The emergence of social media is one of the defining moments of the 21st century and the current generation. With people all over the world connected to the Internet now more than ever, social media platforms have evolved from being a simple means of communication, to becoming a way of life for some people.
To one’s personal life, to engaging with family and friends, and even managing businesses, social media has been a key instrument that has tightly connected each and every individual to different people from all corners of the world — regardless of distance.
From entertainment to other forms of consumption, social media has been an outlet for people to express themselves in whatever way they want — whether it’s for the better or for the worse. Social media has given everyone so much freedom yet so much privacy at the same time that there is still no end in sight with regards to the reach of social media.
And for these reasons, we can definitely say that social media can be addicting. Without proper time management, one could get lost in the jungle of social media, with the hours of the day just simply passing by with the endless libraries of content available in the vast network of social media.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, a study conducted to understand social media addiction in the sociological perspective explains that addiction to using social networks is caused by dopamine-inducing social contexts which contributes an abnormal need for getting social feedback from other people.
Psychological studies also point out the similarity of taking chemical substances when compared to social media addiction. Forms of appreciation in social media such as “likes” are said to be a symbol of gaining reputation, and therefore urging someone to constantly compare themselves to others, creating an addictive cycle that has no end.
With studies all pointing towards social media addiction as harmful, we should all take extra caution to not fall into the rabbit hole that is social media. Creating a set time for social media surfing will definitely help in not losing control of social media habits and before an addiction is created.
By Neil Gregorio
Neil Gregorio is a graduating university student who writes as a hobby; when he is away from the keyboard, he spends his time watching Japanese animated shows and jamming out to his favorite rock music.
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