Are You Suffering from D.A.D.?

Abstract

I’m not questioning your relationship with your father. I’m talking about digital addiction disorder. Recently, I ran a workshop and one of the participants (I’ll call her Anne) had to excuse herself regularly to leave the room. I assumed she had a weak bladder or an upset stomach but I later found out that she was suffering from D.A.D. In layman’s terms, D.A.D. is the inability to stop looking at your computer, mobile phone, or tablet. This particular workshop is reflective and participants are not supposed to use electronic equipment, but Anne was physically unable to wait for the breakout period. She felt compelled to check and respond to whatever messages were coming in.

We cannot, in a moment, get rid of habits of a lifetime.

—Mahatma Gandhi

Every form of addiction is bad, no matter whether the narcotic be alcohol or morphine or idealism.

—Carl Jung