The Politics of Addiction In a Global Digital World: Critical Perspectives

The concept of ‘addiction’ is widely criticised by sociologists for pathologizing individuals while overlooking societal structures and power relations. Critical theories highlight how global and increasingly digital consumer capitalism reproduces dependencies, stigmatizing discourses, inequalities, and health problems.

Despite these critiques, the concept of addiction is expanding in health governance. ‘Digital addictions’ are now linked to online products such as gambling, gaming, pornography, social media, AI, and shopping. At the same time, online sales of alcohol, drugs, and nicotine enable products to travel easily across borders.

As digitalisation and globalisation of addictive industries expand in our current turbulent times, the role of the state and public policy becomes more urgent and more complex. Policy needs to focus on regulating industries and promoting health, human rights, and digital privacy, but it can also choose to align with industry interests or prioritise digital surveillance and punishment of individuals in the name of ‘addiction prevention’.

For people, turbulent times may bring opportunities but also forms of oppression. Digital platforms can enable new alliances and the redefinition of power relations in politics and health governance. At the same time, the politics of addiction may reinforce inequalities and undermine welfare. In particular, digital addiction industries have unprecedented access to user data, which can be exploited for coercive purposes.

This session welcomes presentations that critically examine contemporary conceptualizations of addiction and related politics, including regulation and governance, industry impacts, and the lived experiences and forms of civic activism of people affected by addiction industries and addiction policies.