Facebook Addiction

In today’s society almost every individual has some type of social media, whether it is Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or Twitter, People have accustomed to utilizing these types of social media and it has become part of their life and daily use. According to the essay “Students Addicted to Social Media” by the International Center for Media and Public Agenda, the study from the University of Maryland claims “American college students today are addicted to media” (Signs of Life in the USA 403). The university discovered that when these students are restricted from using media it is similar in terms of drug and alcohol addictions. During the study that the university conducted, students discuss how boring it is without media and how it gives them anxiety about not receiving information through social media. Other students claimed that texting and IM'ing gives them comfort and if they do not have these items then they feel alone and isolated from the world ( Signs of Life in the USA 404). Students are not the only ones who have an addiction of media but also parents and non-students. However, the International Center is accurate in some aspects and the responses students gave are very relatable which some people can agree with.

Addiction is defined as a compulsive need for a particular obsession. When social media was created, the thought of it turning into an addiction was not a concern. In 2017, 81 percent of Americans have user profiles on social media and are expected to grow to 2.5 billion by 2018 (Statista). Although businesses are advancing through the rapid growth of social media, isolation is also advancing because many now rely on social media as a way to interact with society. Due to the increase of online users, social media is now linked to the increase in isolation. While businesses, schools, and technology are advancing an argument can be made that social media is reducing social interaction. On the flip side an argument can be made that social media increases people’s thought processes and networking skills in communities that do not only rely on proximity. Much research has been done on the increase and decrease of a person’s feelings of isolation through their use of social media.

Did you know the average person will spend five years and four months of their life devoted to using social media? This is more than the time we spend eating throughout our lives, which clocks in at about three years and five months, according to Mediakix, an influencer marketing service. The unstoppable march that is the advancement of technology is so quick that it’s only a matter of time before it consumes every aspect of the average life. Some might argue that social media usage is at an appropriate level and doesn’t need to be limited, but I disagree. For example, think about how many people are unable to put down their smartphone for ten minutes because, in a very literal sense, electronics have become an addiction. With this information in mind, there should be a policy enforced to limit the use of social media day by day. The government needs to enforce a law that permits only two hours of social media usage each day. This regulation is necessary because social media use is taking over the lives of modern humans, which could be put to use doing more useful activities to improve the world. This excessively large amount of time devoted to the usage of social media can, believe it or not, affect daily behavior and cause addictions. This limitation will allow us to become more effective and productive in the currently hindered work we are doing in our daily lives. The government should limit the amount of time people can use social media because it will result in

Although many people are addicted to the internet and social media, one girl experienced it in a rather harsh way. The now fifteen-year-old girl started “acting out” when she was just thirteen in the year of 2015. Her parents then turned off the service to her phone and took it away; but she would just buy a old or used phone from her friends, any phone she could get her hands on. In addition, she would stay up until 4:30 in the morning just looking at her feed, she also had multiple accounts for each app and would block her parents so they couldn’t see what she was doing or posting. Also, her social media addiction lead to the use of drugs and alcohol. At one point, when she was 13, the police showed up at her house in California, to inform her family that she was involved in a blackmail attempt, which included her nude pictures. Along with that she wrote a suicide note which she posted on her social media, had ended up on her parents phones, but she received treatment for “excessive social media use, substance abuse, and mental health,” (“ np).

“Students Addicted to Social Media” and “If We’re All So Darn Sick of You, Facebook, Why Can’t We Quit You?,” written by the International Center for Media and the Public Agenda and Simon Dumenco, are two writings outlining different issues that plague users of social media. The International Center for Media and the Public Agenda summarizes their findings following a study they conducted that isolated subjects from social media for 24 hours. They found subjects experiencing feelings of withdrawal, a phenomenon that social media companies prey upon as explained by Simon Dumenco. Dumenco postures that companies such as Facebook will send false notifications to entice users into logging back in. These two ideas combine to paint a picture of an unconditionally constant presence of social media in everyday life, a practice that may be facilitated by explosive social media growth on a mobile platform. Together, these two publications point to problems that may have drastic effects on social media and those who use it.

Being the most famous social networking site on the web, Facebook entertains a good portion of the population of the world. With five new accounts created every second, the site is constantly increasing in size and popularity. One of the most mind boggling statistics on the web concerning Facebook is that, for every minute that passes on the site, 510,000 comments are posted, 293,000 statuses are updated, and 136,000 photos are uploaded (“Top 20”). Hundreds of thousands of activities are happening on this site, all in just a single minute. Those numbers may be a little overwhelming to process, but it is understandable with the broad amount of area that the site possesses in the social sphere.

Caroline Knorr, a journalist from CNN Common Sense Media asserts the fact that companies engineer the social media apps we utilize in a certain way that keeps us hooked (“How to resist technology”) on it in order to continue usage. Although these tactics benefit the companies that create the media apps it does not always positively affect the user. Addiction can be seen as an action that has been done multiple times to the point of creating a regular practice or habit in which the person becomes a slave to. In this case though, the base of the addiction is Social Media, what leads to it, and how one can end or prevent it. Ultimately, a habit like such can negatively impact a user to where it alters their social and everyday life. Luckily, there are methods that can help such as reorganizing the way a person uses their phone, also by modifying their actions and activities in order to increase the amount of time one can spend away from their device, as well as changing their decision making for in-app purchases.. On the other hand, there are possible refutations when bringing up the issue of social media.

Facebook is one of the most widely used social sites in the world, and due to its broad reach and usage, it has dramatically influenced lives in the world. Internet has made everything so easy. The advances in mobile and network connectivity in the world’s recent times have led to an increased number of people on social networks with Facebook taking the lead. Products are easily accessible and easy to use, regardless of the location of the user, and this has led to a constantly increasing numbers of users. Since its invention, it has been a tool of communication and connecting with friends, and it has made us feel so good that we no longer notice ourselves already sunken in its powerful that we become addicted. According to Psychology Today “People who have developed an addiction may not be aware that their behavior is out of control and causing problems for themselves and others.”, so addiction to Facebook makes us no longer live without Facebook it has become unhealthy, and this problem has concentrate that we need to do something about it. Therefore, this research paper will discuss what Facebook addiction is, what impact that Facebook addiction can cause, why people should withdraw from Facebook addiction, and ways on how to do it.

Social media are web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each other by both sharing and consuming information. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat are some of the most popular social media websites or apps (Nations). Social media is growing more and more every day. Nearly two-thirds of Americans use social networking sites or apps (Perrin). Humans are constantly looking at websites or apps to fuel their addiction. Twenty-nine percent of teens have posted harmful information, embarrassing photos or spread rumors about someone online (Thomas). While social media lets people express themselves, it also influences society's communication, mental and physical health, cyberbullying, stress levels, and an individual's point of view on themselves.

“We didn’t have a choice to know any life without iPads or iPhones. I think we like our phones more than we like actual people” said Athena, a teen who was interviewed by the Atlantic (Twenge 2017). When individuals are addicted to social media, it may cause a lot of problems, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Teenagers today struggle with communication and creating strong bonds with others due to their lack of in-person conversations. Most conversations take place over text messages or social media accounts and it has affected their attitudes and behaviors. Addiction to social media typically leads to unplanned circumstances, such as mental health problems, which includes depression and anxiety.

Facebook provides a place for people to hide, a place for people to anonymously bully, and a place for people to create themselves to look perfect in their eyes and to only show the profile they want everyone else to see. The power Facebook provides in this way is another leading cause for the development of an addiction. Most online users alter their profiles to make their lives appealing to their friends and family. It is noticed that teenagers do this a lot, but they are not as successful in fooling their friends as middle aged and older people are. Middle aged and older groups are more likely to veer from the truth while creating their online selves. They do this primarily for the sole purpose of gaining the approval from their peers. They want their friends and family to think that their lives have gone perfectly and that they are successful.

Past Communication habits have been changed by the proliferation of social networking sites. While people would wait for days to receive news, the rise of social media has changed the phenomenon. Furthermore, Interactions such as friend-friend communication, teacher-student communication, and company-client communication have changed with respect to time and level of interaction. Facebook, for instance, represents a site, which has gained worldwide fame. The site is used by millions of users because of its wide consumer base. Despite the daily influx of individuals, the motivations that sponsor communication via Facebook is not well evaluated. The rise of relationships of any nature in Facebook has experienced changes, which can either be positive or negative. The analysis in this text will demonstrate the variety of factors that motivate online communication and the influence of this communication in the society.

There is not a clear stated definition of digital addiction however Shaw and Black (2008) characterize Internet addiction by excessive or poorly preoccupations, urges or behaviours regarding computer use and internet access that lead to impairment or distress. However as the term addict is a strong description DA is seen as a general misuse of the internet in various forms, as no formal definition exists the author sees the disorder as problematic computer usage resulting in negative consequences. According to Young et al DA is a broad term covering a wide variety of behaviours and impulse control problems. K.Young (1999) also categorised DA into five subtypes of DA, they are cybersexual addiction, cyberrelationship addiction; net compulsion (e.g. gambling or shopping on the internet); information overload (e.g. compulsive database searching); and computer addiction (excessive game-playing). This project highlights social network addiction which falls into the category of cyberrelationship addiction but also contemplates all other types.

They range from communication and entertainment to education and socialization. Most male students used social media for academic and information purposes. Female students utilized social networking sites for entertainment and socialization. However, as the age of the respondents in both sexes increased,

Widespread use of internet has led to a kind of addiction. The present study examined the use of Internet and getting addicted to the social networking sites and on the whole its impact on intermediate level students. The sample comprised of 285 students out of which the addicts were pulled out. The tools used were questionnaire developed by Dr. Kimberly Young, the IAT which is a 20-item questionnaire that measures mild, moderate, and severe levels of Internet Addiction with its sociological impact. An additional questionnaire drafted at International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was used to gauge the behavioural, psychological and