Social Media Addiction: Definition & Signs You Might Have It
If you tend to lose several minutes (or multiple hours) at a time using social media, trust us, you're not alone! Even though social media came about to connect with family and friends, it has since evolved into a common hobby used by people of every age group. You might enjoy scrolling through social media platforms and using them every day, but are you really addicted?
"Social media addiction" is not an officially recognized or diagnosable condition. The term itself refers to someone who is compulsively and incessantly preoccupied with social media.
In fact, researchers and professionals agree that social media can be addictive, just like alcohol and drugs and behaviors such as shopping and gambling.
In this article, we look closely at the social media addiction definition, signs you might have it, how to overcome this addiction, and a lot more.
Here is everything you need to know.
Understanding the Social Media Addiction Definition
Social media addiction definition refers to an unhealthy dependence on interactive platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc. It manifests as overuse and trouble abstaining. Ironically, one common effect of the problem is social isolation.
Like other behavioral addictions, social media addiction can have a negative impact on your brain. You might use social media excessively and compulsively. You can get so used to scrolling through images, videos, and posts that it starts inferring with other important areas of your life.
According to a study conducted by California State University, up to 10 percent of the US population has social media addiction. However, given how widespread social media use is, the actual number of individuals who have social media addiction might be higher.
Keep in mind that social media use does not automatically lead to an addiction. But as this activity is getting more popular and accessible, more people might develop an addiction to social media at some stage in their lives.
Signs of Social Media Addiction
Being addicted to Instagram and Facebook might seem harmless at first. But when you feel that your social media use is directly impacting your mood or if your relationships or sleep patterns are getting compromised, it's a cue that you need to get help.
Common signs of social media addiction can include:
● Checking social media immediately after waking up
● Feeling anxious when social media is inaccessible
● Scrolling through social media during work
● Instantly reaching out to your phone when you get a notification
● Stressing over the performance of your posts
● Neglecting hobbies to spend time on social media.
Let's take a more detailed look at these signs.
1. You Check Social Media Immediately After Waking Up
This also applies to when you get done with work or at any other point in the day when you have spare time. If your very first move is to open and browse through social media apps, you probably have an unhealthy relationship with these platforms.
2. You Start Feeling Anxious when You Don't Have Access to Social Media
Do you feel pain in your stomach when your internet connection starts to lag? Do you count the seconds on the clock during an Instagram update waiting for the app to become available for use? This is an indication of dependency, very similar to the craving you would experience in between smoke breaks. When your desire and need for social media becomes this strong, you should reconsider your social media habits.
3. You Check Social Media During Work
Allowing social media platforms to hamper your productivity is a direct consequence of being addicted to them. You might be tempted to open Instagram or Facebook on your phone when stuck in a difficult or tedious task but remember this will never make you feel better.
4. You Instantly Check Your Phone when You Get a Notification
Notifications on your mobile release a small amount of dopamine in your brain. Dopamine is the "happy chemical" that makes you feel as if you are getting a reward.
Dopamine is a key element in many addictions, such as smoking and gambling. You love the feeling. Thus, you do more of it to experience it, and the vicious cycle continues.
If you feed into this process by instantly checking your phone, you are aggravating your social media addiction. A counselor will encourage you to reduce your response time to devalue how your brain interprets the notification.
5. You Are Continuously Checking the Performance of Your Posts
Social media needs to be a fun and easy way to interact with others – it shouldn't become a mentally consuming task. If you're constantly thinking about the number of likes you get on a post, it's an indication that you're putting too much importance on such interactions. Moreover, if you get emotionally impacted by how others interact with your posts, it's a strong sign that you need to figure out how to distance yourself from social media.
6. Your Family, Friends, and Spouse Feel You Are Becoming Distant
As we mentioned earlier, social media addiction can result in social isolation. Your desire to stay connected with the world can distance you from the world around you. Family members and friends might say you seem distant because you are constantly using your phone, even when you are with people you are looking at online.
7. You Spend Way Too Much Time Thinking about What You Will Post
If you're guilty of this, it indicates social media isn't just consuming a lot of your time but a lot of your headspace as well. This isn't good for your mental health. It signified you need a break and time to be alone with your thoughts. Letting social media clog up your thoughts compromises mental peace and clarity.
8. You Ignore Your Hobbies to Scroll on Social Media
Sometimes, rather than indulging in the activities you know you enjoy, you spend the time scrolling endlessly. In doing so, you don't get the contentment that would've come with dedicating that little bit of time to this hobby. When purposeful analog activities take a backseat, it's a definite sign that we have allowed social media habits to take over our life.
9. You Gauge Life Events by How Upload-Worthy They Are
Imagine you're at an event and having a great time. However, the lighting there is horrible, so you aren't able to get a decent picture to post on your Instagram. Does that reduce your enjoyment? Does the event suddenly become less enjoyable? That's another sign that you are addicted to social media – you cannot find happiness in an event or at a place unless you can post about it on your social media accounts.
Causes of Social Media Addiction
The advancement into compulsive and extreme social media use typically starts with some kind of underlying problem such as boredom, loneliness, attention-seeking behaviors, etc. The more time you need to spend using social media and the larger the issue, the higher the chances of problematic use.
Some common triggers and causes of social media consumption include:
● Boredom
● Loneliness
● High self-esteem
● Attention-seeking behaviors and thoughts
● Looking for social support in a tough time
● The desire to compete
● Difficulties with social skills in daily life
● Lack of peer groups and close friends
● Mental illness
● An overwhelming need to keep an eye on what others are doing
Consequences of Social Media Addiction
Social media addiction can have multiple negative consequences. For instance, it can result in low self-esteem, a sense of anxiousness, and social anxiety disorders. Here are some of the downsides of excessive social media use.
● Increased loneliness and isolation
● Depression or anxiety
● Low self-esteem might be fueled by wrong perceptions that other people are living a better life than you.
● The onset of social anxiety disorder
● Compromised sleep patterns, mainly when you log onto social media right before going to bed
● Reduced physical activity might impact your overall health and lead to weight gain
● A decline in work performance or grades
● A fear of missing out (FOMO), which can result in even more social media use
● Neglecting the relationships in your actual life
● Blurry vision due to eye strain
● Neck and back pain problems because you continuously need to bend your neck to look at your phone
● Stress and fatigue
● Reduced attention span – with multiple options of what to write, view, or engage in, it can become quite tough to stay focused.
● Eating less to lose weight and meet the standards of a perfect body
● Overspending
● Jealousy. A Forbes article on the impact of social media on our health states, ”It’s no secret that the comparison factor in social media leads to jealousy—most people will admit that seeing other people’s tropical vacations and perfectly behaved kids is envy-inducing.”
● Hypertension or increased blood pressure
● Emotional instability
How to Overcome Social Media Addiction
Like all other problems and illnesses, there are solutions and cures to social media addiction. The key is to have the dedication, commitment, and willpower to overcome this addiction and make social media a tool that you can control instead of allowing it to take over your life.
Here are some helpful suggestions on how you can overcome social media addiction.
1. Switch Off Notifications
One of the key reasons why people get addicted to social media is because they usually get distracted by notifications. In fact, notifications serve as a reminder to the users to check their phones. Thus, the best way to overcome this problem is to switch off notifications.
If social media apps cannot notify you of any updates, there's a higher chance that you won't check them. It's an excellent step in overcoming social media addiction.
How to Switch Off Social Media Notifications?
There's an easy way to turn off the most distracting and irritating notifications on your iOS device. All you need to do is:
Go to Settings and tap Notifications
Under the Notification Style, choose the social media app you want to stop getting notifications from
Toggle the Allow Notifications to Off to stop getting alerts from that application.
2. Limit the Time You Spend on Social Media
Try to spend only 10 to 15 minutes on social media every day. You can check Instagram daily but make sure you spend minimal time or only at a specific hour of the day.
How to Limit Your Time on Social Media?
You can use an app to limit your time on social media. This might sound ironic, but it's really effective. For instance, you can download the Freedom app that helps you focus and maximize productivity by blocking an unlimited number of distracting websites and apps such as Facebook, YouTube, etc.
3. Keep Your Phone Out of Your Bedroom
Did you know that according to the Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey, up to 61 percent of people check their mobile phone within 5 minutes of waking up? It also revealed that as much as 74 percent of people check their phones about 15 minutes before going to sleep.
How to Keep Your Phone Out of Your Bedroom?
Rather than scrolling through Instagram before sleeping, put your phone away in a cupboard or a bag so you aren't tempted to check it every few minutes. You can also invest in an alarm clock rather than using your phone as an alarm.
Wrapping It Up
Like other forms of addiction, people with a social media addiction experience a never-ending need to engage with social media despite the consequences. These consequences might ultimately cost them their job, marriage, health, or overall reputation.
You can effectively prevent overdependence on social media before it gets dangerous by taking frequent breaks and establishing clear boundaries.
If you think you are addicted to social media, there are ways you can treat it to improve your overall health and well-being. Feel free to get in touch with a mental health professional for assistance with this kind of addiction.
