Welcome to Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous! We’re glad you’ve found us, and we hope our community can be as helpful to you as it has been for us. ITAA is a Twelve-Step fellowship of individuals who support each other in recovering from internet and technology addiction. This includes social media addiction, phone addiction, video addiction, television addiction, gaming addiction, news addiction, pornography addiction, dating apps, online research, online shopping, or any other digital activity that becomes compulsive and problematic.
Regardless of how large or small you feel your problem may be, we encourage you to try attending one of our daily meetings to see whether ITAA can be helpful for you. Our meetings are free and open to anyone who struggles with compulsive internet use. Meetings are safe, secure, and anonymous. ITAA is highly diverse, and our meetings include members of all ages, genders, and ethnicities from around the world. In addition, we also have meetings in French, Spanish, Russian, German, Dutch, Hebrew, Arabic, and Polish. You may also find a local, in-person meeting in your city.
What is AI addiction?
Despite how new AI is as a technology, it’s just as possible to become addicted as to any other digital behavior. Specifically, AI addiction is the compulsive and harmful use of AI-powered applications. It can involve AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, video or image generation apps, algorithm-driven social media platforms, AI-powered gaming, AI companions, AI roleplaying, AI-generated pornography, or any other generative AI or LLM (large language model) application that becomes compulsive and harmful. As a subset of internet and technology addiction, AI addiction can lead to changes in the brain that over time compromise our ability to focus, prioritize, regulate our mood, and relate to others.
Those of us who have come to identify as AI addicts experienced several common symptoms. We used AI applications for longer than we intended, despite attempts to control or cut back our use. Even when we were aware of the consequences and wanted to stop, we were unable to do so. We increasingly found our sense of validation and emotional regulation was tied to our use of AI models. When we weren’t connected to our AI applications, we experienced distraction, anxiety, and irritability. We were unable to enjoy and be present with our offline lives. We used AI to alter our moods and escape our problems. Our addictive behaviors jeopardized our relationships, educational pursuits, and career opportunities. We felt shame and demoralization about our use of AI.
When we first noticed these troubling experiences, we began to acknowledge that something wasn’t right. But many of us still questioned whether we really had an addiction, especially given that this is such a new technology. For those of us still wondering, the following questions may help us better identify whether there are signs of an addiction to AI applications in our lives.
AI Addiction Questionnaire:
Do I ever use AI applications to quickly check something and then discover that hours have passed? Do I ever swear off or set limits around my use of AI, and then break my commitments? Do I have binges on AI applications that last all day or late into the night? Do I turn to AI whenever I have a free moment? Does my use of AI lead me to neglect my personal hygiene, nutritional needs, or physical health? Do I feel isolated, emotionally absent, distracted, or anxious when I’m not using my AI applications? Does my use of AI contribute to conflict or avoidance in personal relationships? Have my digital behaviors jeopardized my studies, finances, or career? Do I hide or lie about the amount of time I spend using AI or the kinds of AI-generated content I consume? Do I feel guilt or shame around my use of AI?
... continue reading