The Reality of Social Media Addiction

The smartphone is one of the most convenient devices ever created. Need to send a message? Just text them. Need to eat something? Order food online. Feeling bored? Go on social media. All of the problems a person might have can be solved through the smartphone. Although phones appear to help society in a positive aspect, there is a frightening consequence: the threatening addiction to social media. Instant gratification is directly tied with social media addiction. This is a harmful process that diminishes the meaning of patience and hardwork. Below are some reasons why social media addiction is harmful.

Social media has a negative impact on young people’s mental health. A study examining the effects of social media on teens questioned 1141 people, ranging from 13 to 17 years old. Seventy percent of participants felt left out while using social media. Forty-three percent of participants deleted a social media post after receiving a low number of likes, which caused the participants to feel insecure. These statistics indicate that social media users to feel like their life is inadequate compared to the lives they repeatedly see on their phone. The feeling that a person is missing out is likely to occur and causes people to feel isolated. Users fail to realize that the media they consume is not real and does not fully show the truth about people’s lives.

The need for instant gratification is leading to shorter attention spans and the loss of patience. When someone enters a restaurant it is now common to see toddlers with an ipad placed in front of them to give the parents a “break.” This only leads to children growing up without knowing how to develop social skills and the inability to be present in the moment. According to Common Sense Media, thirty-eight percent of children under the age of two have used mobile devices. These children become addicted to the constant rush of dopamine, and will not be able to wait for a reward, chasing the fastest way to obtain things. In adults, this takes form in consuming media, which in turn boosts dopamine. The person will then stay on social media to feed this craving for dopamine. The addiction becomes hard to break when a person is constantly receiving notifications that someone has messaged them, liked their post, or posted new content. This causes people to lose what is special about being present in the moment.

Social anxiety is increasingly prevalent because of the lack of in-person interactions people have. People are more comfortable with sitting behind a screen to communicate rather than communicating in person. Social media allows an individual to manipulate social interactions online to tailor to their own personal image they are trying to convey to others (Mikulich). Posting content that only shows one aspect of someone’s life can also lead to this person having social anxiety. The person might be afraid of not living up to other people’s expectations because of the false image they display. The lack of in person interaction can lead to a person not understanding proper social queues, which leads to uncomfortable moments and even more social anxiety. Using social media as an alternative way of face-to-face interaction leads to low self-confidence and poorer overall well being.

Social media is not a completely terrible thing. Of course, it is possible to meet new people, receive new opportunities, and learn new things with social media. It is important to limit consumption of social media, and to remember that it is not real. Remember to value the present moments and hangout with friends from time to time. Young people should remember to limit their time on social media, and also stay in tune with themselves before consuming media.

Work Cited:

Verbanas, Patti. “Are You Addicted to Technology?” Rutgers University, 2021, www.rutgers.edu/news/are-you-addicted-technology.

Hoffman, Kent. S, and Medically Reviewed by. “Social Media Addiction Statistics (2023) - Who Is Most at Risk?” Addiction Help, 15 Aug. 2023, www.addictionhelp.com/social-media-addiction/statistics/#:~:text=According%20to%20research%20from%20the,compared%20to%20the%20average%20person.

Alsop, Ronald. “Instant Gratification & Its Dark Side.” Bucknell University, 15 Aug. 2019, www.bucknell.edu/news/instant-gratification-its-dark-side.

Robinson, Lawrence. “Social Media and Mental Health.” HelpGuide.Org, 29 Mar. 2023, www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/social-media-and-mental-health.htm

Alyssa. “Link between Social Media and Social Anxiety: Banyan Boca.” Banyan Treatment Center, 17 Feb. 2022, www.banyantreatmentcenter.com/2022/02/17/link-between-social-media-and-social-anxiety/#:~:text=The%20main%20link%20between%20social,interact%20with%20others%20in%20person.

Gillette, Hope. “Does Social Media Worsen Social Anxiety Symptoms?” Psych Central, Psych Central, 23 June 2021, psychcentral.com/anxiety/social-media-cause-anxiety#whats-the-link.

Ann Mikulich, LPC. “The Impact of Social Media on Social Anxiety.” National Social Anxiety Center, 31 Jan. 2021, nationalsocialanxietycenter.com/2016/12/20/the-impact-of-social-media-on-social-anxiety/.