As social media, online gambling, digital platforms, and smartphones become increasingly embedded in daily life, concerns regarding the effects of hyperconnectivity on mental health are growing.

A Brazilian project called Mindbet aims to address these concerns by using AI to identify early behavioral signs of digital addiction before users experience significant loss of control while using screens.

The system, developed by Cláudio Luiz da Silva, a researcher and mental health specialist who holds a master’s degree in Mental Health from the Ribeirão Preto School of Nursing from the University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, uses AI to analyze interaction patterns and create preventive interventions focused on mental health.

Mindbet is currently raising investments to expand the platform and has advanced to the second stage of the Supera Innovation Park selection process. The initiative has also been presented to organizations involved in responsible gaming and federal agencies, including Brazil’s Ministry of Health, to gain institutional support and explore opportunities for integration into public policies focused on digital health.

Speaking with Medscape’s Portuguese edition, da Silva said, “The project emerged from approximately 5 years of observations involving neurodivergent and neurotypical children in home, school, and social environments. The team identified recurring behavioral patterns associated with the use of screens, smartphones, digital games, and online platforms.”

One of the behaviors that attracted researchers’ attention was the “second screen” phenomenon, in which children watched television while simultaneously using a smartphone. According to da Silva, this pattern reflects a constant shift between social attention and emotional overstimulation. These observations led to the development of the concept of “behavioral entropy,” which became one of the theoretical foundations of the project.

“It is the concept used by the project to explain the transition from an organized, rational mental state to an impulsive, emotional one triggered by digital overstimulation. This occurs in environments such as social media, endless video feeds, online gambling, and digital games,” he said.

Unlike traditional applications that primarily measure screen time, Mindbet analyzes behavioral patterns that may signal impulsivity, cognitive fatigue, and potential technology addiction.

The platform calculates a Digital Behavioral Vulnerability Index designed to identify signs of impulsivity and loss of control during digital engagement. Based on this indicator, the system generates a score similar to that of a cognitive traffic light. In moderate-risk situations, breaks, emotional regulation exercises, and cognitive activities may be recommended. In higher-risk situations, the app can activate previously authorized support networks and offer interventions, such as temporarily interrupting browsing or locking the device.

According to Alessandra Pereira, MD, a Brazilian psychiatrist certified by the Brazilian Psychiatric Association with more than 25 years of experience in mental health who was not involved in the project, believes that the proposal is clinically compelling because it focuses on patterns of use rather than screen time alone.

“The app’s proposal seems very interesting, mainly because it attempts to identify behavioral patterns before the person enters a more intense cycle of digital compulsion,” she said.

Pereira noted that in clinical practice, a person’s behavior while using digital devices can reveal important signs of loss of control.

“From a medical perspective, it makes sense to look not only at screen time but also at how a person uses their cell phone: touch speed, repetitive movements, difficulty stopping, automatic use, irritability when interrupted, and loss of control over time. This includes analyzing the time spent on the activity and the things a person fails to do because they are engaged in it,” she said.

Behavioral Biometrics

Mindbet is built on this principle. According to da Silva, the platform uses behavioral biometrics to analyze how users interact with their smartphones. The system monitors indicators such as scrolling speed, touch intensity, gesture frequency, finger movement acceleration, browsing pace, and repetitive usage patterns.

Privacy is one of the primary concerns surrounding this type of technology. However, da Silva noted that Mindbet does not access messages, photographs, videos, conversations, or location data. Instead, it analyzes only the patterns of smartphone use.

“The focus is solely on motor and cognitive behavior related to use of the device,” he said.

Not a Diagnostic Tool

According to Pereira, signs of digital addiction are becoming increasingly common in clinical practice. Common warning signs include losing track of time while using digital devices, unsuccessful attempts to reduce usage, irritability when access is interrupted, negative effects on sleep, work, studies, or social relationships, and using the internet to escape difficult emotions.

She noted that the problem is rarely driven solely by fondness for technology. In many cases, digital platforms function as coping mechanisms for anxiety, loneliness, sadness, boredom, and stress. The challenge is that the relief they provide is often temporary and may mask deeper emotional distress.

“It is not enough to simply tell someone to put down their phone. You need to understand what they are seeking there and help them reconnect with sleep, relationships, concentration, enjoyment of real-life experiences, and the ability to regulate their emotions,” she said.

For this reason, Pereira emphasized that technologies such as Mindbet should be viewed as tools for support, monitoring, and prevention, rather than substitutes for professional clinical assessment. In her view, no technological resource can replace human relationships, emotional connections, or a sense of purpose.

“Deep down, many of these people do not realize that they have gradually lost touch with themselves. Screens become a refuge from pain that ultimately needs to be confronted,” she concluded.

Roseane Santos is a Brazilian journalist with 35 years’ experience who has worked for major national outlets like Universo Online, the daily newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, and Portal Terra, and contributes to scientific publications from Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital and the Brazil’s National Cancer Institute.

This story was translated from Medscape’s Portuguese edition.