Why is social media so addicting? In this article, we’ll discover the answers. It is likely that as we grow up, we depend on the media for many things.
For example, if you are a school student, you likely listen to music, watch TV, play games, socialize with friends, etc. The list goes on.
In today’s society, it’s hard to avoid the fact that we are surrounded by self-destructive behavior. In addition to constantly checking Facebook or any other social media platform to see what our friends are doing, many people log onto social media sites to find out what their friends are doing.
They will often leave comments, send private messages, or upload pictures or videos. All of these activities are likely to lead to addiction to social media. This study explored the relationships of social media’s obsession to school students’ social, emotional, academic, physical, and self-care behaviors and tested the association of interventions.
The present study focused on two separate components of social media: face-to-face interaction and internet use. The study found that both social media aspects were essential factors in creating an addiction to social media. Specifically, social media was associated with negative aspects of engagement (such as loneliness and futility) and positively related to social media’s positive aspects (such as support and community).
Why is social media so addictive?
One of the reasons is that it can lead to an intense engagement in activities that produce significant mental health or other physical health problems, such as addiction to gambling or video games.
When people spend time in front of their computers, they engage in mental activities that produce relaxation and stimulation. In this state, the brain does not physically feel pain or discomfort but is constantly searching to release the tension and boredom feelings.
Over time, this search for freedom can lead to addiction to social media, which can exacerbate the existing mental health problems or cause new ones.
What are the implications of addiction to social media for a person’s mental health? One sense is that it can lead to depression or other psychological disorders challenging to treat in face-to-face interaction. Besides, those with mental illness who become more active on social media sites may be at greater risk of depression or other psychological disorders.
Also, people who spend time in front of the computer are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors (such as truancy and criminal activity). They may also be at greater risk of developing substance abuse problems that lead to serious health problems, including liver disease.
Another implication is that excessive social media use can lead to other types of inappropriate behaviors. For instance, a person who is excessively chatty on their social media systems may engage in potentially dangerous sexual behaviors that lead to sexually transmitted diseases.
Those who are overly addicted to social media may also inappropriately express their sexuality through graphic sexual images. All of these behaviors have the potential to have severe psychological consequences.
Finally, another implication of why social media addiction is so severe is that those engaged in social media users spend a lot of time in front of their systems. Those who spend too much time watching television or playing video games tend to forget that they have physical activities that they need to perform daily.
Those who spend time on their computers may be sedentary. Therefore, they spend a lot of time in front of the TV or game console, further decreasing their social interaction and reducing their productivity.
In the final analysis, there are many positive aspects to social media usage. However, these positive aspects must be balanced with the negative aspects. Social media use can be an excellent tool that provides consumers with many options for connecting with others.
However, individuals must learn how to use these tools responsibly to reap the benefits and avoid the negative aspects of excessive social media use.
