The Conflict Device: A Control Theory Model of Problematic Digital Media Use
Abstract
Digital media refers to smartphone use, social media, video-gaming and artificial intelligence among other forms, which are becoming increasingly integrated across platforms. Whilst there are widely recognised benefits, their documented harms, especially pre-adulthood, are leading to statutory restrictions across the world. For most adult users exempt from any bans, it is critical to understand the contexts and vulnerabilities within which digital media use is experienced as problematic, to inform individual, community and device-focused interventions. We critically review contemporary research and theories to develop an integrative model across digital media based on perceptual control theory. Through conceptualising digital media as a closed-loop extension of the self via hyper-efficient, dynamically adaptive and digitally amplified feedback pathways, we illustrate the mechanisms through which restricted attention utilises neural reorganisation to entrench habitual control. This entails a range of additional vicious cycles maintaining distress. As an exit from this state, we specify the factors that support the development and maintenance of a mindset of metacontrol flexibility (MCF) associated with tolerance of goal conflict and the effective use of fringe consciousness. The seeds of the MCF are the diverse opportunities to attend to, and meet, basic needs via restorative factors in the offline world.
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BibTeX
@misc{mansell2026conflict,
title = {{The Conflict Device: A Control Theory Model of Problematic Digital Media Use}},
author = {Warren mansell and Amy Mowle and Louis Trouchet and Mehdi Zemestani and Jason Sharbanee and Tauseef Gulrez and Danielle Einstein},
howpublished = {PsyArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.31234/osf.io/kdyc3_v1},
url = {https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/kdyc3_v1/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Conflict Device: A Control Theory Model of Problematic Digital Media Use
AU - Warren mansell
AU - Amy Mowle
AU - Louis Trouchet
AU - Mehdi Zemestani
AU - Jason Sharbanee
AU - Tauseef Gulrez
AU - Danielle Einstein
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
PB - PsyArXiv
DO - 10.31234/osf.io/kdyc3_v1
UR - https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/kdyc3_v1/
AB - Digital media refers to smartphone use, social media, video-gaming and artificial intelligence among other forms, which are becoming increasingly integrated across platforms. Whilst there are widely recognised benefits, their documented harms, especially pre-adulthood, are leading to statutory restrictions across the world. For most adult users exempt from any bans, it is critical to understand the contexts and vulnerabilities within which digital media use is experienced as problematic, to inform individual, community and device-focused interventions. We critically review contemporary research and theories to develop an integrative model across digital media based on perceptual control theory. Through conceptualising digital media as a closed-loop extension of the self via hyper-efficient, dynamically adaptive and digitally amplified feedback pathways, we illustrate the mechanisms through which restricted attention utilises neural reorganisation to entrench habitual control. This entails a range of additional vicious cycles maintaining distress. As an exit from this state, we specify the factors that support the development and maintenance of a mindset of metacontrol flexibility (MCF) associated with tolerance of goal conflict and the effective use of fringe consciousness. The seeds of the MCF are the diverse opportunities to attend to, and meet, basic needs via restorative factors in the offline world.
ER -