Social Media & Smartphone Addiction
How they’re connected and how you can prevent them.
Five people sitting in a row, using their phones
We all know how easily time gets sucked away by our phones and social media. Maybe you get the end-of-the-week notification saying you spent 5+ hours on your phone daily. Maybe you set aside time to scroll at the end of the day to try to unwind. Maybe it’s where you stay updated on all the scary news in the world.
We get it. Phones and social media were designed to be addictive.
Obsessively checking grim news updates has become so common that the term doomscrolling was invented to describe it. That being said, our phones can also provide an escape from all the doom and gloom.
For most people, that’s the end of the story. However, for a small part of the population, social media and smartphone use can become a problem.
A group of researchers looked into this widespread addiction. Read on to learn more.
Are Phone and Social Media Addiction Connected?
When you log onto social media, you’re doing so on your phone most of the time. This means that if you spend excessive time on social media, you’re spending excessive time on your phone.
This connection only consistently goes one way. Those who are addicted to their phones aren’t necessarily addicted to social media.
Man standing next to a circle of social media icons
Why Am I Addicted To My Phone and Social Media?
Zsido and their colleagues recruited 499 people between 18-60 years of age to answer a survey that assessed their social anxiety, smartphone and social media addiction, and cognitive emotion regulation.
*Cognitive emotion regulation refers to the thoughts that someone has after experiencing a negative event, like having a friend cancel plans or making a mistake at work.
Their results showed that unhealthy thoughts were key factors in developing problematic smartphone and social media use.
Can Social Anxiety Cause Social Media and Smartphone Addiction?
Several studies have demonstrated that people who experience severe social anxiety would prefer to communicate virtually rather than face-to-face. The ability to text or message others online can provide socially anxious people with a sense of control. Unfortunately, this preference for communicating through devices could lead to problematic smartphone use.
The study found that social anxiety was associated with higher social media use, which in turn was associated with problematic smartphone use since most people use their phones to access social media
Are you protecting your mental health in your online travels? Social media and the Internet at large can have significant impacts on your emotional well-being. Dive into more blogs to learn how to use the Internet healthily. Start reading today!
How to Address Social Media and Smartphone Addiction
Strengthen social and emotional skills.
Use social media actively and responsibly (avoid passive use like doomscrolling).
Ask yourself why you’re always reaching for your phone.
Try a digital detox! You might find you feel energized and rested without your phone.
Manage your notifications. Constantly hearing from social media apps won’t help your addictive behaviours.
Set time limits for certain apps.
Don’t sleep with your phone in your room. This could be a great way to start to break the bond.
When we’re dealing with an overwhelming experience or emotion, we can reach for our phones unconsciously, craving comfort or reassurance. In these moments, our phones act as a crutch.
Research so far suggests problematic smartphone and social media use is a symptom of a larger issue. The good news is that it can be alleviated with the right support.
If you think social media or smartphone use may be negatively impacting your life or the life of someone you care about, don’t hesitate to talk to a medical professional.
Study Objective & Methods
The Role of Maladaptive Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Social Anxiety in Problematic Smartphone and Social Media Use
Andras N. Zsido, PhD; Nikolett Arató, PhD; András Láng, PhD; Beatrix Labadi, PhD; Diána Stecina, MA; Szabolcs A. Bandi, PhD
Published in Personality and Individual Differences, 2021.
Zsido, Arató, Láng, Labadi, Stecina, and Bandi recruited 499 Caucasian participants between 18-60 years old by posting invitations on a variety of internet forums and mailing lists. The survey measured social anxiety, emotion regulation strategies, and social media and smartphone addiction. They used structural equation modeling to assess the direct and indirect effects between the variables.
Additional Sources
Manual for the Use of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire
Nadia Garnefski, PhD; Vivian Kraaji, PhD; Philip Spinhoven, PhD
Published in Leiderdorp, The Netherlands, 2002.
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.
