A Year-by-Year Look Inside the Nation’s First Center Focused on Digital Life and Emotional Wellbeing
We didn’t set out to lead a movement. We just responded to what we were seeing. In July 2009, young people were coming to us overwhelmed by a life increasingly lived online. They weren’t thriving. They were disconnecting—from school, family, relationships, even themselves. And yet at the time, there were no clear diagnoses. No established terms. Just a growing number of individuals who felt stuck, lost, and misunderstood. So we built something new. Over the past 16 years, our team has walked with thousands of clients and families as they navigated the emotional and psychological impact of digital life. As one of the first and few treatment centers focused on this intersection of technology and mental health, we’ve had a front-row seat to how things have changed—and how fast. What follows is a year-by-year reflection of the trends we’ve witnessed, the shifts we’ve tracked, and the kinds of stories that have emerged. The platforms may change. The names might vary. But the underlying questions remain the same.
When digital life consumes our time, focus, and connection, how do we reclaim what makes us human?
Early 2000s: The Internet Begins to Shape Mental Health
Before we opened our doors in 2009, something was already shifting. The internet was no longer just a tool. It was becoming a place people lived. In the early 2000s, broadband replaced dial-up. Home computers became common. Social media platforms like MySpace, Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter began changing how people connected, while online gaming introduced immersive digital worlds that never really paused.
Few recognized it at the time, but the psychological effects of constant connectivity were starting to show. People reported staying up all night on forums, gaming until sunrise, and feeling unable to manage their time or emotions. Families noticed changes, but the behavior didn’t fit traditional definitions of addiction. It was something different.
Dr. Kimberly Young was one of the first to recognize this shift. In 1998, she developed a screening tool—a groundbreaking tool used to assess compulsive internet use at the time. Her work laid the foundation for identifying behavioral patterns that were affecting sleep, focus, relationships, and emotional wellbeing long before these issues had names.
By the mid-2000s, terms like “problematic internet use,” “screen dependence,” and “digital distraction” were beginning to appear in articles and research. But there were still no clinical pathways, no official diagnoses, and no dedicated treatment programs. The field was wide open, and the need was quietly growing.
This was the backdrop in place when we opened in 2009.
2009: The Year reSTART Opened
In July 2009, we opened our doors in direct response to something the mental health field hadn’t quite named yet—intensifying emotional and behavioral changes linked to digital life. The stories we were hearing were consistent: gaming that disrupted sleep, relationships that existed only online, and young people drifting further from their sense of purpose and self.
At the time, Gaming Disorder had not yet been recognized by the World Health Organization. The DSM did not include Internet Use Disorder as a formal diagnosis. But the pain was real. The need was urgent. And the patterns were already clear to those willing to look.
Families came to us not because they were overreacting, but because they were running out of options. Teens and young adults were struggling to function in daily life. Many couldn’t or wouldn’t engage in school, participate in family life, or pursue offline interests. Technology had become both an escape and a trap.
Case Stories
One client had been gaming competitively and traveling to tournaments, fully invested in their digital achievements. After a car accident left them physically impaired, they faced the devastating realization that the life they had built online could no longer translate into what they had hoped for offline. The emotional fallout was deep—grief, identity confusion, and fear of starting over.
How It Was Described
Internet Use Disorder, Gaming Disorder, Screen Dependency, Hikikomori (social withdrawal), Problematic Technology Use
Symptoms reported
Isolation, reversed sleep cycles, anxiety when disconnected, irritability, loss of motivation, disinterest in school or work, physical health decline
2010–2014: The Rise of Social Media and the Always-On Life
By the early 2010s, digital life had become constant. Facebook reached one billion users. Instagram launched in 2010. Snapchat followed in 2011. YouTube became a daily destination, and streaming platforms like Netflix shifted entertainment from a shared family activity to an isolated, on-demand escape. Smartphones were no longer optional. They were a lifeline, and for many, a lifeline that never turned off.
Families began reaching out with new concerns. Children who once played outside were glued to devices. Teens stayed up all night scrolling or messaging. School performance dropped. Emotional regulation declined. Parents couldn’t understand the pull, and young people couldn’t explain it. The symptoms of distress, including withdrawal, irritability, anxiety, and sadness, were becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.
Stories Shared
We heard from families who said their children were disappearing into their screens. One teen spent nearly every waking hour on YouTube, losing interest in friends, sports, and school. Another began compulsively snapping selfies and comparing themselves to influencers, developing intense anxiety and body image issues. In many cases, emotional outbursts occurred when devices were limited. Some youth became physically aggressive or expressed suicidal thoughts when access was taken away.
How Society Labeled It
Facebook Addiction, Social Media Overuse, Screen Time Obsession, iDisorder, Technology-Induced Anxiety
Symptoms Reported
Mood swings, irritability, social withdrawal, school refusal, compulsive use, body image issues, low self-worth, sleep disruption, fear of missing out (FOMO)
2015–2019: Influencer Culture, Digital Identity, and Escapism by Design
By 2015, smartphones were no longer tools. They were lifelines, shaping how people socialized, consumed content, and expressed identity. Instagram exploded with filters, likes, and influencer culture. Snapchat normalized disappearing messages. TikTok launched in 2016, accelerating a culture of endless scrolling and self-comparison. Fortnite and other online multiplayer games became digital hangouts, offering immersive worlds that felt more rewarding than offline life.
Many began to curate their digital presence more carefully than their real experiences. Teens and young adults expressed pressure to appear perfect, happy, or worthy of attention. Escapism became not just possible, but expected. For some, their online persona became their primary identity. For others, the divide between online presentation and emotional reality created confusion, anxiety, and self-doubt.
Stories Shared
A young woman shared how she spent hours perfecting posts to feel seen, yet felt lonelier with every like. A teen male skipped meals to livestream gaming content for his followers. Others struggled when digital friendships failed to translate into real-world support. We heard from parents who watched their children slip into alternate worlds and struggle to return—confused by the highs of digital praise and the lows of real disconnection.
What It Was Commonly Called
Social Media Obsession, Streaming Escapism, Influencer Burnout, Fortnite Addiction, Snap Streak Anxiety, Online Persona Crisis
Symptoms Reported
Identity confusion, anxiety, obsessive posting or scrolling, disordered eating, withdrawal, performance pressure, comparison fatigue, emotional dysregulation, disrupted relationships
2020: Pandemic Pressure and the Collapse of Offline Structure
In 2020, the world changed overnight. As the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools, work, and social life into virtual spaces, screens became the only connection point for millions. Isolation increased, routines disappeared, and digital life became the default for everything including education, entertainment, relationships, and even therapy. For many, there was no longer a separation between online and offline life. It all blurred into one continuous scroll.
Young people were especially vulnerable. Social skills eroded in isolation. Online learning led to exhaustion. Gaming, streaming, and social media became coping tools in a world that felt uncertain and disconnected. For some, time online doubled or tripled within weeks, and the absence of boundaries made it difficult to return to balance once restrictions lifted.
Stories Shared
A high school student shared that they hadn’t spoken to a real person outside their family for over five months. Another described waking up, logging onto school in bed, and never leaving their room. We heard from families whose children stopped leaving the house entirely, turning to gaming, social media, or streaming for comfort and escape. Many clients arrived in treatment feeling emotionally numb and unable to cope with the demands of offline life.
What It Was Commonly Called
Zoom Fatigue, Pandemic Screen Burnout, Remote Learning Overload, Quarantine Isolation, Digital Overuse, Tech-Induced Numbness
Symptoms Reported
Social anxiety, depressive symptoms, executive dysfunction, emotional withdrawal, irregular sleep, burnout, fear of reintegration, increased screen dependence
2021–2024: Reentry, Escapism, and the Rise of Synthetic Reality
As pandemic restrictions lifted, many hoped for a return to normal. But for millions, something had shifted. The digital coping tools people had turned to during lockdown—gaming, social media, streaming, and online communities—didn’t disappear. Instead, they deepened. Reentering daily life felt overwhelming, and for some, impossible. Youth and young adults especially struggled with motivation, social anxiety, and emotional flatness. The U.S. Surgeon General issued a warning about a growing mental health crisis among adolescents.
By 2022, attention spans shrank, and short-form content took over. TikTok became a central social outlet. Instagram pushed Reels. YouTube released Shorts. At the same time, many began to report emotional exhaustion from constant comparison, digital dating burnout, and algorithm-induced anxiety. Platforms like Discord gave rise to tighter online communities, where some individuals withdrew almost entirely from face-to-face connection.
In 2023, AI entered the conversation in a big way. ChatGPT became widely accessible, followed quickly by more emotionally intelligent chatbots and creative tools. People began forming private relationships with AI companions. Deepfake technology became more accessible, and cases of nonconsensual AI-generated content surfaced. Crypto and digital scams targeting emotionally vulnerable users also increased.
By 2024, the consequences were more visible. Some individuals reported feeling more emotionally connected to chatbots than to real people. Others consumed so much AI-generated fantasy content that they described losing touch with their own desires or identity. Clinicians and media outlets began using terms like “synthetic intimacy” and “digital dysphoria” to describe the disorientation people were experiencing. The digital world was no longer just a place people visited. It had become a place where many chose to live.
Stories Shared
One young man shared that he felt more emotionally supported by his AI companion than by anyone in his life. A client told us they no longer felt real in their own body after spending hours each day interacting through avatars. Others shared they had lost thousands of dollars to online scams, catfishing, or cryptocurrency schemes in their search for connection, status, or purpose. We also heard from young people who had been targeted in AI-generated deepfakes, leading to panic, shame, and withdrawal.
What It Was Commonly Called
Screen Fatigue, TikTok Brain, Discord Dependency, AI Obsession, Synthetic Intimacy, Digital Dysphoria, Reentry Resistance, Algorithm Anxiety
Symptoms Reported
Emotional numbness, loss of motivation, social disconnection, identity confusion, anxiety, panic attacks, depressive symptoms, avoidance of in-person interaction, obsessive chatbot use
2025: AI Intimacy, Identity Collapse, and the Rise of Emotional Crisis
In 2025, we’ve reached a new inflection point. Tools powered by artificial intelligence are now part of daily life, from personalized AI chat companions to AI-generated pornography, deepfakes, and fully customizable digital identities. These tools are increasingly realistic, emotionally engaging, and deeply immersive.
What once felt like science fiction is now shaping how people form attachments, understand themselves, and relate to others. The line between simulation and reality continues to blur, leaving some people emotionally untethered and psychologically unprepared for the fallout.
Most concerning, one of the first lawsuits of its kind has emerged involving the suicide of a teenager, where his parents allege that his emotional investment in an AI chatbot contributed to his death. The case, filed by his mother, is now moving forward in U.S. court and raises urgent questions about the psychological risks of unsupervised AI use. Read the Reuters report.
Headline News
In 2025, we’re seeing signs not just in therapy, but in headlines, forums, and quiet conversations. People are forming intense emotional bonds with AI companions, often in secret. Some are consuming AI-generated pornography and fantasy content so immersive that it disrupts real-world intimacy and connection. Others are harmed by deepfakes they never consented to, resulting in severe emotional fallout. Most have not sought help. Many don’t yet realize the psychological cost. But the pain is beginning to surface—and it’s everywhere.
How Society is Attempting to Describe it
AI Dependency, Synthetic Intimacy, Deepfake Exploitation, Digital Identity Collapse, Emotional Overload
Symptoms Reported
Emotional detachment, trust breakdowns, identity confusion, panic attacks, sexual dysfunction, paranoia, body image distress, and suicidal ideation
Looking Ahead
Sixteen years ago, we began with a simple but pressing question: when digital life consumes our time, focus, and connection, how do we reclaim what makes us human? We didn’t know then how quickly things would evolve. We just knew that people were struggling, and someone needed to pay attention.
Since then, we’ve walked alongside hundreds of individuals and families as they’ve navigated the emotional and psychological effects of living in an always-connected world. From gaming and pornography to social media, streaming, deepfakes, and AI companions, we’ve seen how digital tools can shape identity, behavior, and wellbeing—sometimes gradually, sometimes with overwhelming force.
Each year brought something new. A new platform. A new way to disconnect from pain. A new reason to feel uncertain. And yet, through it all, we’ve stayed anchored in one truth: healing happens when people feel seen, understood, and reconnected to something more meaningful than the screen in front of them.
As we look toward the future, we do so with humility and commitment. The landscape keeps shifting. But our mission stays steady. To listen. To lead. To meet people at the edge of what’s emerging and help them find a healthier path forward.
This timeline is not just a history. It’s a reflection of where we’ve been, and a call to all who care about mental health to stand with us—because the digital world is changing fast, and we need to lead the way forward together.
