'The algorithm is hacked': analysis of technology delusions in a modern-day cohort.
Alaina V Burns, Kyle Nelson, Haley Wang, Erin M Hegarty, Alexander B Cohn
The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science November 3, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1192/bjp.2025.10452 via PubMed
Summary
Delusions among people with psychosis increasingly incorporate the internet and new technologies. In a review of medical records of 228 adults with psychosis treated between 2016 and 2024, over half (51.7%) described technology-related delusions. The odds of having such delusions rose by about 15% each year. Most subjects (88.2%) reported delusional content overall. The findings suggest that sociopolitical factors, including modern technology, shape the content of delusions over time, and clinicians should be alert to these themes when evaluating patients.
Study at a glance
| Design | retrospective cohort study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 228 |
| Population | adults with psychosis seeking treatment at a large academic medical centre |
| Key finding | Technology-related delusions increased over time, with odds rising approximately 15% per year from 2016 to 2024. |
Abstract
Research exploring delusions among individuals with psychosis often focuses on form, rather than content, and on prevalence, rather than change in a cohort over time. While delusional forms are mostly consistent across cultures and historical periods, the content of delusions is shaped by sociopolitical factors. We explored the form and content of delusions in a modern sample of individuals with psychosis, examining the extent to which the internet and new technologies become incorporated into delusional frameworks. We investigated whether there was a change in the prevalence of technology delusions over time and how gender, age and education level impacted the probability that a subject would experience technology delusions. We reviewed the medical records of 228 adults with psychosis who were seeking treatment at a large academic medical centre between 2016 and 2024 and extracted any description of delusional thought content. We characterised delusions into subtypes and explored the ways these delusions feature the internet and new technologies. To examine temporal trends in the content of delusions, we conducted a binary logistic regression analysis with year as the predictor variable and the presence of technology-related content in delusions as the outcome variable. Most subjects (88.2%) reported delusional thought content, with over half (51.7%) describing technology delusions. Logistic regression between the year and technology-related delusion outcome revealed statistically significant (β = 0.139, p = 0.038, 95% CI (0.008, 0.270)) correlation. For each 1-year increase, the odds of a subject presenting with technology delusions increased by approximately 15% (odds ratio 1.15). Among individuals with psychotic disorders, the internet and new technologies are increasingly salient in delusional frameworks. Clinicians should be aware of these themes while eliciting symptoms from patients and also while educating trainees.