Filenews 7 December 2025 - by Marios Demetriou
The well-known neurologist-psychiatrist Dr. Kyriakos Veresies, professor at Philips University, speaks of a "silent epidemic and addiction to the use of the mobile phone by adults, as well as minors" in Cyprus and internationally, in an interview with our newspaper, which coincides with the very recent adoption of a non-legislative proposal for the protection of minors on the internet, of the European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg on 26 November 2025. This proposal sets a minimum age of 16 years for access to social media throughout the European Union and bans the most harmful and addictive practices.
"Many people consider cell phone addiction and addiction just a habit," Dr. Veresies told us, "but the difference is fundamental. Habit is an automatic behaviour, while addiction is the compulsive engagement in an activity, despite the knowledge of the negative consequences it brings. When use begins to disrupt work, sleep, relationships, attention and concentration, then we talk about dependence." He added that "the core of the problem is neurobiological and is found in dopamine. For years, we called it the pleasure hormone. Now, we know that dopamine is mainly the hormone of "anticipation" and "push". Our reward system is dramatically activated by waiting. The challenge of our time is to educate users, maximize benefits and minimize risks. We don't demonize technology. Mobile phones, tablets and modern technology are marvels of engineering. However, we need to move from unconscious consumption to conscious use. The goal is for us to be the masters of our attention. Life happens out there, in people's faces, on the route, in food, in conversation, in our interpersonal social contact. Let's not miss it, looking at a bright screen!"
Gambling and dopamine of... unpredictable hope!
-Dr. Veresier, you mentioned that our reward system is activated by waiting. How does this relate to the use of the mobile phone?
-Absolutely. The telephone is a machine of continuous prediction. Our brain is rewarded not so much by reading the message as by waiting that the next vibration, or the next sound, might be something important: a "like", a new business opportunity, a social message. This waiting, this unpredictable hope, is the stimulus that releases dopamine. The immediate and super-pleasant stimulation offered by the screen activates the same reward mechanisms in the brain as those activated by substances. Addiction is primarily neurobiological, not necessarily chemical.
– You told us that the mobile phone works like a "variable amplification machine". What is the exact parallel with gambling and, in particular, with "slots" or "slots"?
-It is one of the most important parallels in behavioural psychology. Gambling addiction works with the "variable ratio scheme". We don't know when the "jackpot" will come, so we keep pressing the button, or pulling the lever. The unpredictable nature of the reward is what keeps the most intense and persistent behaviour. The mobile phone is the modern "jackpot". We check ten times and 90% of the notifications are irrelevant. However, the one time the important notification comes is enough to reinforce the compulsive behaviour for the next hundred times. Just as the gambler "must" play another hand, the user "must" check whether the notification has now arrived.
-And in relation to electronic games?
-In video games, addiction is based on small, frequent rewards that create a constant sense of "progress" and "accomplishment." The mobile phone does the same: when we "clean" all notifications, reply to messages and generally "manage" our digital inbox, we feel a similar, ephemeral satisfaction. In both cases, "Fear Of Missing Out" (FOMO) dominates, the fear that we lose something if we don't control. In the electronic game, we are afraid of missing an event. On the mobile phone, we are afraid of losing a social connection, or a crucial piece of information. This fear is a powerful compulsion to always stay connected. Research data shows that the average mobile phone user checks it 110 times a day on average – that is, every 8 minutes or so, in 16 hours of waking up. The numbers are overwhelming. But when we measure real use, through digital tools, the numbers are five times higher, up to ten times higher.
Sleep, attention deficit and withdrawal syndrome
-How does the presence of the mobile phone affect the issue of sleep?
-The effect is catastrophic. The majority of people keep the phone in the bedroom. The blue light of the screen blocks the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone, so, even if we don't use the phone, we are alert, due to its presence and the fear that we may lose something. Poor sleep quality increases our stress levels and susceptibility to addiction, creating a vicious cycle.
-How does constant interruption affect our ability to focus, think deeply and be productive?
The brain does not do many tasks at the same time, but quickly switches between the many tasks and tasks that we have to carry out. Every time we check the phone, the brain has to stop the demanding task, reorient itself to the screen (a small dose of dopamine) and try to return to the original task. This alternation requires cognitive energy. It has been estimated that the cost of job rotation can reduce productivity by up to 80%. If our attention is constantly interrupted, we cannot reach deep processing, which is essential for memory and learning.
-Is there a withdrawal syndrome in relation to the mobile phone?
-Certainly. When the addictive mechanism (the phone) is removed, the user experiences a sharp increase in cortisol, nervousness, discomfort. This is the body, looking for the tool it was using, to regulate stress. When we ignore an interlocutor to deal with our phone, it shows that the compulsion has become so powerful that it transcends societal norms and the desire for meaningful, human connection.
Given the neurobiological nature of addiction, how can we regain control? Is simple willpower enough?
-Will alone is not enough. We need to change the environment and programming of our device so that it is harder for dopamine to activate. The goal is to "spoil" the mechanism of unpredictable, variable aid.
-What are the most effective technical solutions, especially for iPhone users?
-The most powerful technique is the grouping of notifications (scheduled summary) on iOS. Or we can set specific times of the day when we will receive information about our messages. Also, during our work, we can make our screen black and white, or cover the icons, so that they are not easily accessible and provocative, so that we can touch them. We can also determine our working time by electronic means....
-In the end, is it the responsibility of users, or technology companies, who design their products, to be addictive?
-Responsibility is two-way. Design ethics is a serious issue, and we know that phones and apps are deliberately designed to maximize "dwell time" and take advantage of our dopamine sensitivity. However, regaining control is our responsibility, the users.
Prevention for children and adults
-How can we act preventively, both for us adults and for the children who acquire their first mobile phone?
-Prevention is based on the pillars of example and limits. Before we give the device to the children, we explain to them thoroughly, so that they understand it well, that the mobile phone is not "their" right, but a tool that we lend them. If the rules are violated (e.g. use after midnight), the tool is removed. The mobile phone is useful for security. But as far as social media (TikTok, Instagram) is concerned, we must not allow them to become accessible to minors, from an early age, as the child's brain is not ready to manage the addiction algorithm. Finally, we must impose an inviolable rule of banning the mobile phone in the bedroom. Mobile phones should be charged at night, in the living room. As far as we adults are concerned, of course, the example we set with our behaviour is important. Children do not do what we tell them, but what they see us doing. If we are constantly bent over a screen, this is what they consider normal. Prevention begins when they see us leaving our cell phones to read a book, or to talk! The first step to "detoxification" is awareness and self-awareness. Let's measure the time of actual use. This is not difficult – every week, our mobile phone gives us information about how many hours we are in front of the screen. If we consider that we spend 4 hours with the mobile phone every day, it means that a real time for us actually has 10 months. The other two (day and night), we spend in front of the screen of our mobile phone...
Communication, security and criminal activity...
-Do you agree that beyond the neurobiological trap and addiction, the mobile phone – along with the internet – remains one of the greatest achievements of our time, especially in terms of communication and security?
We must be clear: the goal is not to eliminate technology, but to use it consciously. The positives of the mobile phone are huge and concern three main axes:
>First, it offers direct communication and information, since the mobile phone has abolished geographical distances, allowing direct communication (video calls, messages) with loved ones, all over the world. Plus, it offers access to an almost limitless wealth of information and education – a digital library in our pocket.
>Second, it offers security and localization. Having a mobile phone, in case of an emergency (accidents, health problems, natural disasters), is a lifesaver. Through GPS and tracking applications, it offers safety to children, the elderly, people moving alone and the entire population, allowing immediate location by the authorities or their relatives.
>Third, the mobile phone is a critical tool for the authorities in the prosecution of crime. Location data and communications are often instrumental in identifying, identifying, and apprehending perpetrators, thereby enhancing overall public safety.
– But there is also the "dark side" of technology, which is exploited by criminals, with the consequences of uncontrolled use, at the level of public order, isn't it?
-Indeed, technology is a neutral tool. The dark side arises from the abuse of anonymity and ease of communication for criminal activity. One of the most serious problems is the promotion of criminal actions, through prisons and penitentiaries, by incarcerated users of illegal mobile phones. Activities such as the coordination of organized crime, blackmail, and even the planning of escapes, are now made possible from "inside", undermining the prison system. Also, the abundance of personal data and the ease of access to a large number of people, through the mobile phone, has led to an increase in online scams and extortion. The digital world offers a new, impersonal field of action for criminals. Furthermore, the anonymity of the internet, especially when it comes to young people, facilitates cyberbullying and the spread of fake news, with devastating psychological consequences for the victims. In conclusion, the device is a powerful force multiplier, whether for the benefit of law, communication, and security, or for the benefit of crime and dependency. The challenge of our time is to educate users to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks.
