(Newswire.net — May 3, 2019) — The world is addicted to social media. In fact, there are roughly 2.77 billion people on social media today. This number is projected to rise to over 3 billion in just two years.
There are so many popular platforms available to choose from. Older users prefer Facebook, while the younger generations are active on Instagram and Snapchat.
However, there are negative consequences to social media’s popularity. Psychologists believe there are mental health concerns associated with excessive social media use.
Read on to find out why everyone is addicted to social media. Explore the signs of social media addiction and how to log off for good.
Signs That You Are Addicted to Social Media
There are a number of ways to tell if you are overly obsessed with social media. Do you check your cell phone every few minutes looking for new notifications or messages?
This minute-to-minute obsession is the hallmark of social media addiction. Any person in control realizes that no alert is that important.
Another dangerous sign of addiction is checking social media while driving. In fact, 7 out of 10 people admit that they have checked social media while driving. There is no tweet or post worth endangering the life of others.
Some social media users cannot stop thinking about their profile. Instead of designing a new letterhead template for their business, they are wasting corporate time on memes and videos.
Negative Health Impacts
Social media addiction yields a number of negative health outcomes. One of the most significant health concerns is a link between social media and clinical depression.
A recent study monitored the mental health of 143 social media users. The control group of subjects used social media at an average rate. On the other hand, the experimental group was limited to just 30 minutes per day.
The results were encouraging as the experimental group saw improvements in depression and loneliness. Feelings of anxiety and fear of missing out were also reduced.
This is because social media paints an artificial picture of reality. One area under intense academic study is social media comparison. Here, social media users compare their life to friends and family. Many social media users tend to brag about vacations or activities.
This action often leads to negative feelings of inadequacy. However, the truth is that users are less likely to tell the world about financial difficulties or family infighting.
Breaking the Habit
The good news is that it is never too late to dramatically reduce social media usage. In moderation, social media use has benefits like communicating with distant family or friends.
If you are truly addicted, however, there are effective steps to break the habit. For starters, you can seek the professional help of a psychologist.
Another avenue is implementing a digital detox. This involves physically separating yourself from computers or phones to help break the addiction.
Wrapping It Up
Social media addiction is a real global concern. It causes negative health issues such as depression and anxiety.
The good news is that, like any form of addiction, it can be conquered. It starts with acknowledging there is a problem. If you enjoyed learning about people addicted to social media, check out our business blog for other great content.