Man Treated For Google Glass Addiction After Wearing Headset 18 Hours A Day

Google Glass is still technically an experimental product since it has yet to hit store shelves, but for one man, it's already a source of addiction.

San Diego doctors say they have found the first case of internet addiction disorder involving Google Glass in a 31-year-old man who checked in to the Navy's Substance Abuse and Recovery Program in September 2013, according to CNN.

The unique case was originally reported in a new internet addiction study published in the US National Library of Medicine.

According to doctors, the man would wear his Google Glass almost constantly, removing the headset only when sleeping or showering. Before checking in for treatment, he was wearing the device up to 18 hours a day, and would become "irritable and argumentative" if unable to wear his Google Glass at work.

In addition to his unique case of internet addiction disorder, doctors say the man had a history of mood disorder, including issues with depression, anxiety, social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, alcohol, and tobacco.

Doctors say the man "exhibited problematic use of Google Glass" and that during his stay, he "exhibited a notable, nearly involuntary movement of the right hand up to his temple area and tapping it with his forefinger," echoing the motion of interacting with Google Glass's touchpad on the side of the device.

At the end of the patient's 35-day stay at treatment center, the man noted "a reduction in irritability, reduction in motor movements to his temple to turn on the device, and improvements in his short-term memory and clarity of thought processes," though he would occasionally still have dreams where he was gazing through his Google Glass.

You can read the full study over at the US National Library of Medicine.