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Social media addiction is a behavioral addiction that has been found to negatively impact the mental health and relationships of those afflicted.

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Get kids off social media. Here's how to make sure what they see online

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"Social media is designed to hook our brains, and teens are especially susceptible to its addictiveness,” says Nancy DeAngelis, CRNP, Director of Behavioral Health, Jefferson Health - Abington. Being aware of the addictiveness of social media and how to help your teens struggling with its effects is crucial"(Miller).

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“Chukwuere in 2017. This may become increasingly important as students are seen to be using social media platforms more than before and social networking is becoming an integral aspect of their lives”(Chen).

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"It’s a matter of practicability, really, because it makes perfect sense to use the online universe to communicate with your students since they’re already there most of the time. There’s no need for another case study about the usage of social media in schools. You simply need to walk through the hallways of any school or colleague to see kids of all ages totally immersed in their smartphones. Browsing their news feed, sharing photos on Instagram of sending Snapchat messages has become a part of their daily routine”(Wade).

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“45% of recent job seekers indicated that personal or professional contacts “were the most important resource”(Dority).

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According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2022, 68 percent of pre-teens were using social media applications. Overall, 47 percent of respondents aged 11 to 12 years were using TikTok, and 31 percent were using Snapchat. Both TikTok and Snapchat state that users of their apps must be at least 13 years of age, with the latter being in compliance with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Even though Discord and Facebook also have age restrictions of 13 years, 25 percent and 16 percent of pre-teens were using the online platforms, respectively.

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U.S. pre-teen social media reach 2022 | Statista

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According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2022, 68 percent of pre-teens were using social media applications.

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Kids spending more time than ever on social media

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how to know your addicted to social media

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“Teens who use social media more than three hours per day may be at heightened risk for mental health problems. Since the pandemic, there has been an uptick in depression and anxiety among teens, specifically low self-esteem, disordered eating, body image issues and suicidal thoughts”(Miller).

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Take yo kid to Lego land and get em off that phone

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“Social media, when properly aligned with educational goals, can be a powerful tool for enhancing learning and promoting academic success. Students can use social media wisely to support, not hinder, their educational growth”(wade).

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what year do you think social media really became popular 

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No one can remember.

This article was featured in One Story to Read Today, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a single must-read from The Atlantic, Monday through Friday. Sign up for it here.
In 2000, I got the RIM 957, my first BlackBerry. It received, in real time, emails sent to my work account. Such receipt would cause the device to flash a light and buzz, pager-style. It buzzed constantly. When set just right on the counter, the vibrations would resonate through stone and lumber, alerting the whole room: An email has arrived!

Sometimes you can feel the future's shadow looming over the present-formless, cold, Lovecraftian. So it was with the BlackBerry. Its capacity to inject digital events into the ordinary world even when they weren't wanted inaugurated the smartphone age: one of constant online life everywhere. But it wasn't like that yet. Back then mostly executives had the new device, and government officials, and people who thought they were important. (I was the last kind; I made software.) My co-workers and especially my wife were repulsed by the "CrackBerry," and my compulsive grasping at it, like Gollum with his ring.

Over the years that followed, I kept clicking on my keyboard phones until eventually the iPhone replaced them. I have memories of using a Palm Treo on the train and my BlackBerry at lunch through most of the 2000s. But I can't remember how I'd spent my idle time in the years before, on the train or at lunch or at any other time of day when we found ourselves between things. Literally, what did we do? I cannot recall.

Some things are easy to reconstruct. Email came to you at your desk, which means you didn't receive it while at lunch or once you'd left the office. MapQuest was around, but you had to print out directions before you went anywhere. Photography was less a part of daily life, absent social media on which to post. Some dumbphones had cameras, but they were terrible, and stand-alone digital cameras were still expensive and mostly used to generate images for printing.

Okay, fine, but how did people occupy the time, attention, and perceptual orientation that have now been overtaken by smartphone use? Answering this question seems important, because smartphone use is supposedly deleterious. Extreme use is often blamed for contributing to anxiety, depression, and compulsivity-and almost everyone seems to use these devices to extremes. Smartphones are also said to disconnect us from the world and from one another. Instead of enjoying lunch or tourist attractions, people take photographs of them, frequently to secure approval from their peers, who are also using smartphones. The sociologist Sherry Turkle famously lamented how these devices encourage people to live " alone together."

I asked some middle-aged friends to think back to life in the old days, when we still lived together together-and then to tell me what they remembered doing. "What the heck did I do?" one replied. Some fragments of childhood life could be recovered: shooting hoops in the driveway, or passing notes in class, or burning time hunting for friends to burn time with. But the nature of our idle life as adults evaded memory. Even surfing the early web, the precursor to today's scrolling, was made tedious by slow connections. Other things took longer too: consulting a paper map before driving anywhere, finding and then conversing with a salesperson to select an appliance. Daily non-activities-waiting at the supermarket line, sitting in traffic, walking the dog-took place under different circumstances. Worse ones.

A spine-chilling revelation: We couldn't remember what we did, because there was nothing to remember having done. We did nothing, and it was horrible. Filling the nothingness with activity of any sort became a constant exercise. Talking on the phone offered one approach, however poor. Telephones were the only way to connect with your friends synchronously from afar. They worked astoundingly well, and except for the cost of tying up the line or getting a crick in your neck, local calls were free. Advice, ideas, and tips weren't as accessible before the internet arrived and then matured, so you might phone a friend or a business for information, not just for chatter.
Read: A world transfixed by screens
But telephonic banter back then was similar to smartphone social life today. Phone calls were just as mediated as text exchanges. People pursued them to get away from whoever else was in the house or the office, just like they do with text messaging today. A phone call filled the empty time, even if it also helped create a social bond. And the calls could also strain the very bonds they helped sustain, by setting them against the burden of paying for long distance, or the trick of reaching people at their homes, where their phones were wired to the wall. Old-fashioned telephones caused longing and deferral too.

Television was another way of killing time. We watched a lot of it. Game shows, daytime soaps, sitcoms, the evening news, MTV-television was just sort of on, sort of all the time. In homes, if people were there to watch them. But also in airports, doctors' offices, and laundromats. Some train and bus stations had tiny, coin-operated televisions bolted to the arm rests of their seats, a reminder of the desperation people felt when confined.

And we scrolled for ambient information by flipping pages, in whatever newspapers, magazines, or catalogs happened to be nearby. Like smartphones do today, these offered ways to see something-anything-that we hadn't seen before, while waiting for the next thing to happen. Periodicals were spread in waiting rooms, in airline seat-backs, on benches in the park. Free alt-weeklies and classified rags were godsends when no other options were on offer-during a long wait for a restaurant table, perhaps, or while stuck at the auto-repair shop. In the idle time we now spend on our phones, people used to read anything and everything they saw-junk mail, subway ads, the backs of cereal boxes, the story on the restaurant placemat, the labels on the condiments. In the beginning people sneered at social media: Who cares about whatever meaningless trifles you found around you? But previously, we cared desperately for exactly those things, absent an alternative.
Read: Have smartphones destroyed a generation?
I cannot overemphasize how little there was to do before we all had smartphones. A barren expanse of empty time would stretch out before you: waiting for the bus, or for someone to come home, or for the next scheduled event to start. Someone might be late or take longer than expected, but no notice of such delay would arrive, so you'd stare out the window, hoping to see some sign of activity down the block. You'd pace, or sulk, or stew.

The despair that accompanied this dead time implied and almost required an existentialist orientation to life itself: absurd and pointless, a sea of doldrums that never washed up to shore. My generation's penchant for malaise must be a direct result of being alone with ourselves so much, with so little reason. We'd read an oral-hygiene pamphlet or a shampoo bottle. We'd follow the smooth-spinning hands of the clock. Yes, sure, other and better and more useful acts were possible, but only if we knew in advance exactly how much time we had to kill, and where, and under which circumstances. But we never did know until it was too late.

Before smartphones, people didn't invest their in-between time into forging social bonds or doing self-improvement. They mostly suffered through constant, endless boredom. So let us not lament or malign the time we waste on smartphones, at least not so much. It is bad to be seduced into argument or conspiracism, to shop or lust or doomscroll, to bring one's job into the dentist's chair or the living-room recliner. But it was also bad to suffer the terror of monotony. Now there is too much happening, but before, ugh, nothing ever happened.

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1. “Studies have shown that social media has a powerful effect on the brain, and it can create stimulating effects similar to addiction.Once the brain experiences these rushes of dopamine and pleasure, the high from social media becomes harder and harder for anyone to resist, creating patterns of addictive behavior”(Miller).

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1. “70% of employers used social networking sites to research job candidates during the hiring process”(Dority).

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1. “Festinger’s (1954) Social Comparison Theory. Concerning the negative effects of social media on students’ psychology, it can be argued that individuals may fail to understand that the content presented in social media is usually changed to only represent the attractive aspects of people’s lives, showing an unrealistic image of things”Chen).

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How Smartphones Change The Way You Think | Jeff Butler | TEDxHilliard

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Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to put down your phone? There are hidden psychological effects that smartphones are having on our brains. Studies show that smartphone users are developing serious problems, like real addictions, and losing the ability to focus.

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1. “Li et al. (2017). The findings showed a mediating role of insomnia on the significant correlation between depression and addiction to social media”(Chen).

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“73% of students use social media in education to collaborate with their classmates on all forms of electronics, tablets, mobiles, and computers.Social media is used in 85% of higher education institutions for academic and professional purposes”(Khaled).

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when do you think your child should be allowed on social media 

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1. “34% of these job seekers said resources and information they found online were the most important resource available to them”(Dority).

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This Is A Sign To Take Away Your Kid's Smartphone

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“When it comes to social media, schools tend to adopt different positions. It’s a general consensus that they’re useful when it comes to sharing information or organizing the school tasks. And at the same time, the social networking is blamed for the lack of attention in students during classes”(Wade).

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1. “Vernon et al. (2017) explored change in negative investment in social networking in relation to change in depression and externalizing behavior. These researchers found that increased investment in social media predicted higher depression in adolescent students, which was a function of the effect of higher levels of disrupted sleep” (Chen).

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“But an increasing trend of adopting social media in school is starting to show. And since students already devote a lot of time for social media and connecting with others outside school hours, why not do it during school as well”(Wade).

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What Is Phone Addiction?

Phone addiction is the obsessive use of a smartphone. The behavioral addiction is often dubbed as "nomophobia," or the fear of being without a mobile device. There are over 3.8 billion smartphone users in the world. Research published by Virgin Mobile discovered that those billions of smartphone users receive 427% more messages and notifications than they did a decade ago. They also send 278% more texts. The rise in phone use seems like a natural necessity for modern life, however, it can also cause concern and negative consequences. The heavy use of these devices has consumers questioning their cellular habits. According to Google Trends, since 2004 searches for "cell phone addiction" have been rising.

Designed To Be Addictive

Access to a smartphone can make life easier by making information accessible. Still, the convenience comes at a price. The devices are carefully designed to be hard to put down. Through its colors, sounds, and vibrations, the technology purposely keeps its users engaged. According to former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris, features like "pull to refresh" were inspired by slot machines and other casino games. Designers and engineers meticulously develop every aspect of the device to create fanatical users.

Negative Effects Of Phone Addiction

Chronic phone use is a recently developed form of addiction. The American Psychiatric Association does not officially recognize the condition. Still, it is acknowledged as a behavioral addiction by many medical professionals and researchers worldwide. According to several studies, over time, the devoted use of smartphones can alter and negatively impact an individual much like gambling.

Phone addiction may lead to:

Chronic phone use can also cause other physical dysfunctions, like GABA (a neurotransmitter in the brain) dysfunction and a loss of grey matter in the brain, which are highly correlated to substance use disorders.

GABA Dysfunction

Chronic phone overuse is proven to change reward circuits in the brain chemically. One of the primary affected neurotransmitters is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that produces a calming or euphoric effect. It can even control fear and anxiety. The inhibitor plays a significant role in addiction by rewarding substance use and reinforcing addictive behaviors.

Research shows that chronic phone use can increase or decrease GABA production. Disturbances to the GABA system are proven to be a warning sign of addiction. In a study by the Radiological Society of North America, heavy phone use was linked to an upsetting ratio of GABA to other neurotransmitters. When the teen test subjects received cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the disorder, their brain chemistry reverted to a non-addicted ratio.

Decrease In Grey Matter

Grey matter in the brain is connected to the part of the central nervous system responsible for enabling individuals to control movement, memory, and emotions. A recent study scanned participants' brains with a phone addiction and discovered a change in their brain's grey matter. According to the researchers, the physical shape and size of their brains resembled that of drug users. Grey matter volume among people addicted to their phones diminished in critical areas, a condition similarly observed in people with a substance use disorder.

Suicide

It is important to note that there has also been a rise in depression and suicide among in recent years correlated to phone addiction. Adolescent girls are particularly susceptible to the risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2010-2015, the rate rose by 65%. At the same time, the rate of severe depression among girls increased by 58%. Many researchers believe the rise in suicides is a direct reflection of the negative effects of phone addiction.

Signs And Symptoms Of Phone Addiction

There is a fine line between healthy and compulsive mobile use. Depending too heavily on a device can lead to a mobile addiction. A scholarly journal published by the National Library of Medicine reports that 6.3% of the overall population is addicted to their smartphone. The pattern of abuse is greatest among those under 30, with an average of 16% of adolescents addicted. Though chronic phone use is prevalent, how can you distinguish between "normal" phone use and phone addiction?

Below are a few ways to discern if someone has signs and symptoms of a phone addiction:

It is essential to remember that there is no specific amount of time, frequency, or messages sent that indicates phone addiction. Yet an accumulation of the above warning signs is an indicator of an underlying phone use problem.

Phone Addiction Treatment

Phone addiction is pervasive. Still, there are ways to combat and treat the disorder. There are specialized addiction treatment centers that can help. Some of these detox centers offer a variety of programs to help their patients kick the digital addiction.

Below are a few treatment approaches used by facilities to treat phone addiction:

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Group therapy

Marriage or couples counseling

Group support (e.g., Internet Tech Addiction Anonymous)

Psychotherapy

Motivational interviewing

Medication-assisted treatment

Don't Let Phone Addiction Win

Though smartphones are an excellent resource, they also can be potentially dangerous tools, especially for children and young adults. The extent of issues that arise from excessive phone use is still not completely understood. However, as science continues to link health problems to cell phone use, it is essential to be proactive.

If you are worried about yourself or a loved one, there are steps you can take. Do not let a phone consume anyone's life. Take an empowered step towards recovery, possibly by delineating a short timeframe in which to complete an all-out "phone detox." If that's not feasible for you or for the one with the problem, then bring as much awareness to the issue as you can - sometimes, being conscious of our issues and tracking our behavior as best we can is all we can do.

If you or a loved one is having difficulty ceasing compulsive phone use, then you may want to consider treatment. For more information on online therapy for phone addiction, click .

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Phone Addiction: Warning Signs And Treatment

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There are over 3.8 billion smartphone users in the world; within that population, 6.3% have a phone addiction.

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1. “The overuse of social media can actually rewire a young child or teen’s brain to constantly seek out immediate gratification, leading to obsessive, compulsive and addictive behaviors,” says DeAngelis. “This is what can make mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, ADHD and body dysmorphia worse”(Miller).

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1. "Your first task is to know what's out there. So do what employers do when they begin researching you online. Conduct a basic search of your name and its variations, such as with and without your middle name or initial. If your name is not unusual, you may get mainly material about other people who share it. So be creative in drilling down to material about yourself — try your name plus your school or hometown or last employer"(Lilly).

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Digital Identity: Are you in control? | Eliot Wood | TEDxUniversityofEssex

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“It can take some time to redo what you already have in place, but the basic change can be as simple as replacing your middle name with an initial, according to Joyce”(Lilly).

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"Now, some of the other people who popped up during your search may seem to an employer to be you. "Pay attention to avoid a mistaken online identity," says Susan P. Joyce, an online job search expert. "Your reputation and job search can be damaged by that person"(Lilly).

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By

A digital identity is the body of information about an individual, organization or electronic device that exists online.

Unique identifiers and use patterns make it possible to detect individuals or their devices. This information is often used by website owners and advertisers to identify and track users for personalization and to serve them targeted content and advertising.

A digital identity arises organically from the use of personal information on the web and from the shadow data created by the individual's actions online. A digital identity may be a Pseudonymous profile linked to the device's IP address, for example, or a randomly-generated unique ID. Digital identities are seen as contextual in nature since a user gives selective information when providing authentication information.

Examples of data points that can help form a digital identity include:

Username and password

Purchasing behavior or history

Date of birth

Social security number

Online search activities, such as electronic transactions

Medical history

Because a profile often includes aspects of a person's actual identity, digital identities come with privacy and security risks, including identity theft. Pseudonymous profiles can also yield an individual's identity through cross-site data analysis. While passports and licenses identify users in real life, the inclusion of such personally identifying information (PII) online may pose more risks than benefits for the user. Several authentication and authorization systems have been explored, but there is still no standardized and verified system to identify digital identities.

Continue Reading About digital identity

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What is digital identity? | Definition from TechTarget

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This definition explains what a digital identity is, how it is created and what it's made up of. The term can apply to individuals, devices, organizations and applications.

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"Still, if you're troubled, think about creating a "clean" professional name for your social media sites. You do this by searching variations of your name until you find one without anything negative associated with it. Then claim it on LinkedIn and other social media sites. Use it going forward on your résumé, email address and job applications”(Lilly).