[2025 Good Brain] "Digital Addiction Threatens Brain Health"...Time to Begin Discussing Social Recovery

40% of Adolescents and 25% of Young Children at Risk of Smartphone Overdependence
Connecting Prevention, Treatment, Rehabilitation, and Recovery Is Essential to Overcoming Addiction

The '2025 Good Brain Conference,' hosted by Asia Economy, was held on the morning of September 3 at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Centered around the theme, "Healing in a Dopamine Society: Designing Recovery in the Age of Addiction," the event brought together leading domestic experts in addiction and mental health to diagnose the severity of various addiction issues threatening modern brain health and to discuss solutions.

At the '2025 Good Brain Conference' hosted by Asia Economy held on September 3 at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, key guests are taking a commemorative photo. From the front row left: Youngjin Ahn, Commissioner of Seoul Regional Food and Drug Administration; Jumin Park, Chair of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee; Beomsik Jang, CEO of Asia Economy; Jaeseung Jung, Professor at KAIST; Howon Jung, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare. In the second row: Dongseok Kim, Head of Management Planning at Korea Health Industry Development Institute; Hoyoon Eom, Executive Director of Planning at National Health Insurance Service; Jaeguk Lee, Vice Chairman of Korea Pharmaceutical and Bio-Pharma Manufacturers Association; Haeguk Lee, Professor at Catholic University Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital. In the back row: Beomsu Shin, Editor-in-Chief of Asia Economy; Yooseok Ahn, Professor at Seoul National University Hospital; Jungseok Seo, President of Korean Academy of Addiction Psychiatry. Photo by Jinhyung Kang, 2025.9.3

Today, the medical community defines addiction not as a matter of personal preference or deviation, but as a disease resulting from dysfunction in the brain's dopamine-driven reward system. When dopamine is excessively released due to stimulating and repetitive behaviors such as food, drugs, or smartphones, the number of dopamine receptors in the brain decreases, making it difficult to feel happiness or a sense of reward without drugs or stimulation, thereby deepening addiction. Repetitive addictive behaviors cause changes in the areas of the brain related to the pleasure center, leading to negative effects such as reduced problem-solving ability, concentration, and memory. In particular, digital technology, which once made our lives more convenient, is now creating new problems that threaten brain health and mental balance, as about 40% of adolescents and 25% of young children (as of 2023) are classified as being at risk of smartphone overdependence.

To improve a state of addiction in which the normal reward system no longer functions, it may be necessary to rely not only on changes in personal lifestyle, willpower, or mental strength, but also on professional treatment. In cases of addiction to drugs, substances, or alcohol, it is not enough to simply break dependence; medical treatment and rehabilitation must follow. Experts point out that this requires active government support and social attention.

Jumin Park, Chair of the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee (Democratic Party lawmaker), who attended the conference, stated, "Increasingly sophisticated and diversified digital systems, along with rapidly advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology and algorithms, are drawing countless people into the depths of addiction without their awareness." He pledged, "At the committee level, we will take a closer look at the seriousness of addiction issues and ensure that solutions are reflected in policy."

Eunkyung Chung, Minister of Health and Welfare, explained, "The government is approaching addiction issues from an integrated perspective that encompasses prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery." She added, "We are strengthening community-based support systems by establishing integrated addiction management support centers, and are actively investing in the development of tailored digital care platforms for high-risk mental health groups, as well as in R&D for digital therapeutics for substance use disorders."

Beomsik Jang, CEO of Asia Economy and host of the event, remarked, "Expanding the issues of addiction and mental health beyond the individual to a societal agenda is an important task for all of us." He continued, "I hope today's conference will serve as a starting point for social empathy and action, as well as a bridge connecting academia, the medical community, industry, and policy, as we collectively reflect on the complex challenges of digital addiction, drug issues, and the mental health crisis among adults facing our society."

The conference began with a keynote speech by Jaeseung Jung, Professor of Brain and Cognitive Science at KAIST, a leading authority in the field of brain science in Korea. This was followed by lectures from Haeguk Lee, Professor of Psychiatry at Catholic University Uijeongbu St. Mary's Hospital; Yooseok Ahn, Professor of Psychiatry at Seoul National University Hospital; Byungkyu Kim, Professor of Business Administration at Yonsei University; and Gyuhyung Heo, Director of Yonsei Gasan Forest Mental Health Clinic. Nam Kyungpil, CEO of the Eungu Foundation and former Governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized the dangers of drug addiction and the misuse of psychotropic medications that have quietly permeated daily life.

During the panel discussion, Jaeheon Kang, President of the Korean Society of Digital Therapeutics (Professor of Family Medicine at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital); Sungji Kang, CEO of Welt; Kyungnam Kim, CEO of Waisen; and Geonseok Lee, Professor of Psychiatry at Hanyang University Hospital, exchanged a variety of opinions on clinical cases and future development potential of digital therapeutics for mental health.