The new addictions
Humanity’s relationship with addiction evolves over time, as each generation develops their own peculiar habits which come to define their age. And while young people nowadays are less likely to smoke or drink, new technologies mean that the presence of addiction has merely shifted in shape — often adopting high-tech guises: from captivating video games to compulsive social media. In this special series, The Day delves into the world of these new addictions…
Stories
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Official! Gaming addiction is mental illness
Is the World Health Organisation right? It has made “gaming disorder” an official mental illness. While fun for some, excessive gaming can tear lives apart — and the solution is unclear.
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Adult content, online addiction and UK Sex-Ed
How can the internet be made safer? As new laws made to protect children from graphic websites are put on hold, The Day speaks to the NSPCC about...
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‘I must check everything, I must be updated’
How serious is social media addiction? With reports of teens dangerously hooked on sites like Instagram and Snapchat, researchers are racing to discover how addictive social media really is.
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Students in ‘dangerous world’ of smart drugs
What should we do about smart drugs? University students are risking their health by using potent prescription pills to boost their grades. Now the worrying trend is seeping into schools.
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Xanax plague leaves teens ‘dicing with death’
How to fix the Xanax crisis? A BBC report has found that misuse of the drug has led to more than 200 deaths since 2015. Teenagers are particularly...
