Social Media Addiction: What It Is And What Causes It

Communication has always been the most crucial form of bringing people together. Even in ancient times, people have made use of every way possible to transmit their message to someone else. With the passage of time, I think it is safe to say that communication has evolved in outstanding ways. Ever since we have given rise to technology, the benefits from it have been in abundance. What used to take days or even weeks to be transmitted can now be done in 5 seconds tops. Amazing, right? Right.

Well, that’s the tremendous result of the ever-growing phenomenon of the internet. With the internet, social media came to be. It is undeniably true that social media has made our lives easier in every way possible. Whether it is keeping up with people or recent trends, all you need to do is scroll down on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter/ or even Tumblr to get a grasp of everything that has been going on around the world. It gives us a chance to connect with things that are happening literally on the other side of the globe.

But social media is not all glory. Lately, you can’t help but notice how much time people spend in front of the screens, scrolling, and scrolling, aimlessly. With that said, it is loud and clear that social media are as addictive as other drugs and withdrawing from it leads to lots of stress, anxiety and perhaps even depression. What seems just like a harmless, innocent interaction is transforming into a huge issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

What is social media addiction?

It is exactly what the question suggests. An addiction to social media. The thing is that people don’t see it as a real thing, mostly because it is not a ‘substance’ that you can see and touch. But the addiction is there nonetheless. I mean, you can literally be a witness to the tantrum a person will throw if they forget their phone someplace else, or if there is no Wi-Fi. The urge to check their social media accounts is strong and gets the best of them. People who are addicted to social media literally feel anxious and stressed when they can’t check their notifications right away. And this is a phenomenon that is referred to as “FoMO”, Fear of Missing Out.

What causes social media addiction?

In a nutshell, people don’t get addicted to social media because it is super entertaining or fun. They become addicted when they start using it as a means of escape from everyday problems. I mean, it only makes sense. I have had my fair share of gloomy, dark days but instead of social media, I indulged myself in books. I’d read four books over one weekend, ignoring all my other responsibilities. So, being stressed, anxious and depressed leads to spending more and more time avoiding real life.

Being addicted to social media leads to a whole lot of wasted time. But it has been observed that people seek solace in social media when they are bored or have nothing else to do. So, the root of all evil? Boredom. Another thing that causes social media addiction is how people seem to use it for validation. They tend to measure their self-worth by the number of friends, followers, and likes on their social media posts. So, when they take to their social media to share something that they thought looked pretty or was funny, they constantly go back to the post, looking at the feedback that it is receiving.

Social media: Addiction or Boredom?

I think there is a little bit of both when it comes to the excessive use of social media. It’s like they’re in some way intertwined with one another. Firstly, when we are bored, we tend to spend time scrolling and looking at things no matter how unimportant they are, to spend some time. And after a while of constantly checking your social media, you develop a habit of doing it on a regular basis. This keeps you updated with things that are happening around the world. This is where the FoMO effect kicks in. The fear of missing out on an important or an interesting event keeps us scrolling time after time, to make sure we know what hot and what is not.

However, there is a lot that can be done in order to alleviate the situation. And the very first thing that needs to be done is to realize that we do indeed have a problem. Only then can we work on it and improve our condition. It is never too late to cut back on something that proves to be unhealthy for you.

Before you go, don’t miss out on: Health Risks Of Consuming Too Much Sugar And The Addiction It Can Cause