Social media is an internet-based communication platform that enables people from all around the world to connect, share information and create content. Nowadays social media is the norm. It is almost muscle memory to wake up and check social media for all that has been happening in the world.
Advantages of social media
There are some advantages of social media:
It sheds light on issues that are sometimes uncovered by the mainstream news and bring the victims closer to getting justice and getting help from people around the world.
It helps people grow their businesses and bring attention to their blogs and websites.
It helps people connect with their families, no matter where they are in the world.
But these advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages and problems that arise from the excessive use of social media that is prevalent in today’s society. Social media addiction is common but is usually overlooked. It can lead to the depletion of mental health and have harmful consequences.
Why is social media so addictive?
The dopamine levels in the brain rise when a person consumes an addictive substance causing the brain to corrupt the way it registers pleasure and positive reinforcement. In social media, a new notification that pops up on the phone can provide the brain with a dopamine rush. People start looking at likes and comments as rewards. Getting off social media can cause a deficit that the brain is unable to reach given the huge amounts of dopamine released by the use of social media. This causes an unwarranted need to use social media and the cycle continues leading to addiction.
Social media algorithms are designed in a way to keep users engaged throughout. People tend to get addicted to social media. It is rewarding without putting in much work. For example, getting a like on a picture can be rewarding and as the likes start increasing, so does the compulsive need to constantly check the picture for the number of likes. In the same way, getting a notification or an update on anything is rewarding and soon it becomes a habit.
Some people use social media as an escape or a coping mechanism for loneliness, depression and anxiety. It provides people with positive reinforcements that they may not be getting in their life outside of social media. It causes issues in personal relationships, puts them behind at school and work, has a deteriorating effect on physical health and aggravates their existing mental health problems. Social media is not a coping mechanism as it only masks the underlying issue to provide short-lived feelings of pleasure and happiness.
Harmful effects of social media addiction
Social media addiction is often overlooked because it does not sound as serious as other forms of addiction, but it can have severe consequences on mental and physical health, if it is not recognised and taken care of.
Self-esteem issues
Everyone on social media wants to show off how “perfect” their life is. People rarely showcase the low points of their life or career to seem more desirable. This creates a lot of self-esteem and issues with inadequacy, especially on the young and developing minds of teenagers. In reality, it’s impossible to tell if it’s all a farce, but that does not help the feelings of dissatisfaction and jealousy, rather it complicates them. It starts interfering in day to day activities and harms productiveness and motivation.
Negative body image
It is very easy to manipulate everything that is posted on social media. Every picture which seems flawless has a ton of editing and lighting working in its favor. But as viewers, it is difficult to understand that and not engage in any comparisons. It can negatively affect body image and can lead to eating disorders, body dysmorphia or exercise addiction.
Increased isolation and loneliness
As much as social media has played a part in increasing connections, it cannot be a replacement for real-life social connections with friends and family. People who are chronically online have reported feeling lonely and more isolated than before their usage of social media. Besides, it can also exacerbate the existing mental health issues like anxiety and depression and make it more difficult to get treatment for those disorders.
FOMO(fear of missing out)
The anxiety that is triggered by the fear of missing out on experiences that others may be having is called FOMO or fear of missing out. It causes restlessness and may aggravate feelings of insecurity and jealousy. Fear of missing out may drive a person to check their phone compulsively to not miss out on any messages or updates. This can cause distractions in daily life and can leave a person feeling dissatisfied and irritated.
Unhealthy sleep patterns
Spending too much time on social media will inevitably lead to unhealthy sleeping patterns, especially when scrolling on the phone at night. Social media can keep a person engaged constantly and therefore, they don’t realize when 5 minutes turn into an hour of browsing mindlessly. This can affect daily activities as sleep is very important to function. Lack of a good night’s sleep can lead to fatigue and less motivation to carry out daily tasks.
Signs and Symptoms
The progression into social media addiction generally begins with some type of underlying issue. As the issue grows more significant, the need to compulsively use social media also increases.
Negative effect on daily life- Addiction to social media will inevitably have negative consequences on daily life, relationships and work or school. Losing interest in hanging out with friends, family and struggling to pay attention in school or at work. Losing sleep due to excessive usage of social media
Increased reliance- Underlying issues such as depression and anxiety can increase reliance on social media to relieve symptoms.
Restlessness- Feeling restless and easily irritable when not using social media. Constantly checking to not miss out on anything.
Lying- Denying about their dependence on social media when asked by someone like a family member or therapist.
Withdrawal- Changes in mood, irritability and increased boredom are signs of withdrawal, due to high dependency on social media.
Prevention and Treatment
Acknowledgement- Acknowledging the problem exists and that it needs to be treated to prevent or cut back on any negative consequences it may have had.
Cutting down on screen time- Consciously setting a downtime limit for usage of social media can be helpful for the early stages of social media addiction.
Taking a break from social media- Taking frequent breaks from social media will reduce the dependency on it. This is critical for time management and increasing focus on things outside of the internet.
Taking up a hobby- Social media dependency is often a result of boredom. Taking up a hobby that is unrelated to technology is very important for the prevention of social media addiction.
Healthy coping skills- More often than not, social media is used as an escape route to relieve symptoms of underlying mental health issues. Forming a healthy coping mechanism that is not dependent on social media is important for recovery.
Therapy- Therapy is essential for the treatment of mental health problems that are usually a cause for dependency on social media. Talk therapy, family therapy and alternative treatments such as yoga, meditation and dance therapy can also help develop healthy coping mechanisms.
Conclusion
Addiction is defined as a compulsive engagement in harmful activities despite a negative impact on mental and physical health. In today’s day and age, social media is inescapable and is a part of life. But, excess of anything is bound to have negative effects. It is inherently addictive, however, that does not mean that everyone will automatically get addicted to it. Taking frequent breaks, developing strong coping mechanisms and having hobbies outside of media consumption are some of the steps that prevent social media addiction. Breaking habits is difficult, but it is possible and also extremely important to not form a strong dependency on anything. Asking for help is essential in recovery and should be actively encouraged.
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