Social Media Addiction is a real and pervasive issue that demands our urgent attention

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

We have all seen it; people walking down the streets, faces planted in their phones. Families are sitting out at dinner, and every single one of them is starting at their screens. Students in class, who instead of listening to the day’s lesson, are surfing Instagram, or watching the latest TikTok trend.

According to the Pew Research Center, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. What makes users come back for more even when it can literally make them feel sick?

What psychologists have learned is that social media has a reinforcing nature. When you use social media, it activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, a “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities such as: sex, food, and social interaction. Many of the social media platforms we use are designed to be addictive and are associated with anxiety, depression, and even physical ailments.

Think about it like playing a game; when the outcome is unpredictable, the behavior is more likely to repeat. Think of a slot machine: if game players knew they never were going to get money by playing the game, then they never would play. What keeps players glued to the slot machine is the idea of a potential future reward. The same goes for social media sites. You don’t know how many likes a picture will get, who will ‘like’ the picture, and when the picture will receive likes. The unknown outcome and the possibility of a desired outcome (generating likes) keeps users engaged with the sites.

When reviewing others’ social activity, people tend to make comparisons such as, “Did I get as many likes as someone else?” or “Why didn’t this person like my post, but this other person did?”  What you are doing is searching for validation on the internet that serves as a replacement for meaningful connections, which is what you are actually looking for.

Instagram made headlines last year for suppressing likes in an effort to curb the comparisons and hurt feelings associated with attaching popularity to sharing content. The question now is, do these efforts combat mental health issues, or is this just a band-aid?

Even if you remove the likes, there are still opportunities for comparisons and feedback. People still can compare themselves to others, and people still can post comments.

With statistics like 81% of teenagers are using social media, we know we have a larger issue to deal with. The earlier teens start using social media, the greater impact the platforms have on their mental health. This is especially true for females.

Social media puts a distorted lens on appearances and reality. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat increase the likelihood of seeing unrealistic, filtered photos at a time when teen bodies are changing. When we were teenagers, we read magazines that contained altered photos of models. Now, these images are one thumb-scroll away at any given time. Apps now provide the user with airbrushing, teeth whitening, and more filters to alter the way a person looks. When there’s a filter applied to the digital world, it can be hard for teens to tell what’s real and what isn’t, which comes at a difficult time for them physically and emotionally.

Parents, this now falls on you. You can develop a plan of how much time family members will spend on devices. Strategies like these teach kids healthy media use and good sleep hygiene. One of my closest friends has her son turn his phone in every night before he goes to bed with the understanding that she can review posts and messages. This helps her be in the know with her son, and she can stay aware of any changes in his behaviour, why these changes might be happening.

This type of monitoring encourages teens to remember that everything they share online is a permanent fingerprint. If they don’t want their parents to see it, then it shouldn’t be posted.

Social media addiction is a real and pervasive issue that demands our urgent attention. We must recognize and address it as a genuine addiction, understanding its profound impact on our mental and emotional well-being. Ignoring this reality will only allow it to consume us, leading to far-reaching consequences for individuals and society as a whole. It is imperative that we take proactive steps to mitigate its effects and promote healthier digital habits.