A young woman becomes suspicious of her phone when unfamiliar Wi-Fi networks appear and contact photos change without warning. Over time, she starts to believe that her phone has been hacked or infected with spyware, and that someone or even an entire organisation is monitoring her because she is suspected of a crime. For most people, such odd or confusing encounters with technology are now a routine part of daily life.
Built-in webcams, unfamiliar Wi-Fi networks, targeted advertising, and customised social media feeds are commonplace, and most people learn to ignore them. But in the case of individuals with severe mental illness, particularly people with schizophrenia, such new technology can become the foundation for delusional beliefs that eventually lead to disconnection from reality. Psychiatrists regularly encounter individuals whose thoughts, behaviour, or moods are profoundly disturbed. The researcher has worked closely with people with schizophrenia over the past ten years.
Schizophrenia is a long-term disorder that involves the impairment of brain function and alters the way an individual perceives the world. Individuals with this disease can become extremely sensitive to their surroundings and may interpret ordinary sights or sounds that are often harmless as personal threats directed at them.
Over time, these experiences may evolve into delusions, firmly held beliefs not based on reality and resistant to contrary evidence. The most common delusional beliefs involve persecution, such as the feeling of being watched or stalked, as well as beliefs in special powers, control by external forces, or deception by a partner.
While the core themes of delusions remain consistent over time, their expression is influenced by social and political contexts. To illustrate, in World War II, certain Americans with schizophrenia believed they were being persecuted by Germans. The same was feared during the Cold War with the communists. Delusions have also been seen to comprise major historical events like the fall of the Berlin Wall or the O.J. Simpson trial.
Today, digital technology has provided new content for old delusional themes. The researchers examined the medical histories of 228 individuals with thought disorder who received a specialised day treatment program during 2016-2024, focusing on the influence of modern technology on delusions. They searched for delusional beliefs related to technology and tested whether such beliefs increased over time. The findings indicated that more than half of the respondents cited technology or the internet in their delusions. Many believed that their phones, computers, or Wi-Fi networks were hacked or used to track them.
Some believed that neighbours or family members were spying on them using common networks or secret devices. Approximately one in four reported delusions related to social media, including beliefs that celebrities were personally communicating with them, that playlists contained hidden messages, or that algorithms were influencing their minds.
Others feared being watched through hidden cameras or microphones in their homes or even inside their bodies. Some of them have explained the “Truman Show delusion,” believing their lives were being re-enacted as a reality TV show. Notably, the prevalence of these technology-related delusions has increased steadily in the 21st century. The paper demonstrates how traditional delusional tropes are transforming in the digital world.
Most of these fears stemmed from misunderstandings about how technology functions or occasional technical glitches, such as a Wi-Fi router needing a reset, an app changing its icon, or messages being lost automatically. As technology and artificial intelligence continue to advance, distinguishing reality from false beliefs may become challenging not only for individuals with mental illness but for society at large. This underscores the need for new strategies to remain grounded in fact and discern what is authentic.
Reference: Burns AV. Hacked phones and Wi-Fi surveillance have replaced Cold War spies and radio waves in the delusions of people with schizophrenia. The Conversation. Published December 17, 2025. Accessed December 18, 2025. Hacked phones and Wi-Fi surveillance have replaced Cold War spies and radio waves in the delusions of people with schizophrenia
