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A8 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018 Tech addicts seek solace in 12 steps and rehab The downside of technology By MARTHA IRVINE Associated Press BELLEVUE, Wash. — The young men sit in chairs in a circle in a small meeting room in suburban Seattle and introduce themselves before they speak. It is much like any other 12-step meeting — but with a twist. “Hi, my name is,” each begins. Then something like, “and I’m an internet and tech addict.” The eight who’ve gath- ered here are beset by a level of tech obsession that’s dif- ferent than it is for those of us who like to say we’re addicted to our phones or an app or some new show on a streaming video ser- vice. For them, tech gets in the way of daily function- ing and self-care. We’re talking fl unk-your-classes, can’t-fi nd-a-job, live-in-a- dark-hole kinds of problems, with depression, anxiety and sometimes suicidal thoughts part of the mix. There’s Christian, a 20-year-old college stu- dent from Wyoming who has a traumatic brain injury. His mom urged him to seek help because he was “medi- cating” his depression with video games and marijuana. Seth, a 28-year-old from Minnesota, used video games and any number of things to try to numb his shame after a car he was driving crashed, seriously injuring his brother. Wes, 21, an Eagle Scout and college student from Michigan, played video games 80 hours a week, only stopping to eat every two to three days. He lost 25 pounds and failed his classes. Across town there is another young man who attended this meeting, before his work schedule changed — and his work places him squarely at risk of temptation. He does cloud mainte- nance for a suburban Seat- tle tech company. For a self-described tech addict, this is like working in the lion’s den, laboring for the very industry that peddles the games, videos and other online content that long has been his vice. “I’m like an alco- holic working at a bar,” the 27-year-old laments. A mental health debate “The drugs of old are now repackaged. We have a new foe,” Cosette Rae says of the barrage of tech. A for- mer developer in the tech world, she heads a Seat- tle area rehab center called reSTART Life, one of the few residential programs in the nation specializing in tech addiction. Use of that word — addiction — when it comes to devices, online content and the like, is still debated in the mental health world. But many practitioners agree that tech use is increasingly intertwined with the prob- lems of those seeking help. An American Acad- emy of Pediatrics review of worldwide research found that excessive use of video games alone is a seri- ous problem for as many as 9 percent of young peo- ple. This summer, the World Health Organization also AP Photo/Martha Irvine A 27-year-old self-described tech addict poses for a portrait in front of a video game store at a mall in Everett, Wash. added “gaming disorder” to its list of affl ictions. A simi- lar diagnosis is being consid- ered in the United States. It can be a taboo sub- ject in an industry that fre- quently faces criticism for using “persuasive design,” intentionally harnessing psy- chological concepts to make tech all the more enticing. That’s why the 27-year-old who works at the tech com- pany spoke on condition that his identity not be revealed. He fears that speaking out could hurt his fl edgling career. “I stay in the tech industry because I truly believe that technology can help other people,” the young man says. He wants to do good. But as his co-workers huddle nearby, talking excit- edly about their latest video game exploits, he puts on his headphones, hoping to block the frequent topic of con- versation in this tech-centric part of the world. Even the computer screen in front of him could lead him astray. But he digs in, typing determinedly on his keyboard to refocus on the task at hand. Demons The demons are not easy to wrestle for this young man, who was born in 1991, the very year the World Wide Web went public. As a toddler, he sat on his dad’s lap as they played simple video games on a Mac Classic II computer. Together in their Seattle area home, they browsed the internet on what was then a groundbreaking new service called Prodigy. The sound of the bouncy, then high- pitched tones of the dial-up connection are etched in his memory. By early elementary school, he got his fi rst Super Nintendo system and fell in love with “Yoshi’s Story,” a game where the main charac- ter searched for “lucky fruit.” As he grew, so did one of the world’s major tech hubs. Led by Microsoft, it rose from the nondescript sub- urban landscape and farm fi elds here, just a short drive from the home he still shares with his mom, who split from her husband when their only child was 11. The boy dreamt of being part of this tech boom and, in eighth grade, wrote a note to himself. “I want to be a com- puter engineer,” it read. Very bright and with a head full of facts and fi g- ures, he usually did well in school. He also took an inter- est in music and acting but recalls how playing games increasingly became a way to escape life — the pain he felt, for instance, when his parents divorced or when his fi rst serious girlfriend broke his heart at age 14. That rela- tionship still ranks as his longest. “Hey, do you wanna go out?” friends would ask. “No, man, I got plans. I can’t do it this week- end. Sorry,” was his typical response, if he answered at all. “And then I’d just go play video games,” he says of his adolescent “dark days,” exacerbated by attention defi cit disorder, depression and major social anxiety. Even now, if he thinks he’s said something stu- pid to someone, his words are replaced with a verbal tick — “Tsst, tsst” — as he replays the conversation in his head. “There’s always a catalyst and then it usually bubbles up these feelings of avoid- ance,” he says. “I go online instead of dealing with my feelings.” He’d been seeing a ther- apist since his parents’ divorce. But attending col- lege out of state allowed more freedom and less struc- ture, so he spent even more time online. His grades plummeted, forcing him to change majors, from engi- neering to business. Eventually, he graduated in 2016 and moved home. Each day, he’d go to a nearby restaurant or the library to use the Wi-Fi, claiming he was looking for a job but having no luck. Instead, he was spend- ing hours on Reddit, an online forum where people share news and comments, or viewing YouTube vid- eos. Sometimes, he watched online porn. Even now, his mom doesn’t know that he lied. “I still need to apologize for that,” he says, quietly. Apologies will come later The apologies will come later, in Step 9 of his 12-step program, which he found with the help of a thera- pist who specializes in tech addiction. He began attend- ing meetings of the local group called Internet & Tech Addiction Anonymous in the fall of 2016 and landed his current job a couple of months later. For a while now, he’s been stuck on Step 4 — the personal inventory — a chal- lenge to take a deep look at himself and the source of his problems. “It can be over- whelming,” he says. The young men at the recent 12-step meeting understand the struggle. “I had to be convinced that this was a ‘thing,’” says Walker, a 19-year-old from Washington whose parents insisted he get help after video gaming trashed his fi rst semester of college. He and others from the meet- ing agreed to speak only if identifi ed by fi rst name, as required by the 12-step tenets. CL ASSIF IE D M ARK ETPL A CE P lace classified ad s o n lin e at w w w .d ailyasto rian .co m o r call 503-325-3211 CROSSWORD 107 Public Notices Occasionally other companies make telemarketing calls off classified ads. These companies are not affiliated with The Daily Astorian and customers are under no obligation to participate. If you would like to contact the attorney general or be put on the do not call list, here are the links to both of them Complaint form link: http://www.doj.state.or.us/ finfraud/ 481 Freebies 504 Homes for Sale 651 Help Wanted Free Furniture! House for Sale The City of Astoria A hutch, dresser with mirror, a nightstand, and an end table. You pick up! In Long Beach (360)666-4751 504 Homes for Sale PUBLISHER’S NOTICE 2012 Mini Cooper Countryman All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act which makes it illegal to advertise “Any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.” Familial status includes children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination call HUD at 1(800)669-9777. 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Looking for FT (Mon - Fri) experienced Automotive Technician. We offer paid vacation, full health benefits, and competitive wages. Never work weekends! is now accepting applications for a full-time position of Records Specialist in the Astoria Police Department. Pay range is $16.54-20.11 with excellent benefits. To apply and obtain further information, please go to the City’s application website at https://astoria.applicantpool. com/jobs/. If you need assistance, please contact HR at 503-298-2434 or hr@astoria.or.us. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Dec 28, 2018. CLATSOP COUNTY Health Promotion Specialist $23.80 - $28.93/hour (13 hrs/week) Seeking one part-time Health Promotion Specialist for grant funded position through June 30, 2019 to perform policy development, education focusing on tobacco prevention. Bachelor’s plus 2 years’ experience in community outreach. Skills in building partnerships, programs, policies, and leadership a must. Spanish language a plus. Visit https://www.co.clatsop.or.us/ jobs. Closes 5:00 PM, December 27, 2018. EOE/AA You can send resume to millie@boxkauto.com or call 360-642-4753. Lower Columbia Bowl The Daily Astorian Customer Service Hotline 503-325-32 11 8 am - 6 pm or leave a message anytime or e-mail us: circulation@dailyastorian.com Please call if: • You would like to order home delivery • Your paper has not arrived by 5:30 pm Monday through Friday • Your paper is damaged • You have a problem with a news rack • You are going on vacation • You have questions about your subscription Seeks a part-time pinchaser/janitor for Friday and Saturday evenings. Must be minimum 18 yrs old to work with machines and be able to lift 50 lbs. Apply in person at: Lower Columbia Bowl 826 Marine Dr. Astoria, OR Peace Learning Center Follow us on Facebook! has openings for Teachers and assistant Teachers! If you love children and are passionate about supporting families, please stop by and talk to Kim. 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