The 3rd International Congress of Technology Addiction

The 3rd International Congress of Technology Addiction was hosted by Green Crescent in Istanbul on May 3–4, 2017 with the support of the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) and the Culture, Society and Family Association (KULT). During the congress, behavioral addiction issues related to the Internet, video gaming, mobile phones, social media, television, shopping and cyberbullying were addressed.

Nearly 1,200 people attended the 3rd International Congress of Technology Addiction, which was held under the leadership of Green Crescent in support of the Turkish Ministry of National Education and the KULT Association. The congress, which brought together local and foreign experts for discussions of the many aspects of technology addiction, was officially opened by First Lady Emine Erdoğan; Prof. Nabi Avcı, former Turkish Minister of National Education; Dr. Gülşen Öztürk, President of the KULT Association; and Prof. Mücahit Öztürk, President of the Turkish Green Crescent Society.

The event was organized with the goal of drawing attention to the negative consequences of technology addiction on human life, and to serve as a platform for the presentation of studies by researchers from different countries, for the facilitation of discussions of preventive measures to counter technology addiction and for the introduction of case studies and treatment models, while also encouraging cooperation between researchers and scientists.

Such local and foreign experts in their fields as Prof. Mark D. Griffiths, Gary Wilson, Dr. Kenneth Woog, Mary Sharpe, Dr. Michael Rich, Darryl Mead, Young Yim Doh and Prof. Kemal Sayar addressed and put under the microscope many aspects of the issue of technology addiction. Explaining that pathological internet use, digital gaming, excessive smartphone use, cyberbullying and cybersecurity, excessive social media use and online gambling constitute a rapidly growing worldwide risk, the experts provided information on how to use technology safely and also the health problems caused by addictions.

The congress covered the following topics:

• Pathological Internet use
• Gaming disorder
• Excessive smartphone use
• Cyberbullying
• Cybersecurity
• Excessive social media use
• Online gambling
• Online pornography

The 3rd International Congress of Technology Addiction was held with the contributions of,

• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• The Council of Europe Pompidou Group
• European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)
• Turkish Ministry of Health
• Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Services
• Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sports
• Turkish Ministry of Education
• Turkish Ministry of Interior.