Social media, how it all started
With the rise of the internet access in the 1990's websites were created allowing users the ability to create their profiles (Cooper, 2019) and a list of "friends." This led to the development of social media platforms at the beginning of the 2000's as a way of networking. In 2015 social media use already accounted for 28% percent of all time spent online (Cooper, 2019).
By 2016 it was reported by the Social Science Computer Review that one third of the world's population was engaged in social media, with the number growing annually (Viola, 2019). This increase in consumption has some experts preoccupied as to what the effects of social media on society are.The most popular version of this social media platforms was developed in 2004 (Cooper, 2019), called Facebook. Since then other platforms have joined Facebook in competing for user's attention and time. This has led to social media dependence.
Social media as a way of communication
Social media has changed the way we communicate and socialize with others (Viola, 2019)
While it has made communicating with friends and families much easier and faster, the rules of communication we have known all along do not hold true in the social media world (Viola, 2019).
The access to social media has led to poor emotion regulation, impulsive behavior, less intimacy in the conversations due to the lack of privacy.
The effects of social medial use
The ease in communication has facilitated forming relationships by using social media, however there are concerns as to the effects these social media outlets have on the psychological health of the users. Some may speculate that those to grow dependent on their access to the social media accounts may be those who struggle socially to begin with, but this couldn't be further from the truth. The University of Wisconsin-Wilwaukee conducted a meta analysis related to the feeling of loneliness among Facebook users, and while it did find that the most users reported feeling lonely they also reported the use of the social media account didn't improve those feelings (Viola, 2019). Moreover, because a person can alter their identity online with a click (Viola, 2019). there appears a separation between one's real life, and the virtual life that is projected for all on the platform to witness. With many of these platforms encouraging attention seeking behavior (Viola, 2019) the gap between the virtual and real identity seems to grow bigger over time, as does in the case of those addicted to an illegal substance who go through a great extend to cover their deviant behavior.
One's habits and activities can lead to addiction (Baltaci, 2019). Social media addiction happens when a person's excessive use of it interferes with their personal, social, educational and professional responsibilities creating psychological, physical and social limitations for the person (Baltaci, 2019). These problems can be concerning at any age, however they provide with a significant concern for young adults (Viola, 2019) who have a critical need to belong and relate (Yubo, et al).
While 12% of social media users across all sites, are considered addicted to the social media access many studies have linked the prolonged use of social media with psychological symptoms such as; anxiety, stress and depression (Yubo, et al). In addition, excessive social media access is correlated to poor academic performance (Yubo, et al) .
What are the symptoms of a social media addiction?
Social media addiction can be characterized by a compulsive need to access social media (Yubo, et al). The "uncontrollable urge" can lead to changes in emotional and physical reactions. Often times affecting their interpersonal relationships which can lead to psychological issues (Baltaci, 2019). According to experts, the social media addiction causes stress and affects relationships when the user is unable to balance the access to social media and their responsibilities.
If you think you might be addicted to social media, you are not alone. To seek help contact your health insurance plan for a therapist in your area, or visit https://locator.apa.org/
references
Baltacı, Ö. (2019). The Predictive Relationships between the Social Media Addiction and Social Anxiety, Loneliness, and Happiness. International Journal of Progressive Education, 15(4), 73–82. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.29329/ijpe.2019.203.6
Cooper, P. G. (2019). Social Media. Salem Press Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy1.ncu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=89139034&site=eds-live
Viola, J. C., PhD. (2019). Social media addiction. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.proxy1.ncu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ers&AN=94415547&site=eds-live
Yubo Hou, Dan Xiong, Tonglin Jiang, Lily Song, & Qi Wang. (2019). Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology, 13(1), 1–17. https://doi-org.proxy1.ncu.edu/10.5817/CP2019-1-4
