Man who wears Google Glass 18 hours a day is medically diagnosed with addiction

After admitting himself into rehab for alcohol dependency, it became quickly apparent that the man was also addicted to the Google Glass device he wore for 18 hours a day.

When a 31-year-old member of the United States Navy checked himself into the navy’s substance abuse treatment program, it was originally for alcohol abuse. Upon his arrival, all electronics were confiscated from him, including the Google Glass headset he used to perform his job.

It was shortly after this that he began exhibiting symptoms of withdrawal including irritability and aggressiveness and it became apparent that he was also addicted to the glasses themselves.

The man reported wearing the glasses for about 18 hours each day. Though the Google Glass device is still considered to be in beta testing, he had joined a Google’s Explorer Program which had given him access to the glasses. He used them in his job to keep inventory of vehicles.

Professionals in the treatment facility observed the man making repetitive, almost involuntary movements involving positioning his finger over his right temple and pushing. This motion is one of the ways to activate and navigate the headset.

When dreaming, the man says he periodically would witness the dream through the glasses.

The man was diagnosed with internet addiction disorder. Doctors also said of his diagnosis, “the patient has a history of a mood disorder most consistent with a substance-induced hypomania overlaying a depressive disorder, anxiety disorder with characteristics of social phobia and obsessive compulsive disorder, and severe alcohol and tobacco use disorders”.

Like many other addiction disorders, internet based addictions center on a person’s rewards system being activated while the person seeks to escape. A person turning to technology for such distractions can access a readily available trigger for this reward system in volumes that could encourage addiction, doctors say.

But the risk is not the same for everyone and Google Glass are considered to be generally safe for use. People with a predisposition towards addiction or with a history of “mental dysregulation” would be at higher risk than the general public.

To date the man has completed a 35 day treatment is has experienced a reduction in his withdrawal symptoms.