Social Media Addiction: Causes, Symptoms, and Effects

Social networks, being a set ofdigital platformswhere information is transmitted, in certain cases, in real time, in addition to the great benefit they have by connecting people fromall over the worldin a single space, can create dependence in people who suffer frompsychological problems and lack of attention.

For these reasons, in the following article you will know what addiction to social networks is about, the most frequent causes, symptoms, effects and the most effective ways to overcome it.

What is social media addiction?

Cyberaddictionto addiction to social networks is thedependence and sense of needthat an individual creates in the face of the constant use ofdifferent technological applications, which aim at theinteraction of usersthrough the use of photos, videos, texts, among other forms of communication.

In addition, it is a type of psychological and behavioral dependence, because the information that is handled in the networksdirectly affects the mood, physical and psychological stateof the possible addict, this thanks to the need that the individual feels to be constantly immersed in the different applications.

Note: Addiction begins when the personstops doing the activities they commonly performedand replaces them with the repeated use ofmobile devices or their preference, to enter social networks, leaving aside their interests, interpersonal relationships, goals or objectives and in extreme cases their own employment.

Causes of Social Media Addiction

The Internet, as well as being an excellenttool to communicate, conduct research, among other qualities, can also become a cause ofpsychological disorderswhen the person becomes dependent ondigital platforms. Here are the different causes of social media addiction:

Low self-esteem

The lack of self-esteem , compared to other diseases at a psychological level, is one of the main causes of behavioral disorders and lack of mood in certain adolescents and adults who do not feel satisfied with their body, the environment where they live or the life they lead

Therefore, it is common for individuals to take refuge in social networks since they are not face to face with the different Realities of the outside worldtag. From this they start, thefalse profiles and the digital world in which the person with low self-esteem is immersed , thus taking the networks as an escape from her problems.

Discontent Staff

When the person feels dissatisfied with their physical appearance or some other aspect of their life, they begin to isolate themselves from society and immerse themselves in social networks where they can Interact with strangers or simply create a prototype of life totally separated from their own reality.

Note:Personnelnonconformity can also be affected by Family problems , lack of economic resources or stable employment, lack of skills, frustrated dreams, among other reasons that make the person not feel that they have a full life.

Lack of attention and affection

The young person addicted to networks is the one who suffers the most from addiction to social networks due to hormonal changes and the lack of attention that adolescents usually feel at that stage of development.

In the same way , adults are not exempt from feeling a lack of attention and affection, however, they tend to be a little more aware of the environment that surrounds them.

Human beings have the particularity of being sociable beings , in this sense, the lack of attention between family or friends triggers the need to establish some kind of relationship with people and that is where the addiction to social networks is born.

Depression

The AddictionsMagazineof theSpanish Scientific Society for Studies on Alcohol, Alcoholism and other Drug Addictions (1) points out that the most common cause within adolescents who are addicted to social networks is because suffering from depression.

In addition, the researchers ensure that the lack of relationship with the environment, that is, the lack of socialization in adolescents, can lead to other pathologies at a psychological level, with depression as the main cause due to different hormonal processes, mood swings and physical conditions that humans suffer at this stage.

Note: Depression can affect people at any age, for this, it is important that you know what to do when you are depressed so that this psychological condition does not continue to affect the course and stability of your life.

Symptoms of addiction to social networks

Like any other addiction, the repeated need to establish a connection through the Internet has characteristic symptoms that are contextualized in the repeated activities carried out by the addict to the networks:

Constant phone use

A study carried out by the Faculty of Psychology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (2) showed that after having analyzed 374 university students using a scale measuring addiction to social networks, 58.6% of addicts were women, while 41.4% belonged to the male sex.

In addition, the researchers concluded that the addicts were in the 20-year age range. The repeated use of the mobile phone was due to the frequent need to check social networks , thus creating a significant dependence on said device.

Absence of other interests

When the person puts aside their goals, objectives, employment, interpersonal relationships, strengthening their skills and only focuses on reviewing, updating and creating links on the different digital platforms, it is a key symptom of an addiction to networks.

Important: People as they develop aregenerating certain intereststhat in turn are helping them achieve each goal that is proposed, however, when the individual only focuses on being someone within the networks, he displaces everything that has to do with the physical world and to focus on the digital.

Central theme in the life of the individual

As already mentioned above, young people addicted to social networks tend todisplace any other activity that does not go hand in hand with the Internet and networks, thus turning their lives and their purposes around digital platforms, regardless of the consequences that derive from it.

Irritability and despair at the lack of Internet

Being an addiction, it creates great dependence andneed to always be connectedto the Internet, which is the network that allows access to different digital platforms.

Therefore, in the absence of this, the individual Can even suffer anxiety attacks , since social networks become a fundamental part of their existence, making the person irritable and mentally unstable.

Effects of addiction to social networks

Like any addiction, it brings with ita series of consequencesthat directly affect thephysical, emotional and mental healthof people, as well as the neglect of their interests.

Sleep disturbances

There are differenttypes of insomnia, however, it has currently been generated that thefrequent use of mobile devicesmake theperson not rest the right amount of hours, also, addiction does not allow the body to relax completely due to the repeated need to be immersed in social networks.

Likewise, social networks such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebookand Facebook Messenger, have greater influx among their users during the night, thus being themain temptation to be connecteduntil, many times, the early morning without falling asleep.

Important: Sleep disturbances directly affect the good health of the body since it does not have adequate time to rest and recover the energy used during the day.

Neglect of academic and work activities

The repeated use of the mobile phone to connect to social networks can alter the time that you are accustomed to dedicating to your other activities, be it at an academic, professional, personal and work level.

In this sense, the consequences of said acts begin to be perceived, such as: bad grades, loss of employment and skills that you had acquired before being part of the addiction to networks.

Important fact: Currently, there are regulations in different educational institutions and companies that prohibit the use of mobile devices, all with the aim that the student or worker focus on the tasks assigned to them daily.

Sedentary life

Loss of social skills

Therefore, the repeated use of networks directly affects the ability to make friends and interact in physical environments, thus altering social skills such as establishing conversations and making themselves known in public.

Detachment from reality

The world of social networks Can take you away from reality and from anything that was important to you at the time.

Distancing from physical and real things is an escape method from adverse situations that significantly alters your notion of time and the space where you operate.

How to overcome addiction to social networks?

If you feel that you are Addicted to Social Networks , below you will be able to learn the best methods for you to overcome your addiction and you can enjoy the physical world again:

Gradually reduce access time

One of the characteristics of those addicted to social networks is that they spend a great deal of time immersedin them. Like any addiction, itmust be reduced gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms .

For this, it is necessary that you establish and comply with fixed schedules that will be shortened as you overcome the addiction, that is, start with average periods of time at certain times of the day and regulate these periods as you progress.

Limit use to the most important

Social networks have the advantage of giving access to information instantly and keeping people connected mainly, therefore, you can limit the use of these tools to things that you consider important and vital in your daily life, thus significantly reducing its use.

Important: Networks, being applications that are managed by mobile and computer devices, are usually a temptation when the individual tries to work or communicate from their technological device, for this, it is important that you limit yourself to only using them when it is really necessary.

Delete phone apps

Nowadays, there is a great variety of networks and applications whose purpose is to keep the viewer interacting in them for as long as possible, however, they do not have really important uses for the development, development and personal growth of individuals.

In this sense, we recommend that you eliminate those applications that do not provide you with any outstanding value and that their importance is not vital for you, so you can gradually reduce your addiction.

Do outdoor activities

Disconnecting from technology and reconnecting with nature is important so that your body stays in tune with the good energies that unfold from them and your mind can relax from so much information that is generated on the networks.

Tip: Plan short trips to places where there is no Internet access , so you will be forced to get away from the networks for a while, enjoy the outdoors and clear your mind.

Spending time with family and friends

Although it is true that the networks allow you to be in contact with your loved ones, the fact of establishing physical contact with them and having face-to-face conversations will never be the same. To do this, consider spending more time with your family and friends, so that you You will move away from your mobile device and social networks at times.

Go to therapy if necessary

Thehelp and psychological treatmentissued by specialists in the field ofpsychology, are anexcellent optionso that first of all you learn to accept that you have an addiction and the therapist gives you thenecessary toolsso that you overcome this situation as quickly and effectively as possible.

Key Findings

• Addiction to social networks is created as a result of problems of another nature, be it lack of attention, low self-esteem or personal dissatisfaction.
• The repeated use of the cell phone without major reasons and anxiety due to lack of internet connection are the main symptoms of this addiction.
• Dependence on networks, creates sedentary lifestyle, insomnia, eating disorders and distances you from reality.
• Establishing schedules of use, detaching from technological devices and establishing contact with nature, helps to overcome addiction.
• With the help of professionals and willpower, addiction to social media can be overcome