Addiction to Social Media
By: Georgia Zarella
What was the history behind the addiction?
Social Media has changed society as a whole with no doubt and especially targets teens. Growing up has changed specifically in the way we communicate with each other. Social Media apps have become the quickest way to interact. Most teenagers characterize their need to be online with their need to see what their friends are doing along with events that are soon to take place. A modern day teenagers social lives have become vastly different from their parents. While their parents found time for socializing after school before walking home or by killing time out and about on the weekends, teenagers have had to move casual social from sidewalks to smartphone apps. Social media has become the easiest, best and cooler way to interact with friends, family and the newest hit celebraites.
5 reasoning of the Pyschology behind the addiction
- The Fear of missing out The fear of missing out is certainly something people find when a member of any social media. This fear particularly runs from ages thirty and under. Status updates allows us to be easily involved in other peoples lives than ever before. Marketers along with any sort of social media platform is being to make good use of it.
- Ego Everything on anyones social media page shows the best and seemingly perfect lives of others. Always updating your status, posting countless pictures making it seem like your living this perfect life style. Our emotional attraction appears to be tied to having an audience more than to connect "socially". This psychological drive is what makes us wanna always post to our social medias pages
- Perceived Value perception= reality. Any social campaign delivers at least one thing incentivized value
- Control The newest social media allows us to have an empowering sense of control when we want to collect our social information. How, when and where. It drives us to promote the ability to do so
- Social Comparison/ Self esteem Its naturally something that everyone does without awareness of doing so. Comparing other peoples strengths and weaknesses with your own is something any human does. Social media drives us to be able to do so whenever. Social comparison can also relate to peoples self esteem.
What treatments are available?
As social media becomes an overall priority along with symptoms like broken relationships, trouble with school work and a contest feeling of anxiousness towards the use of the media, it is a clear sign help needs to be notified. With any addiction the first thing that needs to be done is to admit the addiction is a problem. Once that is taken place limit the time avaiable to access social media. Once the addiction is still a problem seek a therapist or addiction center to further conquer the addiction. Gradually the goal is for the addict to gain an awareness of the consequences that they had originally never even thought of. The treatments are indeed effective and causes the addict to be more present and engaged in the real world. Symptoms of withdrawals do come into play as they will still have the thought constantly running through their mind of missing out on what is happening through the media.
Statistic and more information on the addiction
5 Crazy Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain Right Now
Why was this topic chosen?
Social Media everyday is something almost everyone currently has access to within a blink of an eye. Having it in constant use has caused interest in how it is and can further be addicting to the point where it distracts responsibilities everyday. Finding out more facts about the addiction seemed rather appealing to research because it is such a powerful tool now a day.
Work Cited
"Chapter 3: Addiction – What Makes Teens Obsessed with Social Media? (review by AJ Burgin)." HASTAC. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015."Paradigm Malibu." Teen Social Media Addiction Treatment. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
"Why Social Media Is So Addictive (And Why Marketers Should Care) - Page 3." CMSWire.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.
"5 Crazy Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain Right Now." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.