Finding The Power To Unplug In A Digital Age

By Jeremy Edge, LPC Founder of Escapingthe.com, PLLC

Online access is no longer a luxury but a necessity in so many settings. Certain screen-related activities—video games, social media platforms and streaming services—can enhance our lives and provide hours of entertainment. In some cases, the Internet can improve our social capital, increase our productivity, and bolster our mental health. However, there’s a dark side to unlimited online access in that it can become problematic and addictive as we become trapped by its enticing experiences.

Parents struggle with knowing how to help their 14-year-old son, who becomes irate when video games are limited. Couples suffer from a partner’s pornography use. And young adults struggle with knowing how to manage their screen time. Escape means to break free from confinement or control. In 2019, I founded Escapingthe.com, PLLC, a counseling service designed to help individuals address the growing need to break free from addiction to online-specific activities such as video games, pornography and social media.

In a seminal moment in January 2022, “Gaming Disorder” was added to the World Health Organization’s ICD-11. And studies have found that social media can exacerbate mental health struggles. Children as young as eight years old are being exposed to graphic pornography, setting them up for failure with navigating healthy sex. And about 64% of people spent more time and money on online gambling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, we can’t simply stop using all screens. We are in an online, connected world and most of us cannot completely abstain from all Internet usage. However, at times we may need to stop a certain Internet activity such as video games or social media. Doing so gives us the opportunity to create a more balanced lifestyle. The mental health counselors at Escapingthe.com, PLLC work with clients to find balance and solutions to problematic and addictive screen use.

What does problematic screen use look like? Here are a few signs:

• Someone who cannot control online activity.

• A person who'd rather use online activity than do other things they used to enjoy.

• Someone who does not see personal problems developing at work/school, in relationships, and in overall health from their online activity.

• A person who has a strong desire to use online activity as often as possible.

• Someone who has a negative emotional response when asked to discontinue online activity.