Social Media Addiction Today

8/13/2019 Social Media Addiction Today

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Theories ofMass

CommunicationSocialMedia

Addiction

TodaySocial media addiction has become a modern day problem. Newresearch has begun looking into this addiction and its probable effectson society, notably students. Matt Meier


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introductionAddiction, as defined by Psychology Today, is a condition that results when a person

ingests in a substance or engages in an activity that can be pleasurable but the continued use

of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordin ry life responsibilities. [emphasisadded] (Psychology Today, 2013)

Addiction comes in different forms, such as a food addiction, drug addiction, or sexual

addiction. For food addicts, becoming addicted to food can lead to serious health problems,

such as diabetes or heart disease. Drug addicts face serious consequences of affecting their

bodily and mental health with repeated use. And sex addicts can have damaging relationship

problems arise that can, in term, affect their mental health.

Since the birth of the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s, billions of people have been

able to dial into the vast network of connections that have built up. While these networks

have allowed for an easier flow of communication, a whole new level of addiction as arisen as

a consequence.

the addictionIn the past few years, an untold level of addiction has grown in the face of social

networks. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube boast millions upon millions of daily users, each

connecting and sharing with friends, family, and strangers. YouTube boasts that they receive

over 3 billion unique views per day. (Rao, 2011) Facebook data shows that users spend 19

minutes per visit on the website, with multiple visits in a day.


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Numbers are only part of the story. Various health organizations and news media

have reported worldwide the growing number of people who are finding it difficult to turn

away from social media. In the United Kingdom, The Expressreports of the growing number

of Britons becoming addicted to technology, namely Facebook and Twitter. (The social

networks ranked 12th and 13th respectively on their list of Things We Just Cant Give Up).

(Mathews, 2013) And comedian Louis C.K. recently took it out against social media, with the

networks becoming the crux of his jokes. I think these things are toxic, Louis said, They

dont look at people when they talk to them and they dont build empathy. (Wright, 2013)

The addiction of social media has grown to be a massive distraction for many,

particularly among younger demographics. Distractions can come in different ways, such as

in driving or in the classroom. The threat of this digital addiction has real-world

consequences among millions, and the danger is only rising.

is facebook good for us?With over one billion individuals under its fold, Facebook is by far the largest social

network on the internet. The world population is just over 7 billion, meaning that nearly 1/7 th

of humanity shares a common connection through Facebook. The possibilities for the levels

of interaction are truly infinite.

Being connected with the heartbeat of humanity is a tremendous feat in human

history, but is it healthy for people? A recent study from New Zealand attempted to explain

the relationships between Facebook and the human psyche, notably by way individuals

portray themselves through their avatars. (Brunskill, 2013)


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The term avatar derives from Hindu religion, wherein gods took a humanly form (an

avatar) when interacting with people on Earth. In a social media context, an avatar refers to a

persons ideal impersonation of their self online. In Facebook, the avatar is directly applicable

to the profile image and cover photo.

The argument in the New Zealand study is that people tend to obsessively promote a

favorable interpretation of their own self. Because the internet has no restrictions a persons

interpretation of their self, a person will endow their self with special attributes of

intelligence, status, and charisma which [they] do not normally possess to nearly the same

degree.The implications here are that people are lying about their true self in the hopes of

gaining social recognition.

The problem with presenting two facets of one person is that it creates negative

effects on the psyche. According to the study, evidence shows that when a person

experiences tension between their two facets (the one presented through the avatar and

their real self), difficulty of acceptance, violent and rude awakenings, and desperate attempts

to save face are likely to occur. Also, the obsessive focus to curate a perfect avatar can create

narcissistic traits. Though not readily apparent, a sense of peer pressure may drive an

individual towards crafting their online image, creating these problems with their psyche.

The study concludes that finding a harmonious balance between a persons online self

and offline (real world) self is unlikely, and can constitute an unhealthy obsession towards

curating an online avatar. The study makes the point that, self-promotion will overtake self-


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awareness to the extent that profound psychological effects are likely to emerge over time. If

people continue to obsess over their online avatar, then it would leave modern man not

feeling happy with his god-like nature.

To summarize, one explanation for a likely addiction to social media stems from

peoples desire to build the perfect image of their self. The addiction can build to obsessive

and narcissistic levels, leaving to an imbalance between online and offline livelihoods.

Psychological effects, such as violence and self-esteem issues, can likely arise as a result of

becoming addicted to social media.

uses and gratificationsA number of people may obsess over their perceptual avatar, but when it comes

down to it, people use social media to be social. Humans naturally gravitate towards

discussion and interaction, which social media networks greatly offer in spades. Millions of

people connect out to friends, family, and even strangers to share and consume information.

The proposed theory to why people use social media (and the internet as a whole) is

known as the uses and gratification theory. This theory holds that people use social

networking sites because it emphasizes the importance of the individual. This importance is

gratified through social interactions that the individual seeks in the realm of social media.

(Raacke & Bonds-Raacke, 2008)

To better understand the relationship of uses and gratifications to social media, two

researchers sought why people use social networking sites, what the characteristics are of

those people, and what uses and gratifications are met by using these sites. To narrow the


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scope of the study, the researchers focused on college students at a four-year public

university located on the East Coast.

The study revealed that a large majority of the students surveyed had a social media

account (87%) and that a reason most of them used social media were to keep in touch with

old friends (96%). Another large majority (91%) stated that to keep in touch with current

friends was another reason they were using social media.

If pure numbers are any indication, then most students surveyed for the study are

finding a level of gratification in using social media (again, 87% have and use a social media

network). Perhaps most notable in the surveys were the amount of hours spent using social

media. According to those students that had an account, they averaged three hours of social

media use per day. Keep in mind that this study was conducted in 2008, just as social media

was exploding, and the popularity of smartphones were still in their infancy.

Five years have elapsed since the uses and gratification study was concluded. In that

time, a vast majority of college students now have mobile access to their social media

accounts. Smartphone technology has allowed for millions to cut the cord and be truly

mobile. This mobility allows for them to be connected nearly anywhere at any time. The

potential for addiction is greater now than in 2008, thanks to smartphone technology.

about faceThe level of interaction that social media offers is both a blessing a curse. As stated

previously, there are an infinite number of connections that can be made through social


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networks. That level of connectivity is truly a gift. But the amount of time people are spending

on the networks is becoming increasingly worrisome.

Some people would argue that the addiction they face is beneficial for them. For

example, students in South Africa said that social media enhances their academic and social

lives, according to a research study that interviewed 1,435 students. Nearly 60% of the

students openly claimed that they were addicted to social media, with a vast majority of

those addicted students believing that social media improved their studies and enhanced

their social lives.Only 10% of students that said they were addicted to social media found

the media to be major problem for them. (SouthAfrica.info, 2013)

While some students enjoy the addiction and benefits that social media offers, others

are giving an about face to Facebook, Twitter, and other networks all together. A study from

Turkey examined the reasons why some university students shunned social networks via case

study methodology. The results from the study revealed a myriad list of reasons why some

university students shied away from social media. (Turan, Tinmaz, & Goktas, 2013)

The largest reason for steering clear of social media was due to the potential for

spending too much time online. The uses and gratification study noted that students are

likely to spend around three hours per day using social media, which is already a large

amount of time to spend online. The students in the Turkish study have a well-founded belief

that they may spend excessive amounts of time online.


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The next two highest reasons to not use social media were related to a lack of interest

and a fear of addiction. Some students in the study did believe Facebook and other networks

would serve any purpose for them. I see Facebook as an unnecessary tool, one student

said. I think I can do whatever I might want to do on Facebook anywhere else. And

addiction kept some students from using social media, or addiction lead to the students

deleting their accounts. One student reported that their repeated use of Facebook lead to an

online poker addiction.

Interestingly, some students stated that self-presentation on social networks, namely

Facebook, were not an idea they were privy to. The notion that they disproved of curating

their own image online ties directly to the New Zealand study, which looked at the obsessive

nature people have towards creating their online avatars. Ultimately, creating an ideal view of

the self could lead to leaking too much private information, which students in the Turkish

study did not like. Everyone is sharing their private lives, and I am not interested in their

lives, one female student said. Since I dont want to present myself, I dont find it necessary.

The summation of this study holds that there are university students out there who

would not partake in using social media, as so many other students are worldwide. Fears of

addiction are prevalent in many of the responses, which tie with other related studies

regarding social media.


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There are a growing number of people around the world that have been turning

away from social media. The trend has become common enough that new internet

applications have been created to help users delete their social media accounts.

The reasons for this trend vary, though many individuals cite privacy concerns as their

reasons for deleting accounts. And a small percentage of users, as noted in a study from the

University of Vienna, stated that addiction was their reason for quitting social media. (The

Advertiser, 2013)

whats to comeThere is certainly a growing problem with social media addiction in todays world. In

places like Japan, the government is reporting of prevalent addiction among its youth.

Statistics from Japans Medical and Addiction Center show that 8.1% of junior high and high

school students have some form of addiction to the internet, with a large chuck of the

addiction delegated to social networking sites, such as YouTube and Facebook. (The Japan

Times, 2013)

Aside from wholly deleting social media accounts all together, the next best method

to curbing rampant social media use is through time management. Researchers at MIT have

taken the concept of managing ones time on a website, such as Facebook, to a shocking

level. A new device called the Pavlov Poke sends a mild electric jolt into a user via conducting

pods that are attached to a keyboard rest. (London, 2013)

Other researchers have even created a scale to measure the level of Facebook

addictiveness in an individual. Called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, this measurement


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quantifies responses from Facebook users on their amount of time spent on the social

network. A high number is indicative of addictiveness to Facebook. (Paddock, 2012)

Has society reached a point where it is necessary to quantify addictiveness to social

media and use electric shocks to avert extended use? Clearly there is a problem, but the

extents of the effects of social media are still poorly understood. Many more studies need to

be conducted to better understand the effects of social media on the human psyche. It is

generally agreed upon that spending too much time online has detrimental effects on social

conditions of individuals. But how this affects a persons education, tolerance, perception, and

other psycho-analytical factors are not fully known.

Social media does have wonderful benefits to society, not least of which is the vast

connectivity it offers. Sharing of ideas, cultures, and information can easily and readily occur.

To really avoid addiction towards social networking, everyone needs to find the time to turn

off and turn away. All devices have a power button; sometimes it is just a matter of finding

the switch and hitting it.


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bibliographyBrunskill, D. (2013, October 24). Social media, social avatars and the psyche: is Facebook

good for us? . Australasian Psychiatry, pp. 527-532.

London, J. (2013, September 5). MIT Researchers Develop a Shocking Treatment for

Facebook Addiction. Retrieved from Slice of MIT:

http://alum.mit.edu/pages/sliceofmit/2013/09/05/mit-researchers-develop-a-

shocking-treatment-for-facebook-addiction/

Mathews, J. (2013, November 13). Old habits die hard... that's why we are struggling with

addiction. The Express, p. 3.

Paddock, C. (2012, May 11). Facebook Addiction - New Psychological Scale. Retrieved from

Medical News Today: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/245251.php

Psychology Today. (2013). What Is Addiction? . Retrieved December 3, 2013, from

http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/addiction

Raacke, J., & Bonds-Raacke, J. (2008, Vol. 11 No. 2). MySpace and Facebook: Applying the

Uses and Gratifications Theory to Exploring Friend-Networking Sites. CyberPsychology

& Behavior, 169-174.

Rao, L. (2011, June 17). The Average YouTube Viewer Watches 5 Hours Of Videos A Month.

Retrieved December 3, 2013, from http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/17/comscore-the-

average-youtube-viewer-watches-5-hours-of-videos-a-month/

SouthAfrica.info. (2013, November 12). Social Media 'Integral' to SA Students' Lives. Africa

News.


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The Advertiser. (2013, September 19). About face as social media users turn away. The

Advertiser , p. 54.

The Japan Times. (2013, September 3). Net addiction a growing problem. The Japan Times.

Turan, Z., Tinmaz, H., & Goktas, Y. (2013). The Reasons for Non-Use of Social Networking

Websites by University Students . Scientific Journal of Media Education, 137-145.

Wright, M. (2013, September 23). Louis C.K is right: smartphones have become a blight on

our society. Retrieved from The Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk

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Social Media Addiction Today