San Diego – A man who checked in to the Navy’s Substance Abuse and Recovery Program for alcoholism is also being treated for a Google Glass addiction, according to a new study.
San Diego doctors say the 31-year-old man “exhibited significant frustration and irritability related to not being able to use his Google Glass.” He has a history of substance abuse, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, they say.
The controversial eyewear allows users to access online information, shoot photos or video and send messages. It is controlled by voice or by using the tiny touchpad on its side.
Google Glass users are frequently reaching for the device, tapping near their temples to control its features; this patient repeatedly did the same, even when the device was not there.
“He reported that if he had been prevented from wearing the device while at work, he would become extremely irritable and argumentative,” the doctors write.
This is the first known case of Internet addiction disorder involving Google Glass, according to the study authors. It is not a recognized disorder in the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the go-to resource book for mental health professionals.
“Individuals with IAD manifest severe emotional, social, and mental dysfunction in multiple areas of daily activities due to their problematic use of technology and the internet,” according to the study abstract.
After 35 days in the treatment program, the patient reported a reduction in irritability and was no longer repeatedly moving his hand to his temple. However, doctors say he continued to “intermittently experience dreams as if looking through the device.”
