There is always a concern with new technologies that these introduce new activities or media that are potentially harmful (e.g., social media, gaming), or enable existing activities of societal concern (gambling, pornography) to become easier to access. Models of Gambling Disorder emphasize the role of operant and classical conditioning in the transition towards addictive behaviour.
Gambling disorder is the only behavioural addiction currently recognized by the American Psychiatric Association. There is evidence that certain schedules of reward common in gambling are particularly resistant to extinction. Mobile gambling is an emerging activity that has the potential to profoundly affect people's behaviour.
