Social media Addiction

Social media addiction traits

I find myself engrossed in social media lately. From Facebook, to twitter, Instagram to telegram. To the extent that one peer reviewed research caught me off-guard. The lead researchers believe that social media addiction is a real thing leading to behavioral addiction. Developers of platforms such as Facebook have admitted that the platforms were designed to be addictive. A lot of people appear incognizant of its force. With excessive use being linked to poor quality sleep and mental health issues.

This makes me worried. Addiction is about a motivated repetition of a thought and behaviour. Social media addiction falls under behavioral addiction. You can easily hide behavioral addiction much more so than substance abuse as they go unnoticed for years. This tends to have serious repercussions to your physical as well as mental health. Something that social media potentiates.

Like other types of behavioral addictions, using social media can influence your brain in harmful ways. You may use social media compulsively and excessively. You can become so accustomed to scrolling through posts, images, and videos that it interferes with other areas of your life. The downside of social media addiction includes but not limited to: low self-esteem, increased isolation, poor work performance and a fear of missing out.

A deluge of evidence shows that social media ensnare users indiscriminately. These social media platforms coax us to spend more than we anticipated. There is always a hashtag to click on. Facebook has an endless feed while Instagram is bottomless. The worst parts of the platforms have seeped into our lives, as millions spent countless hours pouring their opinions online, arguing over what is trendy and isn’t.

I have first-hand experience on how social media can quickly take over a person’s thinking. As one becomes increasingly mindful about checking their device, and that can cause real impairment to a person’s life. The popular urge to reach for a device during meals can be attributed to lust of the social industry giants. The connection to that experience is far more biological than we might realize, and not having it can lead to significant psychological and emotional symptoms of withdrawal.

Addiction is seen as inherent in certain people those society label as addicts. We tend to see addiction as the prism of drug use. But we are all one experience from developing our own addictions. For example, if you are preoccupied with the medium, if it takes up increasing amounts of your time, if cutting down lives you feeling restless, moody or irritable, or if use it to escape from personal problems or feelings of dysphoria: that my friend is addiction.

If you are not on social media for a while or if you do not have your device with you, do you begin to notice feeling panicky, anxious and overwhelmed? Do you experience a change in your mood and feel increased irritability? Does it affect the way you interact with your family or friends? These are all signs of addiction.

An individual who is struggling with mental illness or feels socially alone is certainly at great risk. Social media opens a whole unreal world where one can escape the challenges of their real lives. Someone struggling with these issues has trouble interacting with people and may experience low interest, motivation, and energy in getting through the day. Social media provides them with an immediate source of pleasure and of connection.

I believe social media is not inherently bad. Otherwise, it would not be so popular. From helping people to connect and its large audience. To giving us all a shot to be heard. It can give marginalized voices a chance where previously they had none. Social media is complicated.

When all is said and done, social media platforms can be designed to promote social connections or cigarettes they can be designed to addict. The platforms treat us mean and keep us keen. Maybe the answer is using social media in moderation as l tend to worry that if l quit l will be a technophobe or worse.