SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION

Checking and scrolling through social media has become an increasingly popular activity over the last decade. Although the majority of peoples’ use of social media is non-problematic, there is a small percentage of users that become addicted to social networking sites and engage in excessive or compulsive use. In fact, psychologists estimate that as many as 5 to 10% of Americans meet the criteria for social media addiction today. Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction that is characterized as being overly concerned about social media, driven by an uncontrollable urge to log on to or use social media, and devoting so much time and effort to social media that it impairs other important life areas. Due to the effect that it has on the brain, social media is addictive both physically and psychologically. According to a new study by Harvard University, self-disclosure on social networking sites lights up the same part of the brain that also ignites when taking an addictive substance. Social media use becomes problematic when someone views social networking sites as an important coping mechanism to relieve stress, loneliness, or depression. For these people, social media use provides continuous rewards that they’re not receiving in real life, and end up engaging in the activity more and more. This continuous use eventually leads to multiple interpersonal problems, such as ignoring real life relationships, work or school responsibilities, and physical health, which may then exacerbate an individual’s undesirable moods. This then causes people to engage in the social networking behavior even more as a way of relieving dysphoric mood states. Consequently, when social network users repeat this cyclical pattern of relieving undesirable moods with social media use, the level of psychological dependency on social media increases. Signs of Social Media Addiction 1. You Feel Anxious When You Cannot Access Social Media. ... 2. Your Social Media Usage Is Cutting into Your Work Time. ... 3. You Immediately Check Your Phone When You Hear a Notification. ... 4. You Tentatively Monitor Your Posts to See How Many Likes You Get. 5. You Check Your Accounts Right When You Wake up And Right before Bed 6. Your Spouse, Friends and Family Say You Seem “Distant” 7. You Measure Life Events by How Upload-Worthy They Are Effects of Social Media Addiction - Depression symptoms increase because your brain stops producing “happy chemicals.” Soon the only way you feel happy is from social media. - Self-esteem decreases because you’re constantly comparing yourself to other people. You’re only seeing a filtered version of their lives, but that doesn’t stop the grass-is-greener mentality. - You become socially isolated because you’re disconnected from the real world. The augmented reality you see online becomes more desirable than spending time with friends and family. - Work productivity dwindles because your mind is constantly elsewhere. You may even break the rules at work just to check your accounts. - You begin assigning value to your life based on other people’s opinions. The number of likes and positive comments you receive dictate your actions moving forward. - lose sleep at night thinking about social media or checking your phone for messages. This leads to sleep deprivation, which makes you irritable and fatigued the following day. How to stop Social Media Addiction - Go on a social media cleanse: Challenge yourself to go a certain time without checking social media, whether it's for a few hours or an entire week. One 2019 study found that some students who went for five days without social media experienced a "sense of serenity," although others were afraid of missing out. - Delete apps, or disable notifications from social media: Most people check into social media mindlessly, so put a small barrier in the way by turning off notifications. If you don't see a social media icon or alert every time you pick up your phone, you're less likely to spend time there. - Set limits and stick to them. Most phones and tablets allow you to see the time you've spent on certain apps. Set a limit for your time spent on social media and stick to it, or use an app that blocks social media after you've hit your limit. For teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends that social media use not interfere with activities like family meals, exercise, or "unplugged downtime." - Dedicate time to hobbies or activites. A hobby or new activity can help curb your desire to check in to social media. "The idea here is to fill up your free time with things that you enjoy that are good for you," Sternlicht says. "Naturally you will find less time to be on social media and more time to be present in life, and hopefully even socialize in person instead of through a screen." By:Oluwapelumi Atanseiye @pearlumie_