The Perils of Social Media Addiction

What Is Social Media?

Social media is a mode of electronic communication by which one can communicate and share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content and stay connected. It has lost its social context, for which it was designed initially.

More often than not, fictitious characters masquerade as real ones. In the process of concealing their identities, they come to believe that their hidden characters are indeed their real characters. A trained eye can see through this facade, and upon discovering the real identity of the masquerader, one is left disillusioned in the end.

What Is Internet Addiction Disorder?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-V (DSM-V) will help diagnose addiction disorder. Three subtypes of this disorder exist:

• Excessive gaming.

• Sexting.

• Preoccupations with e-mail usage.

It has become fashionable and trendy to describe oneself as a social media addict. This tag comes with its fair share of advantages and numerous disadvantages. On the downhill side, people are anxious that they are not having as much fun as their friends or colleagues in the workplace.

They constantly keep track of what their friends are doing. This newfound anxiety falls under the realm of FOMO (fear of missing out). That is, these individuals fear that they are missing out on the fun, and so they try to keep compulsive attention on their friends through social media to keep themselves updated about the latest trendier stuff.

Taking selfies and uploading them on social media networking sites has become the new rage. This constant preoccupation with taking selfies and uploading them on social media platforms falls under the compulsive-impulsive spectrum of a psychological disorder. Individuals afflicted with this disorder keep logging into their accounts to see the number of likes their newly uploaded pictures have got. The ego of the individual was boosted when the number of likes they received increased. Some even go to the extent of comparing the number of 'likes' their picture has got with their friends' pictures.

To begin with, one gets a high from limited online interaction and appreciation. As time passes, one craves more sophisticated software, a greater number of social networking sites, and better connectivity. This increased urge makes the individual increase their time and interest in various aspects of the Internet.

What Is the Neurobiology Behind Social Media Addiction?

Every time someone 'likes' their virtual representation, dopamine spikes through their mesolimbic tract. Abnormal reward processing by the nucleus accumbens (a region in the brain) forms the basis for any addiction.

What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms Associated With Social Media Addiction?

• A recent Turkish study aimed to determine the levels of internet addiction disorder and the various physical and psychological behaviors ensuing from this form of addiction. The results of this study were mind-boggling.

• A direct correlation was established between the students' internet addiction scores and the presence of maladaptive behavioral patterns like going late to bed, skipping meals, eating in front of the computer, etc. This study also looked at the psychosocial ramifications of this newfound rage. Internet addiction has also paved the way for restlessness, anger, palpitations, and tremors. These are nothing but classic withdrawal symptoms. Such a level of dependence will no doubt affect one's interpersonal relationships with family and friends.

• Unfortunately, dependent persons continue to be dependent on their substance (in this case, the internet) despite experiencing physical and psychological repercussions.

• Any other type of substance can cause withdrawal symptoms like irritability, anxiety, rage, sleeplessness, feelings of chronic dissatisfaction, and hostility. These negative emotional states are experienced upon being disconnected from the net, a classical sign of the phenomenon of withdrawal.

• When one tries to address the needs of modern-day society, moguls of cyberspace have had to see a generation of teenagers getting dependent on a newfound medium. All this was unheard of ten years ago. With cut-throat competition in the market and the technology that seems to be advancing, innovators in the realm of cyberspace seem to be racing against time. It is no surprise then that mental health care professionals are seeing chief executive officers (CEOs), innovators, teenagers, and top leaders battling symptoms of anxiety and depression. The Internet has also given rise to promiscuity and cyberbullying. Psychiatrists have begun to see victims of cyberspace being blackmailed and bullied online.

What Is the Solution to This Virtual Menace?

The WHO (World Health Organization) predicts that by 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide. The proverb ‘prevention is better than cure’ could not have been applied to a better platform. Some of the possible preventive measures include:

• Parental Mediation: A drastic shift in the attitudes of modern-day parents is warranted. They should rigidly restrict the screen time of their children. Screen time encompasses the time spent watching television, playing online games, and using smartphones and other virtual media. Experts recommend restricting screen time to less than an hour per day.

• Encourage Physical Activity: New-age kids have to battle obesity, which was unheard of in the earlier generation. People who engage in a lot of internet and television usage by staying in the same place for a long time are known to suffer cardiovascular problems like hypertension, myocardial infarction, and endocrine problems like diabetes mellitus. So, one has to stop being lazy and start exercising. The 'high' obtained by physical activity exceeds the 'high' obtained by indulging in substance abuse. The body's happy hormones called endorphins are responsible for this.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: In people who are diagnosed with an internet addiction disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy is the first line of treatment that is offered. It involves cognitive restructuring, a process of identifying cognitive errors and correcting them. This can help in bringing about an attitudinal shift in the individual. If errors are identified, an attempt may be made to change the faulty behaviors in the individuals.

• Pharmacotherapy: If the withdrawal symptoms are severe enough to cause functional disability and secondary depression, short-term supervised use of antidepressants may be recommended.

Conclusion:

Social networking sites are very disturbing. An individual has both advantages and disadvantages. However, vulnerable teenagers fail to overcome the urge, and so they become the victims of this obsession. Social media addiction can negatively impact one’s self-esteem, relationships, and physical activity, and can even lead to anxiety and depression.