Social Media Addiction
Here’s what you need to know.
Woman sitting on her couch, scrolling on her phone
Have you ever misplaced your phone and immediately felt an overwhelming sense of anxiety and panic wash over you? Well, research shows that you’re not alone. A 2019 survey reported that 53% of participants have experienced "Nomophobia," the fear of being without a phone (more on this in another blog).
This is hardly surprising. With screen time averaging 6 hours and 40 minutes per day in 2024, it's easy to see how reliant we've become on our phones and how anxious we can become when they're not within reach.
And, thanks to new technologies and applications, our screen time has skyrocketed, and so have the potential consequences.
How Does Social Media Addiction Work?
When you hear the word “addiction,” you might think of compulsive gambling or substance abuse. But what about the overuse of social media? Is it possible that our involvement with these apps constitutes addiction?
20 years ago, this question would have elicited a resounding no. However, as social media has grown in popularity, the answer to this question has become more ambiguous.
So ambiguous that several researchers attempted to decipher it. Conducting an entire study based on the growth of social media, a pair of researchers came to several interesting conclusions, the most notable of which was that social media's popularity can be linked to its addictive nature.
Similar to a substance like nicotine, social media provides instant gratification and satisfaction, feeding the addict's desire for short-term gains.
And like the textbook definition of an "addict," this subset of social media users also suffers from addictive symptoms as a result of their problematic behaviour. For some, this may manifest as feelings of loneliness, isolation, or insecurity, whereas for others, it may manifest as anxiety, psychological distress, depression, or insomnia.
Addictive tendencies do not affect everyone in the same way. Symptoms vary from one user to the next in the digital world.
In other words, the likelihood of addiction from social media use is proportional to the frequency of use and the number of friends a user has. As a result, a user is more likely to develop an addiction if they spend more time on social media. In some cases, the opposite may also be true, with social media addicts making more online friends and thus falling into a cycle of excessive use.
The Effects of Social Media Addiction
Anxiety
Depression
Irritability
Isolation
Distancing yourself from the world
Dependence
Lack of self-control
Do you worry about your team spending too much time online? Many workplaces rely on the Internet—even social media—to get the job done. Learn how your team can balance productivity and time online in this previous webinar!
How Can I Stop Social Media Addiction?
Problematic social media use is so common today that we've figured out how to deal with it. With a few tips and tricks, you can detach yourself from social media and change your bad habits into good ones.
Tips to stop your social media addiction:
Set personal social media boundaries, such as “no scrolling in bed” or “no social media at work.”
Use app screen time reminders and limits.
Use social media actively by posting, commenting, and sharing.
Remember technology is not inherently dangerous. It can be your friend!
*Simply turning off your electronics will not aid in your recovery. In reality, researchers say it might be the worst thing an addict can do. The abrupt interruption can cause an array of withdrawal symptoms, ranging from anxiety to discomfort. In that case, focusing on a strategy that works for you may be preferable.
So, in other words: keep using your phones, but in moderation!
Study Objective & Methods
Social Networking on Smartphones: When Mobile Phones Becoming Addictive
Mohammad Salehan, PhD, MBA; Arash Negahban, PhD, MBA
Published in Computers in Human Behavior, 2013.
The following study presents novel findings on the effects of mobile applications and social networking services on mobile addiction. Taking into account factors such as network size and intensity of use, researchers Mohammad Salehan and Arash Negahban develop several findings that contribute to the field of information technology and addiction science.
Among their many findings is a notable increase in mobile addiction. Investigating the source of the problem, Salehan and Negahban discover that it boils down to two things: human beings’ inherently social nature, and the ability of new modern features and technological advancements to meet this need. When these factors are considered together, they begin to form an explanation for the rise in mobile addiction and usage.
Social Media and Well-Being Training
This research (and all our social media and well-being articles) have laid the foundation for our 3-course program designed for anyone wanting to approach social media and communications in a way that protects well-being and puts people first. Learn more here.
