Behavioral impulsion, habituation, or regulation? A tripartite model of hedonic technology addiction

Purpose Hedonic technology addiction is a prevalent unintended consequence that stems from the obsessive and compulsive pattern of hedonic technology use, yet its etiology remains unclear. Guided by dual-system theory, we developed a tripartite model that characterizes the behavioral impulsion system (BIS), behavioral habituation system (BHS), and behavioral regulation system (BRS) as the main drivers of hedonic technology addiction. Design/methodology/approach We validated the proposed tripartite model with two multiwave surveys involving two different samples and using two different hedonic technologies. The first study comprises 627 users of online games, whereas the second study includes 359 users of social networking sites. Findings The comparable results showed that the BIS, BHS, and BRS simultaneously determine hedonic technology addiction, yet do so in different ways. Additionally, the BRS significantly weakens the effects of the BIS and BHS on hedonic technology addiction. Practical implications Our empirical findings are potentially helpful for designing measures to help prevent hedonic technology addiction and protect users from the dark side of technology use. Specifically, online game stakeholders should employ information-enhancing policies to intervene in the formation of addicts’ impulsive urge and automatic habit through the reflexive system and capability-enhancing policies to enhance users’ self-regulation capability in the reflective system. Originality/value We believe that our tripartite model sheds light on how the three behavioral systems jointly affect hedonic technology addiction and uncovers the psychological etiology of the dark side of technology use.