Addicted to Social Media

Tweet. Post. Like. Comment. Login. It’s an addiction, but is this social media obsession a real mental disorder? Most people in older generations will say, “When i was a kid, we didn’t have the resources and connections through the internet like you kids” or, “You’re so attached to your phones.” And the truth is, we DO have a ton of connections through the internet, and we ARE attached to our phones. In some cases, this might not be an issue, but in others, our generations addiction could be a serious case of addiction.

Addiction is being attached or dependent on a substance, thing, or activity. When people think of addiction, they usually think of an addiction to drugs or alcohol. But, Merriam Webster’s dictionary also defines it as, “an unusually great interest in something or a need to do or have something”. In studies at University of Albany, there has been a correlation between the excessive use of online social networking and its’ effects almost reflecting that of other control disorders, including substance abuse. A psychologist at The University of Albany, Julia Hormes, conducted the study using undergraduate students, ages 18 and up. The way she conducted this study was in comparison to the way someone would study substance addiction. They were asked specific questions about the way that Facebook made them feel. It was found that a notification or “like” was instant gratification or a “reward” for the user. I mean how many of you have been excited when you’ve reached over 100 likes on an Instagram picture? Exactly. It feels good to have your followers like your picture, literally and figuratively. The students used in the study reported cravings and irritability when the website was not accessible. Think about how helpless you feel when your phone dies. This is common with addiction withdrawals. People in the study who were found to have an addiction to social media also had problems with their emotions, and impulse control.

A study at Harvard University has shown that posting about oneself on social media activates the part of the brain that is associated with the sensation of the pleasures that humans get from eating food, getting money, or having sex. During the experiment, the researchers put people in an MRI machine and asked them about their and other’s opinions about certain subjects. They found that when the subjects were talking about themselves, the part of the brain related to reward was engaged more so than when they were talking about others. They then found that when people could share their thoughts with their friends or family, the reward section was engaged versus being told they had to keep their thoughts to themselves. All in all, this study shows why people love social media so much. They love it because people love talking about themselves, and love when other people view it, or comment on it.

There are 1,320 million users on Facebook, 343 million on Google+, 300 million users on Linkedin, 271 million on Twitter, and 230 million users on Tumblr. The doesn’t really seem like THAT many people, but how often are people using social media a day? Users between ages 15-19 spend at least 3 hours a day on social media, an users 20-29 are on social media at least 2 hours a day. 16% of people rely on Twitter or Facebook for their morning news, 5 million images are uploaded on Instagram daily, and more than 500 MILLION tweets are posted PER DAY!!

I think it is still up in the air whether social media addiction is a real mental disorder, but I definitely think that there is strong evidence that it could be. I see now  that our generation is more reliant on social media and the internet than people were in previous years, but it is just the social norm in today’s society. If you don’t have Twitter, or Instagram, or even Facebook, well first of all, you definitely get your homework done faster, but how do you stay connected? In a way, it is a little sad that face to face conversations are becoming less and less prominent, and texting, “I’m here” instead of knocking on the front door is considered normal, but how do we change it? Is it possible to even change our society’s so-called addiction?

8 thoughts on “Addicted to Social Media

  1. Kaitlyn Wells

    I think that some people are addicted to their cell phones. Some of my friends won’t even leave their phone in their room they have to bring it with them everywhere they go! It definitely has an affect on the brain. Our generation is becoming extremely dependent on social media and their phones. Some people’s lives revolve around Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

  2. Hunter Alexander Mycek

    What a great topic! I think I may fall into the group of people “addicted” to social media. I think you would enjoy exploring the neurological aspects of addiction and see if there are any parallels between what happens when somebody logs onto to Facebook or receives a notification and the ensuing biochemical satisfaction that occurs in our brains.

    Here is a study that explores addiction and how it affects our brain. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2901107/

    Your paragraph that includes statistics on social media use strongly attests more to the popularity of social media but it is hard to use that to support your claim that social media is in fact addictive. Also, your Harvard study establishes how we find pleasure through social media and not really the addictive part. It would be interesting to see you connect the pleasure centers of our brain (the dopamine and serotonin systems) and what addiction is.

  3. Hyun Soo Lee

    I know that social media addiction can be attributed to dopamine loops, which explains why receiving a new text or notification can be so gratifying. When you seek out something and get rewarded for it, the dopamine rush makes you want to seek more, thereby making you more dependent on social media and your cell phone. With the near-unlimited supply of information at our disposal, this can come in many forms such as social media and texting. Humans are naturally selfish creatures, so whenever we see that one automatic notification pop up on our device, it stimulates our dopamine system and leads us down the path of addiction. I have personally disabled automatic notifications on my phone, but if there’s another route that helps you break the loops, by all means, stick to it.

  4. Nicholas Sivak

    As a tech savvy person of our generation, I surround myself with different devices and social media outlets each day. I am constantly checking my devices, but I can also go without doing this usually when I want to say while at work or driving in the car. But am I still addicted, even if my involvement is related to a future job? I think this question shows itself in layers, even here I am furthering the topic above by talking about myself, and this is in fact a sort of social media. Dr. Phil makes a nice list of ways to help break the hold of an addiction for those who truly are too connected to their devices and want to make a change. Interesting post!

  5. Shannon Rose Beam

    I’ll be the first to admit that I am addicted to social media. There are times that I wish it didn’t exist, yet there is also times where it is helpful. For instance, I have a Polish student and we communicate through facebook. Social media is great when it comes to staying in touch with everyone. It’s crazy to think that people spend three hours a day out of 24 on social media. The fact that 500 million tweets are posted per day is actually sickening, but the sad reality is that sometimes one of my tweets is part of that 500 million. I think in the future there will be therapy for people that are addicted to social media. I actually found a website that talks about five steps in which you can cure your social media addiction, you should definitely check it out.

    https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/5-steps-to-cure-your-social-media-addiction/

  6. Bailee Nicole Koncar

    Hi Allie!
    It is a sad truth that our generation is becoming extremely dependent on social media. We rely on getting a lot of likes on a photo that we post on Instagram in order to feel better about ourselves. We often times interact more with people online than in person. My parents often say what a shame it is to look at society today. Everyone is connected through social media, and we are constantly on our phones. I think anxiety and depression can be linked to social media. People often feel lost without their phones to stay up-to-date with what is currently going on. They may also feel depressed if they do not get many favorites or likes.

  7. Morgan Alexandria Parker

    I am currently writing a very similar blog post to this. I am researching how social media affects self esteem. It’s crazy how much technology has taken over our lives. In my research, I found that social media actually effects not only everyday lives through addiction, but it effects our spending habits and personalities as well! Apparently it’s proven that those who use social media more spend more money/have worse credit card debt.
    http://thesocialu101.com/the-relationship-between-social-media-and-self-worth/
    Here’s the link to a website I came across during my research.

    Very interesting and relevant post though, thanks for sharing!

  8. Hailey Tully

    Last blog period I wrote a very similar post about if texting was addictive and I think the answer is the same. “According to psychiatrist, Dr. Gary Small’s Nero-imaging study, texting and heroin stimulate the brain in the same primitive part of the brain called the dopamine system. So let me get this straight… are SCIENTISTS saying texting is as addictive as heroin?! One student even agreed by saying “I think that it’s just like a drug, once you get hooked on to it, you can’t let go. It’s like whenever I open my eyes the first thing I look at is my phone.” Some signs that you may have a texting addiction include: “losing track of time because of excessive texting, neglecting eating and sleeping, having a constant need for more, and suffering negative repercussions, and like ignoring others or lying because of texting.”
    Research has shown that Dopamine is the “wanting system” in the brain that propels us to action. It induces a loop that starts with seeking, and then gets rewarded which makes us seek more. Making it harder for us stop, always checking our phones for new texts and messages. The dopamine system also directs us to move. When we pick up our phones more dopamine gets released, in turn strengthening our motor circuit making it more likely we’ll take that same action again. Dopamine is triggered when something unexpected occurs. For example, when we get a text our dopamine system gets excited thinking; when will the next one come? , who will it be from?, what will it say? Texting is the brains latest drug on the street.” (from my blog)
    So, I don’t think its necessarily a mental disorder but as you can see it does have quiet the affect on the brain. Which I think would be very beneficial to add in you blog!

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