Social Media Addiction Risks
Social Media Addiction Risks
Any where you go, look around... Most people are on their phones, if not talking to someone, they are texting - and/or on Facebook, not even looking where they are going. This is a really serious concern. I read an article where a couple who had a baby, were so involved in the internet social media that the child died of malnutrition! This is outrageous to think that we could be that involved that we cannot function enough to take care of our children? Everyday normal functions are disconnected. This is a severe sign of addiction.
In the news article U.S. Students Suffering from Internet Addiction: Study, the risks of social media addiction are as relevant as someone who is addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. There is more and more research on addiction to social media as there should be. It is a learned behavior in which people just cannot get enough. The more fixated, the more addicted.
According to a 2012 sturdy posted on National Institute of Health website, "Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) ruins lives by causing neurological complications, psychological disturbances and social problems." It is still NOT officially listed as a psychiatric disorder in the bible of psychiatric disease, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). Augenbraun, E, CBS/Aug2014.
So, as for treatment, it has been found by Psychiatric and Neruoscience studies, that 1% of the internet users in the world need treatment. This is like a powerful drug that is actually creating neurological chemical stimulation. For example, when we post on Facebook, we keep going back to look at how many "likes" we get. This in turn causes the neural messengers in our brain to fire and release the "feel good" dopamine chemicals. It has also been found that internet addiction goes hand in hand with anxiety and depression. There are treatments in other countries currently treating this addiction. In Beijing, China, Daxing Internet Addiction Treatment Center treats teens with military like exercise and discipline. (Augenbraun, E. CBSnews, 2014) As for the U.S. we are not there yet.
references:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/04/23/us-internet-addicts-life-idUSTRE63M4QN20100423
posted by Unknown @ 6:05 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
Hi Cressy,
I thought your article was very informative and engaging. Speaking as a "millennial" (i hate that term) who grew up around computers, I know that this problem strikes close to home for a lot of people. I always hear about my friends complaining about staying too long on the internet and forgetting about the outside world. I don't have a huge internet addiction. Mine runs more towards tv and movies but I can certainly appreciate your point which was made very concisely. Hope to read more about this issue. Good luck with your blog.
I like this post, but it also makes me depressed. I agree that there a huge number of people addicted to social media, and that no one looks where they are going anymore. The not looking part infuriates me. Driving around shopping centers, or especially around campus, every single person crossing the street is looking down at their phone. Not looking where they are heading, and a lot of the time about to walk right into traffic. I don’t understand how so many people are so addicted to social media that they can not wait two seconds to make sure cars aren’t coming. I also don’t think it should be listed as a psychiatric disorder. It’s just a lack of discipline. Maybe the 1% you mentioned might need it, but most of the people who can’t study or get work done because they are on Facebook do not.
Cressy,
I totally agree with you on this topic. It was very informative and kept me wanting to read more. I feel as though this is actually a problem in the world. I even see it in myself a little but more along the lines of Instagram. Most people probably don't think its a problem of checking their social network every second of the day and continue to have that "good feeling" whenever they get a bunch of likes on a post. I tend to find myself drifting to social networks when I'm working on an assignment because its more entertaining than writing a 10 page paper. I think we can all admit to that at least once.
Hey Cressy,
China always seems to be ahead lol. I must say that the computer, not only social media, but games, shopping and more, are all bad addiction that they all go hand in hand with anxiety or depression. It may be that studies show that 1% of internet users need help, but how many are addicted? how many people are addicted to computer based activities in general? I'm sure it's much higher than 1%. I don't think it is the same as an addiction to a drug, it may relate in the same way that they are both addictions. Trying to stop any addiction is hard, from drugs, internet, biting nails or whatever it may be, but i don't think drugs are related to internet other than the addiction part. Trying to stop a drug addiction is much harder because not only your mind wants it, but your body feels that it needs it as well. With computer addiction, or social media addiction, it is just your mind and not your body. Thanks for the interesting blog.
I think the social media craze may have just missed me. The first social site I toyed with was MySpace and, perhaps luckily for me, it wasn't nearly as advanced as today's sites like Facebook or Twitter (Which, by the way, I have never even seen). On the other hand, when I'm in line or suffering of a case of idle hands, often I find myself surfing through Facebook learning (and quickly forgetting) mundane posts from friends, likes and advertisements. Although the phenomenon has not effected me in a large way, I can certainly see the validity of your post, With so many "blogging", "liking" and "tweeting" it's nice to hear that its potential addictive factors are being noticed.
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