Why Do Some People Navigate the Digital World with Balance… While Others Become Trapped?

Post written in collaboration with @DOTT.SSA_AURORAANSALDO

A psychological reading of our bond with smartphones, social media, and digital environments

In recent years, everyday life has become increasingly intertwined with technology. Smartphones and digital platforms are no longer mere tools: they have become constant companions, relational spaces, and places where we build and express our identity. The online world is not an “elsewhere,” but an authentic extension of our lived experience.

And yet, not everyone relates to the digital world in the same way. Some people move through it with awareness, flexibility, and well-defined boundaries. Others, however, find themselves pulled into compulsive patterns that resemble psychological dependence. Why does this happen?

The recent study by Duradoni and colleagues (2025) offers a valuable perspective: the idea that problematic digital use is not driven solely by anxiety, depression, or stress, but also by deeper, more stable personality traits. This represents an important shift in understanding, situating digital behaviors within a broader psychological system in which emotions, motivational needs, and identity structures all play a central role.

Personality as a Lens for Understanding Digital Dependency

Historically, problematic Internet use was interpreted mainly as a consequence of emotional distress or mood-related conditions (Pantic et al., 2017). Today, research paints a more complex picture. Several studies show that:

• Impulsivity,

• Emotional instability,

• A strong need for approval,

• Difficulties with emotion regulation,

Are among the strongest predictors of dysfunctional technology use (Zadra et al., 2016; Gervasi et al., 2017). Individuals who struggle to regulate intense emotions—such as anger, frustration, or emptiness—often turn to digital devices as quick and readily available tools for emotional relief. In this sense, the smartphone becomes an “emotional switch.”

Emotional instability, for example, may push individuals to check messages or notifications repeatedly, using these digital cues to soothe anxiety or obtain quick gratification (Guo et al., 2022). Impulsivity, on the other hand, supports repetitive, poorly controlled behaviors such as endless scrolling or compulsive searching for stimulation.

As Brubaker (2020) notes, digital hyperconnectivity often magnifies these vulnerabilities, making them more visible and easier to activate.

The Role of Narcissistic Traits: The Digital World as a Mirror and a Stage

One of the most intriguing insights from the research concerns narcissistic traits. This includes not only “grandiose” narcissism—characterized by a need for admiration—but also vulnerable narcissism, marked by fragile self-esteem and heightened sensitivity to rejection. Social media platforms provide exactly what narcissistic profiles tend to seek: 

• Immediate feedback,

• Rapid validation,

• Opportunities for visibility,

• Control over self-presentation.

Numerous studies show that social validation needs—particularly when tied to narcissism—predict more frequent, compulsive, and emotionally involved use of social networks (Billieux et al., 2015; Pantic et al., 2017). According to Marengo et al. (2022), digital platforms function as an “ideal ecosystem” for individuals with unstable self-image.

Negative Affectivity, Detachment, and Disinhibition: When Digital Spaces Become a Refuge

Beyond narcissistic traits, Duradoni et al. (2025) highlight other personality domains that increase vulnerability to digital dependence:

• Negative affectivity: individuals who frequently experience painful or threatening emotions may use digital tools to escape or alleviate distress.

• Detachment: people who struggle with intimacy may prefer online interactions, which feel safer and more controllable.

• Disinhibition: low frustration tolerance and poor planning make impulsive use of devices more likely.

In these cases, the digital world becomes a refuge—a space where relational and emotional demands feel less overwhelming (Fossati et al., 2024; Müller et al., 2021).

Digital Life Balance: Navigating Between Online and Offline

Another key contribution of the study is the concept of Digital Life Balance (DLB), which measures how well individuals maintain harmony between digital and offline life (Duradoni et al., 2022). When dysfunctional personality traits increase, this balance tends to erode.  People report:

• Difficulty disconnecting,

• Intrusive thoughts about their smartphone,

• Disturbed sleep patterns,

• Reduced face-to-face interactions,

• A sense of dependence or overload.

The digital space no longer feels like a choice but becomes an emotional necessity.

What Does This Mean for Clinical Practice?

Interpreting digital behaviors as expressions of underlying psychological dynamics allows for a richer and more nuanced understanding. In this perspective, technology is not the cause of distress: it is an amplifier, a channel, or an improvised regulator. Personality disorders, emotional dysregulation, or unmet relational needs may surface through:

• Avoidance strategies (Laier et al., 2018),

• Attempts to reduce internal tension (Wu et al., 2016),

• Compulsive searching for stimulation or validation.

This is why effective interventions extend beyond reducing screen time. Instead, they help individuals understand the psychological functions that digital use is serving. Therapeutic approaches such as DBT, Schema Therapy, or ACT are particularly effective because they address emotion regulation, impulsivity, and relational needs.

Conclusion

Duradoni and colleagues (2025) offer a meaningful contribution in an era where digital spaces are deeply intertwined with our identity and daily functioning. The central takeaway is clear: Technology does not inherently create balance or dependence; rather, it interacts with the most fundamental aspects of our psychological makeup. Understanding this interplay enables more effective interventions and promotes a more compassionate perspective on digital habits. In many ways, the digital world acts as a mirror—reflecting and sometimes amplifying what already lives within us.

Bibliographic References 

Billieux, J., Maurage, P., Lopez-Fernandez, O., Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2015). Can disordered mobile phone use be considered a behavioral addiction? Current Addiction Reports, 2(2), 156–162.

Brubaker, R. (2020). Digital hyperconnectivity and the self. Theory and Society, 49(5), 771–801.

Casale, S., Fioravanti, G., & Rugai, L. (2020). Narcissism and problematic social media use: The mediating role of self-esteem and social anxiety. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 23(8), 556–562.

Duradoni, M., Colombini, G., Barucci, C., Zagaglia, V., & Guazzini, A. (2025). Psychopathological correlates of dysfunctional smartphone and social media use: The role of personality disorders in technological addiction and Digital Life Balance. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 15(7), 136.

Duradoni, M., Serritella, E., Avolio, C., Arnetoli, C., & Guazzini, A. (2022). Development and validation of the Digital Life Balance (DLB) scale. Behavioral Sciences, 12(12), 489.

Fossati, A., Borroni, S., Somma, A., Krueger, R. F., & Markon, K. E. (2024). PID-5—Manuale e guida all’uso clinico della versione italiana. Raffaello Cortina Editore.

Gervasi, A. M., La Marca, L., Lombardo, E., Mannino, G., Iacolino, C., & Schimmenti, A. (2017). Maladaptive personality traits and Internet addiction symptoms among young adults. Clinical Neuropsychiatry, 14(1).

Guo, Z., Liang, S., Ren, L., Yang, T., Qiu, R., He, Y., & Zhu, X. (2022). Applying network analysis to understand the relationships between impulsivity and social media addiction. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 993328.

Hynes, M. (2024). Hyperconnectivity and its discontents.

Laier, C., Wegmann, E., & Brand, M. (2018). Personality and cognition in gamers: Avoidance expectancies mediate the relationship between maladaptive personality traits and symptoms of Internet gaming disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 304.

Marengo, D., Settanni, M., & Montag, C. (2022). Excessive social media use and narcissism. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 11(1), 1–16.

Müller, K. W., Werthmann, J., Beutel, M. E., Wölfling, K., & Egloff, B. (2021). Maladaptive personality traits and their interaction with outcome expectancies in gaming disorder and internet-related disorders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(8), 3967.

Pantic, I., Milanovic, A., Loboda, B., Błachnio, A., Przepiorka, A., Nesic, D., Mazic, S., Dugalic, S., & Ristic, S. (2017). Association between physiological oscillations in self-esteem, narcissism, and Internet addiction: A cross-sectional study. Psychiatry Research, 258, 239–243.

Whiteside, S. P., & Lynam, D. R. (2001). The Five Factor Model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 30(4), 669–689.

Wu, J. Y. W., Ko, H. C., Tung, Y. Y., & Li, C. C. (2016). Internet use expectancy for tension reduction and disinhibition mediates the relationship between borderline personality disorder features and Internet addiction. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 851–855.

Zadra, S., Bischof, G., Besser, B., Bischof, A., Meyer, C., John, U., & Rumpf, H.-J. (2016). The association between Internet addiction and personality disorders in a general population-based sample. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 5(4), 691–699.