Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction
These include: negative effects to your job or schoolwork due to the overuse of social media (e.g., scrolling through your apps at work or instead of studying) increased use during other activities, such as hanging out with friends and family, or while eating.
The findings of the research showed that participants’ reasons for using social media were lack of friends, social necessity of social media , feeling of fulfillment, fear of missing out, intertwining of social media and daily life.
Social media addiction shows to be linked to disorders such as anxiety and depression, has proven to show dramatic drops in self-worth , decreased average number of genuine relationships in one’s life, more disruptive sleep patterns, less physical activity, and overall disruption to immune health.
- Social media addiction signs. ...
- #1 Turn off notifications. ...
- #2 Don’t have your phone by you whilst you sleep. ...
- #3 Remove your phone from your morning routine. ...
- #4 Place less weight on your personal social media appearance. ...
- #5 Opt for analogue alternatives. ...
- #6 Digital detox.
Excessive social media use can not only cause unhappiness and a general dissatisfaction with life in users but also increase the risk of developing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
Excessive social media use has not been recognized as a disorder by the World Health Organization or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).
- cyberbullying (bullying using digital technology)
- invasion of privacy.
- identity theft.
- your child seeing offensive images and messages.
- the presence of strangers who may be there to ‘groom’ other members.
The negative aspects of social media
However, multiple studies have found a strong link between heavy social media and an increased risk for depression, anxiety, loneliness, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. Social media may promote negative experiences such as: Inadequacy about your life or appearance.
Study finds that college students are ‘addicted’ to social media and experience withdrawal symptoms similar to substance related addictions . Study also finds that students using seven to 11 social media networks experience depression and anxiety symptoms.
Social media has the ability to both capture and scatter your attention . ... Not only does this lead to poorer cognitive performance, but it shrinks parts of the brain associated with maintaining attention.
- Build relationships. Social media is not just about brands connecting with their customers. ...
- Share your expertise. Social media gives you an opportunity to talk about what you know and what you want to be known for. ...
- Increase your visibility. ...
- Educate yourself. ...
- Connect anytime.
In previous study, a lot of studies explored the dark side of excessive social media use. Excessive use of social media contributes to addictive behaviors (Lian et al., 2019) ; job performance reduced (Yu et al., 2018;Cao and Yu, 2019).
You are anxious when you cannot check your social media
If being away from your phone or without internet, and the prospect of not being able to go on social media for a while, makes you feel anxious , it is likely that you have a social media addiction.
- Make a new recipe. ...
- Listen to music and/or make a music playlist.
- Listen to a podcast. ...
- Write in a journal. ...
- Create goals for yourself. ...
- Plan a trip with friends or family. ...
- Have fun with a coloring book. ...
- Go to a museum.
- Turn Off Your Notifications. When you stop notifications from disturbing your normal routine, you might find it easier to concentrate on your daily tasks and not get distracted so easily. ...
- Get A New Hobby. ...
- Make It A Treat.
