Social Media Addiction

Addictions may seem like simple pleasures at first. Unfortunately, that's the trap with any addiction. It starts out at a pleasurable interest. Gradually, it can turn into something that's life-altering and all-consuming. Not only can it alter your own life, it can ruin your family life. When it comes to addiction, most people think about the most popular ones like drug and alcohol addictions. However, there are many addictions that fly under the radar.

It is fascinating how the Internet is changing people's lives in today’s world. Anyone is able to promptly do research and gather information on the Internet. With the click of a button you can have the data you need in less than ten seconds by searching for it on a search engine, such as Google. Since just about anyone has access to social media in today’s society, it makes it very easy for students to get distracted while in class or while doing their homework. Our world has been given so many different aids of communication which makes its very easy for us to connect with anyone.

“Social media is the collectives of online communication channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing, and collaborations” (Rouse). In other words, websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking. This allows almost anybody to see what you post to the world, and who can and “cannot” see it. “Studies have shown that people mostly use social media sites like Facebook because they meet the basic need of connecting to others: making friends, keeping tabs on their lives, and updating friends on the status of your life” (Rohampton).

For people who utilizes social media, they have adopted social media as their lone way of communication and have even became terrified of talking in person. People have become more conceited and self-conscious because of online judgement and instantaneous popularity. A portion have even felt unwanted because their profile picture didn’t obtain that desirable 50 “likes”, but people do use, for example, Facebook for productivities things such as group arrangement or event hosting. Even when one individual doesn’t notice that one notification out of their numerous social media account, people will feel offended. Today’s social media have manufactured a volatile society of emotions and friendships. The integration of social media into daily life will deteriorate one’s true self-worth and relationships as of result of the constant need for approval from others and the reliance on social media for

The Internet has an indescribable power to influence, connect, and mobilize the current population. Technological advances are no longer shocking but simply expected. Today’s society has different expectations for all types of relationships. Relationships are now different because the tools used to maintain peer-to-peer connections have undergone a vast alteration. The primary focus is on the Internet and, with that, the development of social media. Social media is a web-based technology that transforms how people communicate by enhancing interactive conversations. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, which

It is safe to say that social media has enormously impacted and changed today’s society. Relationships in the workplace, school, and personal lives have been re-defined and shaped so much so, that individuals can even share their everyday life with whomever they please with the simple click of a button. If social networking if performed correctly, it can be a great tool in helping an individual stay connected with the people in their lives, get a job, or keep up on local events around town. It is about the individual being aware and practicing safe online practices. If done in this matter it can build strong foundations for relationships and bring people closer together or help a new or existing business thrive. As helpful as social

For many social media is a platform to send and receive information. Like most individuals, this is where it begins and ends. However, more people are finding themselves addicted to this form of communication. Have you ever wondered drives someone to post endless updates or chronically checks for updates and gets upset when there are none? Is it because they are suffering from depression, anxiety, narcissism, paranoia or other psychological disorders? Even though social media addiction is not a considered a valid and recognized disorder, it does exist. Can it be proven that the same underlying psychological issues that can cause one to become addicted to substances are the same for an addiction to social media?

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.

Social Media is an ingrained part of today’s society. Students are constantly on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and many other sites that we adults are not hip enough to know about. The use of social media has also made its way into the classroom, leading many experts say that with the proper safeguards in place, social media use is possible- and even desirable- in the classroom. However, there is a limit as how often social media should be utilized both inside and outside of the classroom. It has gotten to the point that social media use can be labeled as an addiction, comparable to alcoholism and drug abuse. So what is an addiction? Dr. Lawrence Wilson labels an addiction as a “habit or behavior causes some kind of pleasurable sensation. However, in reality the habit is weakening the person in some way, because one begins to need more of the habit to get the same effect.” There are several telltale signs that a person may be addicted to social media including spending an excessive amount of time online, over-sharing the details of one’s personal life on various websites, and even looking for new friends and/or followers in an almost competitive way.

In modern life, social media is developing fast. It is used by many people all over the world. Social media is especially very popular among the young. However, there are many young people who cannot control themselves and are addicted to social media. Addiction to social media has many serious effects, including poor study habits, living away from reality and bad health.

As technology grew, a new way to communicate has emerged also known as social networking. Social networking is known as “forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content. (Meriam Webster).” Social networking has evolved over the decades starting off as only email to now many different ways to communicate; along with the way that it is used has grown. While the benefits of social networking include ease of communication, employment searches, health information and staying socially connected there are several negative aspects such as time wasted, cyberbullying, and online criminal activity.

Social media has been proven to be addictive, but like the drug LSD, the effects vary from person to person; adolescents and persons with narcissistic traits are the most commonly affected, while depression is the biggest identifier it is also being the most common side effect.

Since the very beginning, face-to-face communication has been an important factor in our lives. This was the only source of communication for a long period of time. Over time, we developed new ways of communicating with each other such as emailing and talking on the phone. Human beings have become so reliant on the use of electronic devices to communicate. Although this is a good way to keep in touch with friends, it can become a serious problem to many individuals. The growth of social media sites began to grow in the year 2003, which was the year that the famous website MySpace was created. For example, I’ve been using social media websites to communicate with my friends for a decade. When I was younger, social media sites were the go-to

After the progression of new technology, within the past decade, and the development of social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, societal norms have significantly changed. Online dating and socializing has become more common and, with that, so has the documentation of profiles of individuals’ data and personal information, all up for the world to see. This new era of online social interaction is essentially diminishing and putting the value of privacy and control of one’s image and identity at stake, with issues arising like cyberbullying, exploitation of personal data and images for corporate use, and the ability for anyone to easily track down and monitor another individual’s life. Along with the dangers of privacy, social networking sites have become a harmful distraction to individuals resulting in numerous physiological and social issues. Checking and inevitably comparing status updates or tweets have become a way for people to measure and fundamentally build a self-esteem upon, and spending more time evaluating the real world in the cyber world means spending less time genuinely experiencing and dealing with life situations and relationships face to face. Although many people claim that today’s internet age allows individuals to better connect and socialize, ironically, in a way, these social networking sites, by detaching individuals from “living in the moment”, are establishing a more