Useful Links

Social Media Addiction

In a world where 'content for the ‘Gram' is part of our daily vernacular and 'Tweets' are more than just noises made by birds, social media looks like it is here to stay. When social media platforms became the digital storm that influenced kids and adults alike over the last two decades, they began with what often represented connection, accessibility and freedom. People from around the world could now stay in touch with each other and keep people updated about their lives. Individuals who lived in the most remote places in the world now found a way to be informed and overcome the isolation that they knew too well. And, of course, the internet world acted as a limitless blank slate to many who found their voices silenced or struggled to speak up. Social media was a revolution of its own and, much like anything else, had its boons and banes.

Over the years, the space of social media addiction has unfortunately become just as commonplace in our lives as the apps themselves. Is it truly an addiction, though? Or have we romanticized our engagement with what could be a fad? As tricky as it might be to label something as an addiction, social media’s overuse and intrusiveness in many people’s lives do look similar to that of an addiction. For starters, individuals with a potential social media addiction report having similar symptoms to any other kind of substance or behavioural addiction, such as gambling. They tend to become dependent on these apps for a source of joy or the happy (read – dopamine) rush. Many studies have shown that using and posting on social media platforms activates a ‘reward’ pathway in our brains. Along with this, the usual course of the increase in usage over time can develop a tolerance, leading to a directly proportional increase of time and energy spent on social media platforms. Individuals also show signs of behaviour modification to continue engaging with social media by becoming withdrawn and anti-social, ironically. Other symptoms of addiction find a home in the social media space, too, such as the conflict in their interpersonal relationships due to over-usage and relapse after a social media detox.

Does this mean anyone on social media is addicted to it? Luckily, no. People with social media addiction often sit at the extreme end of usage where their daily, interpersonal and socioemotional functioning can be significantly hindered because of social media use. There are several ways that individuals can recognise and overcome their social media addiction, some preventive and others more responsive. A key contributor to the development of social media addiction is the ease with which we can access it. Apart from limiting the amount of time we spend on these apps, decreasing access also refers to the devices we use and the time we spend on creating content to post. It might help to have a detox buddy who can either support us as we stay away from social media or join us in the process! While detoxing might be a challenging process in itself, maintaining the same is an often understated battle. Identifying our relapse triggers, finding other hobbies and ultimately, focusing on ourselves and the motivation we have to overcome this addiction are great ways to stay away when needed. 

Social media's introduction into our world is often debated as a boon or a bane. On this Safer Internet Day falling on February 7, take a minute to reflect on how social media impacts your life and the ones around you.