Modeling digital technology use with light self-administration: Conceptual challenges and alternative interpretations

Tam and colleagues (2025) propose that brief light pulses can serve as effective reinforcers in mice, positioning operant light self-administration as a potential cross-species model for digital technology-based disorders. This commentary examines the conceptual and translational validity of that proposal. While the paradigm offers an innovative framework for studying reinforcement by non-drug cues, treating light as a primary reinforcer in both rodents and humans raises significant interpretive challenges. Fundamental species differences in visual perception, nocturnal adaptation, and motivational context, along with the learned and symbolic nature of human screen interactions, make direct parallels difficult. Interpreting the paradigm within a general sensation-seeking or arousal-driven responding framework may therefore provide greater theoretical clarity. Defining these conceptual boundaries more precisely could further enhance the paradigm's value as a tool for investigating the motivational and learning processes underlying both adaptive and maladaptive engagement with sensory stimuli.