Social Media Addiction
Over the last decade, the use of social media has rapidly increased. A few have become overly concerned with social media, and they devote much of their time and energy to social media, damaging crucial elements of their life. This mannerism is termed as social media addiction. According to What Is Social Media Addiction? “Approximately 7.5% of Americans meet the criteria for social media addiction.” The addiction is caused by the dopamine-inducing social environments provided by social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. It is similar to that substance use, in that they both cause mood modification, salience, tolerance, conflict, relapse, and withdrawal symptoms. Besides, the article adds that “Constant stream of retweets, likes, and shares have affected the brain’s reward area to trigger the same type of chemical reaction as drugs.” Interacting with social media and dopamine injection has a similar effect on the body.
The use of social media has become a common habit, but few people are addicted. In accessing social media addiction, the commonly asked questions are: how often does someone use social media? Does the urge to use it increase? Does the use of social media make her forget her personal problems? And does she become restless if she is unable to access it? The solution to such would be engaging in social media detox for some while. It will help in restoring one’s social interaction in the physical world.
Social media is addictive. Research shows that Social media addiction fits the addiction criteria because it makes people neglect their personal lives, mental preoccupation, escapism, mood-enhancing, and tolerance. It also found that what motivates people excessively use social networks varies according to their type of personality. Introverts and extroverts use social networks differently. Part of social media’s unhealthy cycle is that people keep using it even though it does not make them feel good. It has similar effects to drugs. People think that getting a quick fix will assist, but it actually makes them feel worse. The pattern is similar to other types of addiction. People experience withdrawal symptoms when they stop using social media. “People who are over-dependent on digital devices report feelings of anxiety when they are stopped from using them,” writes Walton. Actual physical changes accompany the psychological side-effects.
According to Walton, “Social Media triggers sadness.” The more a person uses social media, the less happy they appear to be. The effect is associated with less random happiness and less life satisfaction. As much as social media helps people connect instantly, it also implores social isolation. Instead of promoting well-being as frequent in-person social activities do, they undermine it. Another study found that when people spent more time on social media platforms, they viewed themselves as socially isolated (Walton). Perceived social isolation is not good for people, both mentally and physically.
Other than social media making people feel socially isolated, it also makes them compare their lives with other people. A comparison is mentally unhealthy. As people scroll through their feeds, they often compare themselves to others, concluding how they measure up. Walton further states that “Both “upward” and “downward” comparisons make people feel bad.” As it turns out, any comparison is connected to depression. The comparison also leads to envy. Seeing other people flourishing in life and going for vacations induces envy in most people. The magnitude of envy incidents on social media platforms is astonishing, and it provides evidence that social media offers a breeding ground for abominable feelings. The feelings yield a vicious cycle where people try to make their lives seem better and post envy-inducing pictures of themselves.
According to Walton, “More friends on social doesn’t mean you’re more social.” Nurturing a friendship requires actual social interaction, but virtual interaction does not offer this. There is also a limit to the number of friends that someone’s brain can handle. Therefore, feeling like one is social on social media does not work. Creating healthy physical relationships is important as loneliness is linked to healthy and mental health problems.
Molly Crockett, a Yale psychologist, is an example of a social media addict. After the 2016 presidential election, she realized that she was getting sucked into the feedback loop. She would read a post on her social platform, get agitated by it, then feel compelled to share it with her friends (Vedantam et al.). She would then obsessively check whether they have responded, and how they responded. She recalls feeling offended by Trump’s administration viewpoint on immigration. When she saw a pro-immigration article, she read it and shared it. She says, “A lot of my friends ‘liked’ it.” The article was six years old, written and circulated during Obama’s administration. Molly later deleted the post, but it made her realize that she had become a social media addict.
There is an irresistible connection between social media and negative mental health and low self-esteem. Despite social media having its set of benefits, its frequent use can make people feel isolated and unhappy. The negative emotional reactions are generated by the social pressure of sharing their lives on social media and comparing lifestyles promoted by these lifestyles. Social media exposes the users to curated content meant to appeal to their interests. While viewing the content, one may come across a personal profile with a great job, a nice house, and feel inspired by the individual. However, other users may feel jealous or get depressed because their lives are not “prospering” like social media personality. Social media perceives that the users are happier and more successful than they are, making other people compare reality with the edited online version. This habit is detrimental to the mental well-being of a person. “Frequently comparing oneself to others leads to self-consciousness, depression, and dissatisfaction” (Hou et al.). They then use social platforms to make up for their real-life inadequacies. It enhances over-dependence on social media. When the needs are not met, the mental condition deteriorates further. Therefore, the relationship between poor psychological health and social media addiction is bidirectional.
As the number of people using social media increases, so does the number of addicts increase. The addiction is caused by the dopamine-inducing social environments provided by social media platforms. Social media addiction pattern is similar to other types of addictions. Social media exposes the users to feelings of jealousy, self-consciousness, depression, and dissatisfaction. They further develop excessive dependence on social media to compensate for their real-life inadequacies. Like any other addiction, addicts can rehabilitate.
WORKS CITED
Hou, Yubo, et al. Social Media Addiction: Its Impact, Mediation, and Intervention. 21 Feb. 2019, cyberpsychology.eu/article/view/11562/10373.
Social Media Addiction. 17 Sept. 2020, www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/social-media-addiction/.
Vedantam, Shankar, et al. Screaming Into The Void: How Outrage Is Hijacking Our Culture, And Our Minds. 7 Oct. 2019, www.npr.org/2019/10/04/767186846/screaming-into-the-void-how-outrage-is-hijacking-our-culture-and-our-minds.
Walton, Alice G. 6 Ways Social Media Affects Our Mental Health. 30 June 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/06/30/a-run-down-of-social-medias-effects-on-our-mental-health/#4cc15c092e5a.