Social Media Addiction

Overview:

Social media addiction can be described as a behavior addiction. It is when you are too concerned with social media and have a strong urge to use it.

What is Social Media Addiction?

Social media has grown to be a popular pastime over the past decade.

While most people use social media in a non-problematic manner, there are a few users who become compulsive or excessively addicted.

According to psychologists, between 5 and 10% of Americans are currently suffering from social media addiction.

Social media addiction can be described as a behavior addiction. It is defined as excessive concern with social media and a strong urge to use it.

This is often accompanied by a lack of control over your life.

Symptoms:

Addiction to social media will look just like any other substance abuse disorder.

This includes Mood modification (i.e. engagement in social networks leads to a positive change in emotional states).

Salience, (i.e. behavioral, cognitive, and emotional preoccupations with social media), Tolerance (i.e. ever-increasing use of social media over time).

Withdrawal symptoms (i.e. experiencing unpleasant physical or emotional symptoms when social networking is restricted or stopped),

Conflict, (i.e. interpersonal problems that result from social media usage), and rapid relapse (i.e. addicts quickly revert to their excessive use after an abstinence period.

Social media addiction is largely due to the dopamine-inducing social networks that these sites offer.

Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook all produce the same neural circuitry as recreational and gambling drugs in order to keep their users using their products as often as possible.

The brain’s reward system is affected by the constant stream of likes, retweets, and shares on these social media platforms.

This causes the same chemical reaction as with other drugs such as cocaine.

Neuroscientists compare social media interaction with a needle containing dopamine that is injected directly into the brain.

How social media affects the brain:

Social media can make you addicted to it both psychologically and physically.

Harvard University has revealed that self-disclosure via social media sites can light up the same brain area as when you take an addictive substance.

The brain’s reward area and chemical messenger pathways have an impact on decisions and sensations.

Dopamine levels rise when someone is rewarded with something or takes an addictive drug. The brain associates positive reinforcement with the activity or drug as a reward.

This can be seen in social media use. When an individual receives a notification such as a mention or like, their brain releases dopamine, which causes pleasure.

The endless supply of instant rewards through social media, such as attention from others and minimal effort, is a huge advantage.

Positive reinforcement causes the brain to rewire itself, leading people to want likes, retweets, and emoticon reactions.

Social media addiction is also a result of the fact that people talk about themselves more often than they talk about them.

It’s true that in real life people only talk about themselves between 30-40% of the time.

However, social media allows people to show off their achievements and life.

People talk about themselves an astonishing 80% of all the time. Positive social feedback can stimulate the brain to release dopamine.

This reward reinforces that behavior and keeps the social media habit going.

If someone uses social media as a coping mechanism to alleviate stress, loneliness, and depression, it can become problematic.

These people see social media as a way to receive rewards they don’t get in real life and so engage in the activity more.

The constant use of social media can lead to many interpersonal problems.

This includes ignoring relationships in real life, work, and school responsibilities, as well as physical health issues that may exacerbate an individual’s unhappy moods.

People then engage in social networking more to relieve their dysphoric moods.

This results in a rise in psychological dependence on social networking when users continue to use social media to relieve their unhappiness.

Recognizing Social Media Addictions:

While many people use social media regularly, only a few are truly addicted.

These six questions can help you determine if someone is at risk for developing an addiction to social networking.

• Is he/she a social media guru?
• Is he/she feeling the urge to use social media more often?
• Is he/she using social media to forget personal problems?
• Is he/she a frequent user of social media?
• Is he/she restless or troubled when unable to use social networks?
• Is he/she using social media in a way that has negatively impacted his/her job/study?

If you answered yes to more than three questions, you might be suffering from social media addiction.

A digital detox is a time when a person reduces or stops using electronic devices like smartphones and computers.

This is done to protect the user. You can do this by turning off all sound notifications or checking your social media accounts once per hour.

You can also make changes such as putting your phone away in a separate place at night to prevent disturbing sleep or having a non-screening time during meals.

This allows you to regain your focus on the real world of social interaction and decreases dependence on online networking.

Social media and mental health:

Research has proven that social media use is linked to low self-esteem and negative mental health.

Although social media platforms can have many benefits, too much of them can lead to isolation and depression.

These negative mental emotions are not just due to social pressure to share things, but also because of the comparisons of material items and lifestyles these sites encourage.

Instagram and Facebook users can see curated content. These are posts and advertisements that are targeted at you based on your interests.

People may be inspired or happy by a post from someone who has a wonderful job, a great partner, or a beautiful home while scrolling through this curated material.

However, others may be inspired by these photos and feel depressed, jealous, or suicidal because their lives are not as perfect as the ones they see on Instagram or Facebook.

Recent research has shown that social network users often believe other users are happier or more successful than them, even though they don’t know them well.

Social media encourages people to compare their real selves with the perfect, edited, and polished online versions of others.

This can have a negative impact on mental well-being as well as one’s perception of themselves.

Social media excessive use can lead to unhappiness, a general dissatisfaction in life, and even increase your risk of developing mental health problems such as anxiety or depression.

Comparisons with others can cause self-consciousness and a need to be perfect. This can often lead to social anxiety disorder.

Fear of missing out (FOMO) is another aspect of social anxiety that can be triggered by social media.

This is the extreme fear of being excluded from or missing an event.

One example is when someone sees photos of a party they weren’t invited to or of a fun event they missed.

They feel anxious that everyone will miss them or that they won’t be remembered because they aren’t there.

FOMO can affect self-esteem and cause compulsive checking of social networks to make sure that one is not missing anything.

This can lead to problems in the workplace and at school.

Harvard University researchers discovered that social media had a negative impact on the emotional well-being of chronic users.

This can negatively impact their relationships with their families and academic success among those who are still in school.

At-Risk Youth:

A staggering 27% of children who spend more than 3 hours per day on social networking sites have symptoms of poor mental well-being.

Children and young adults are more likely to use social media sites than they are adults, as their brains and social skills still develop.

Research shows that social media use by adolescents from an early age has severely hampered their social interaction skills.

Although social media users interact with one another on these platforms, not all of their interactions translate into the real world. 

When surveyed, studies have shown that individuals with these traits have higher levels of social anxiety, depression, body image, empathy, and compassion for others.

California State University conducted a study that found people who visited social media sites at least 58 times per week were three times more likely to feel isolated and depressed than those who visited them less often.

Social media can be a source of low self-esteem and disordered eat habits in young adults due to the constant stream of perfectly filtered photos.

Although teens are aware that peers often share their most memorable moments and photos on social media, it can be difficult for them to not make comparisons.

Teens can be influenced by unrealistic beauty standards on social media sites.

A University of Pittsburgh study found that scrolling through social media sites can lead to negative body image feedback.

Social media users who spent more time scrolling through social media were 2.2 times more likely to report eating or body image concerns than those who spent less time.

Users can scrutinize and process everything, from their physical appearance to their life circumstances to their perceived success.

Teens may be motivated to like others on social media, and make changes to their appearance. They might also make bad choices or accept social media challenges.

Online bullying can be caused by the competition for attention and social media likes.

While harassment, gossip-spreading, and name-calling among teenagers have been a problem for decades, social media gives them more options than ever.

Cyberbullying is more common in teens than it is in boys. Cyberbullying has seen a rise in popularity over the years.

This includes the use of face-to-face bullying techniques and the posting of explicit images that are not consented to. 25% of teens claim they have received explicit images that they did not ask for. 7% of them say they have had explicit images shared to their account without their permission.

This abuse, as well as other forms of cyberbullying, has contributed to an increase in suicide rates among young adults.

These factors also contribute to increased anxiety among teens and teenagers.

Get treatment today:

Many people can use social media every day without any problems.

However, social media addicts are addicted to the need to engage with others on social media sites.

The condition can be treated and many people have recovered. It is possible to reduce screen time and avoid addiction through social media.

However, you might need professional help if your addiction is severe.

A specialist treatment provider can help you if you are having trouble controlling your social media usage and believe you might be addicted.

They will help you choose the right rehabilitation program for you and get you on the road to recovery.

Ask your friends and loved ones for support.

If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, consider joining a support group or seeking counseling. Believe in your ability to take control of the pain…

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