts and negative financial consequences as a result of their spending habits but they still struggle to stop the behavior.
Information overload
Users who struggle with information overload have a compulsive desire to search and consume information on the internet, “binge watch” entertainment through feeds and streaming platforms like Reddit, YouTube, or Netflix, or obsessively engage in non-job-related computer programming, often leading to isolation, poor sleep, and disengagement from others.
Smartphone addiction
Smartphone addiction is a blanket term that can refer to a behavioral addiction to mobile video games, online pornography, social media, online spending, or information overload such as through mobile video streaming. Only a small percentage of the population meets criteria for smartphone addiction, but most users fall in the smartphone overuse category which poses its own health risks.
Statistics and Studies
The majority of internet users fall in the digital media overuse category, which has its own set of health risks.
Is internet addiction common?
- An estimated 8.5% of US children ages 8-18 and 13%-18% of US college students suffer from internet addiction.1 Gentile (2009),2Young (2011)
- An estimated 6% of people have internet addiction across 31 nations in 7 world regions.3 3Cheng, C., & Li, A. Y. (2014)
- Internet addiction is more than three times as common as gambling addiction 4Cheng, C., & Li, A. Y. (2014)
How many people are at risk of digital media overuse?
- 36% of US teens say they spend too much time on the internet. 5Pew Research Center (2023)
- More than half of US teens say it would be difficult for them to give up social media.6Pew Research Center (2023)
- 41% of US teens and 61% of US teen boys play video games daily. 36% of boys and 25% of girls play several times a day.7Pew Research Center (2024)
- 19% of US teens say they use YouTube almost constantly.8Pew Research Center (2023)
- 16% of US teens say they use TikTok almost constantly.9Pew Research Center (2023)
- 15% of US teens say they use Snapchat almost constantly.10Pew Research Center (2023)
- 8% of adults ages 18-24 play video games more than 20 hours a week.11Statista (2024)
- 7% of adults ages 30-49 play video games more than 20 hours a week.12Statista (2024)
dMOS™the Digital Media Overuse Scale
$20 USD/individual
Clinicians and treatment programs,
contact us for quantity discounts.
Evaluates your internet and smartphone application use to identify risk in these areas:
● Social media addiction ● Pornography addiction
● Video game addiction ● Internet addiction
● Smartphone addiction
Who is most at risk for Internet Addiction or Digital Media Overuse?
College-age adults – College students are most at-risk because they lack the impulse control that develops after age 25 while living away from their parents for the first time.
Children ages 8-18 — Children and teens age 8-18 are the next most vulnerable group after college-age adults. They also lack impulse control but they usually live with their parents who help set limits on their digital media use.
People with ADHD – ADHD is one of the most common coexisting factors with internet addiction or digital media overuse. People with ADHD struggle with impulse control. They also experience hyperfocus or getting “sucked into” something that grabs their interest, then losing track of time. Both factors may drive them towards addictive behaviors in general.
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder – Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common co-occurring diagnosis with internet addiction or digital media overuse. Few therapists, however, are trained to recognize the wide array of characteristics that a person on the autism spectrum can present and many go undiagnosed for both autism and digital media overuse or addiction.
Video game addiction and overuse facts and statistics
- People with gaming addiction are more likely to be male.14Chen, Kevin & Oliffe, John & Kelly, Mary. (2018)
- Worldwide, gaming disorder appears to be as common as obsessive-compulsive disorder and some substance addictions, less common than compulsive spending and more common than gambling addiction.15Stevens, M. W., Dorstyn, D., Delfabbro, P. H., & King, D. L. (2021)
- Many video game addicts report that their problems began when they discovered the social part of internet gaming.
- For this reason, one of the most problematic types of video games with regards to addiction and overuse are the multiplayer role-playing games where users can socialize with others in the game.
Social media addiction and overuse facts and statistics
- Social media addiction is significantly correlated with being female.16Zhao, J., Jia, T., Wang, X., Xiao, Y., & Wu, X. (2022)
- Except in South Asia where 3 out of 4 social media accounts belong to men.17Search Logistics (2024),18Salari, Nader & Zarei, Hosna & Hosseinian-Far, Amin & Rasoulpoor, Shabnam & Shohaimi, Shamarina & Mohammadi, Masoud. (2023).
- US teen girls are more likely than boys to say it would be difficult for them to give up social media (58% vs. 49%).19Pew Research Center (2023)
- Young teen girls (middle school age) are most vulnerable to negative effects of social media addiction and overuse.20Orben, A., Przybylski, A.K., Blakemore, SJ. et al.(2022)
- Instagram makes body image issues worse for 1 in 3 teen girls.21Pew Research Center (2023)
- 40% of Instagram users who reported feeling unattractive said the feeling began on Instagram.22Meta (2021)
- About a quarter of the teens who reported feeling ‘not good enough’ said the feeling started on Instagram.23Meta (2021)
- Many teens also said Instagram undermined their confidence in the strength of their friendships.24Meta (2021)
- Among teens who reported suicidal thoughts, 13% of British users and 6% of American users traced the issue to Instagram.25Meta (2021)
- People with higher scores on a social media addiction scale are significantly more likely to have Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).26Andreassen, C. S., Torsheim, T., Brunborg, G. S., & Pallesen, S. (2012)
- Social media addiction shows an even greater correlation with ADHD than gaming disorder.27Schou Andreassen, C., Billieux, J., Griffiths, M. D., Kuss, D. J., Demetrovics, Z., Mazzoni, E., & Pallesen, S. (2016)
dMOS™the Digital Media Overuse Scale
$20 USD/individual
Clinicians and treatment programs,
contact us for quantity discounts.
Evaluates your internet and smartphone application use to identify risk in these areas:
● Social media addiction ● Pornography addiction
● Video game addiction ● Internet addiction
● Smartphone addiction
Health Risks
Digital media overuse and addiction are linked to many physical and mental health issues including the following.
Mental Health Issues
- Teens who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms.28Riehm KE, Feder KA, Tormohlen KN, et al. (2019)
- 46% of teens say social media makes them feel worse about their body.29Zhao, J., Jia, T., Wang, X., Xiao, Y., & Wu, X. (2022)
- 10 independent experiments found that certain social media plaftorms cause users to experience a worsened mood and/or lower body image.30Haidt, J., Rausch, Z., & Twenge, J. (ongoing)
- 80% of US teens think harassment over video games is a problem for people their age. And 41% of those who play say they’ve been called an offensive name when playing.31Pew Research Center (2024)
Other Health Issues
- Studies show that higher amounts of digital gaming time are associated with skipping breakfast and eating foods higher in saturated fat and sodium, or fast food.32Vaarala, S., Ruotsalainen, H., Hylkilä, K. et al. (2022)
- College men who play video games have been shown to eat extra calories more often, eat less fruit and vegetables, and exercise less than non-gamers.33Moore, D., & Morrell, J. (2020)
- 64% of teens say their social media use interferes with their sleep.34Pulse Survey (2022)
- 41% of teens who play video games say it interferes with their sleep.35Pew Research Center (2024)
Academic Performance
Athletic Performance
Using social media or gaming before a sports competition is significantly and positively correlated with disruption of concentration, sport anxiety, and deteriorated performance.
How do I know if I have a problem?
We developed a test to find out if you’re at risk for internet addiction or digital media overuse.
About the Digital Media Overuse Scale
The Digital Media Overuse Scale is an assessment tool that evaluates your Internet use across 5 categories:
- Social Media
- Gaming
- Pornography
- Internet Video Streaming
- Smartphone
It’s a self-assessment that can be taken on your own or administered by a mental health or medical professional.
How does the Digital Media Overuse Scale work?
The test asks a series of questions about your digital media use. Your answers are evaluated for the following factors critical to diagnosing internet addiction and overuse:
- Cessation
- Deception
- Displacement
- Distress
- Escape
- Information overload
- Persistence
- Preoccupation with activities
- Social preoccupation problems
- Spending
- Substance
- Tolerance
- Withdrawal
Of course, no medical or psychiatric diagnosis can be made solely through a written test or screening instrument. This survey is intended for educational and informational purposes only. If your dMOS™ score is on the higher side, it’s reasonable to reflect on your internet use and consider whether it’s creating problems in your life.
Treatments for Internet Addiction
There are generally two approaches to addiction treatment.
- Abstinence — The behavior is completely removed.
- Harm-Reduction — A range of strategies, from safer use, to managed use, to abstinence, are employed.
A harm reduction approach to addiction treatment takes much more effort. You must be very mindful and have a specific plan in place, thinking things through ahead of time, and developing strategies for every eventuality. Because of this, some people find abstinence easier.
Our Treatment Recommendations
We offer the following recommendations for seeking digital media addiction treatment:
- Work with a licensed therapist who specializes in internet addiction issues.
- It’s ideal to work with a therapist near you who you can meet with in person, at least periodically and during crucial phases of treatment.
- Work with a therapist that takes a family approach to treatment and offers coaching and support for parents and partners.
How to Stop Digital Media Overuse in College
- Feeling connected and integrated into your campus is essential to student satisfaction and academic success. This lowers the risk of social isolation and digital media overuse.
- Prior to the semester beginning, identify areas of interest and review campus groups and opportunities being offered. Sign up and attend.
- Executive functioning skills are critical to college success. Students with ADHD are at high risk for digital media overuse. Find regular support if this is an area you struggle with, such as a coach or tutor.
- Identify a college that provides effective support for areas that commonly are associated with digital media overuse (e.g., anxiety, depression, learning differences, ADHD, Autism), including disability services and mental health support.
- If digital media overuse has been a problem prior to college seek out support groups on and off campus, such as through a collegiate recovery center on campus or community supports.
Read more about mitigating the risk of digital media overuse at college.
Recovery from Digital Media Addiction
- Peer support is key to long-term recovery success.
- Seek out a support group of likeminded people who have the same goal to overcome the same addiction you have.
- Learning to utilize technology in a pro-social manner that supports healthy social connection, academic and workplace success is key.
dMOS™the Digital Media Overuse Scale
$20 USD/individual
Clinicians and treatment programs,
contact us for quantity discounts.
Evaluates your internet and smartphone application use to identify risk in these areas:
● Social media addiction ● Pornography addiction
● Video game addiction ● Internet addiction
● Smartphone addiction
