Sedqa strengthens focus on behavioural addictions as digital risks grow
Aġenzija Sedqa, part of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, is widening its attention to behavioural addictions as gambling, gaming and social media use become more closely tied to daily life, particularly among younger people.
In an interview with SiGMA News, Mike Orland, Community Services Manager, said behavioural addictions have become a more prominent concern in Malta in recent years. While gambling has long been recognised as the main behavioural addiction encountered by services, the picture is now changing.
“Behavioural addictions are something quite recent, especially for us in Malta,” Mr Orland said. “Generally, when we talked about behavioural addictions, we always talked about gambling. That was the main behavioural addiction that was always present.”
He said social media, gaming and the wider “gamification” of everyday life were changing how services understood risk.
“The panorama of what we mean by behavioural addictions is constantly changing,” he said. “The importance of tackling behavioural addictions is changing and rising in priority.”
Full Interview
Younger Generations Facing Earlier Risks
Sedqa has observed that younger people are being exposed to digital environments at an earlier stage in life than previous generations.
“One of the bigger difficulties we are encountering is mostly with the younger generation,” Mr Orland told SiGMA News. “This is possibly the first generation that was brought up in this kind of atmosphere, this kind of availability.”
He said older adults may have gone through key stages of emotional and social development before social media and gaming became so accessible. For today’s young adults, however, problematic patterns can emerge while they are still developing coping skills and emotional regulation.
“We are now having youths in their early 20s who have possibly developed this difficult relationship with the way they use social media and games,” he said. “This is possibly impacting them at a developmental stage.”
Sedqa is responding by investing in training and keeping its professionals up to date with international developments in the field.
“We invest a lot in training,” Mr Orland said. “Back then, training was focused only on gambling. Now we go to behavioural addiction conferences, like ICBA, to get the best and latest information.”
Prevention Starts Early
Mr Orland said prevention remains central to Sedqa’s work. The agency has a dedicated prevention team working with children, young people and communities before problems escalate.
“Our biggest aim is to prevent,” he said. “Sedqa has, quite uniquely, an equal side to prevention as much as to care.”
Preventive work starts from the age of seven, though not by speaking directly about addiction. Instead, Sedqa focuses on life skills, coping strategies and knowledge that can protect children later on.
“We do not talk about addictions as such at that age,” Mr Orland said. “We talk about skills that would ultimately prove to be coping strategies for the future.”
Digital literacy has also become a growing part of this work. Sedqa is introducing young people to safe and responsible social media use, including how to recognise scams and understand online risks.
“Giving knowledge, for us, is paramount,” he said. “We believe that knowledge is key.”
Mr Orland said prevention should not rest only with social services. Media platforms, the gaming industry, policymakers and legislators all have a role to play in creating safer digital environments.
“If you are coding for something to be nice and engaging, you could also code for something to make you aware of the time you are spending on it,” he said.
Recognising Harm Before Crisis Point
One of the main barriers to seeking help, Mr Orland said, is that people often struggle to recognise behavioural addiction in themselves. In gambling-related harm, people frequently contact services only when debts or financial pressure have become severe.
“When it comes to gambling, one of the main issues is available money,” he said. “People tend to come to services when an issue has developed, but it is not the gaming issue they are looking into. It is the lack of funds, or owing money to loan sharks or family members.”
Sedqa works with individuals to look beyond the immediate crisis and understand the behaviour behind it.
“Our work is to discuss with the person and look into the source of the issue,” he said.
Mr Orland encouraged anyone feeling discomfort about their behaviour to speak to someone early, without waiting to label themselves as addicted.
“Self-diagnosis is very hard,” he said. “Picking up a phone and having a chat with us could help the person get an outsider’s look.”
“It is not about how addicted you are,” he added. “It is about what you would like to address out of this developing issue.”