Beyond Gaming: Vulnerability to Digital Addictions in the Age of Social Media
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral and Mental Health".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 37
Special Issue Editors
Interests: behavioral addictions; mental health; online gaming; risk factors; protective factors; prevention strategies and psychosocial impact
Interests: internet gaming disorder; online addictions; adolescents; online games; digital addiction; mental health; social media; social isolation
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Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In recent years, Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) has become a growing concern, especially among adolescents and young adults. While initially associated with excessive video and online gaming, the concept has broadened to include a wider range of problematic digital behaviors. These include the compulsive use of social media, online gambling, and continuous exposure to algorithm-driven digital content, all of which can significantly impact mental health, academic performance, and social relationships.
This Special Issue seeks to bring together research that examines the biopsychosocial foundations of these digital behaviors, explores prevention and treatment strategies, and analyzes their implications for public policy and educational initiatives. The aim of this Special Issue is to create a space for academic discussion that supports the development of comprehensive, evidence-based responses to the complex challenges posed by digital addictions.
Although IGD is recognized in the DSM–5–TR as a condition requiring further study, other forms of digital overuse—particularly excessive engagement with social media—remain the subject of ongoing debate. There is still no consensus on whether these behaviors should be classified as addictions or understood through other frameworks, such as habitual overuse, impulse control issues, or maladaptive coping strategies.
For this Special Issue, we invite submissions of original research, theoretical contributions, and literature reviews that address one or more of the following four foci:
- Diagnostic and Conceptual Frameworks:
Exploring the boundaries and validity of constructs such as Internet gaming disorder, social media addiction, and other forms of digital overuse in adolescents and young adults. - Mechanisms of Vulnerability:
Studies that examine the psychological, neurobiological, or social mechanisms that contribute to youth digital overuse, including the role of persuasive design features and algorithmic content delivery. - Intervention and Prevention Strategies:
Evaluations of programs, tools, or public health strategies aimed at reducing problematic digital engagement among youth, with a focus on family, school, and policy-level interventions. - Digital Literacy and Self-Regulation:
Research focused on educational approaches that foster digital literacy, emotional regulation, and critical thinking to help adolescents navigate digital environments more healthily.
This Special Issue aims to encourage a multidisciplinary dialogue that draws from psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, education, communication, media studies, and public health, offering a more complete understanding of digital addictions in today’s rapidly changing technological environment.
Prof. Dr. Raquel Suriá-Martínez
Prof. Dr. Álvaro García del Castillo-López
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- digital addiction
- internet gaming disorder (IGD)
- social media overuse
- behavioral addictions
- problematic internet use
- digital health
- screen time and mental health
- digital wellbeing
- prevention and intervention
- biopsychosocial factors
- impulse control
- emotional regulation
- persuasive technology
- public health and digital behavior
- psychoeducation
- digital literacy
- adolescent development
- technology and mental health
- online risk behavior
- youth and digital media
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