Psychiatric News Special Report: Digital Hyperconnectivity: A New Psychiatric Framework

How does constant digital connection affect our mental health, and when does technology use become harmful? In this episode of Psychiatric News Special Report, psychiatrist Sulman Aziz Mirza, M.D., speaks with Nathan A. Carroll, D.O., M.B.A., M.P.H., national medical director for InSite Health, about digital hyperconnectivity, a proposed framework that examines technology as an environmental exposure rather than simply a matter of screen time. They explore how algorithms, notifications, social media, gaming, and artificial intelligence shape attention, behavior, and human relationships. Their conversation also examines the difference between heavy technology use and problematic use, the potential consequences of cognitive offloading, and how clinicians can better assess digital habits. Dr. Carroll discusses the proposed DHC-8 screening tool and why harm reduction, rather than complete disconnection, may offer a more practical path toward healthier technology use. PsychNews Special Report is a production of Psychiatric News, a media platform dedicated to serving as the primary and most trusted source of information for APA members, other psychiatrists and physicians, health professionals, and the public about developments in the field of psychiatry and mental health that impact clinical care and professional practice. Learn more at psychiatryonline.org/journal/pn