Social media addiction is a behavioral pattern marked by obsessive concern with social media. It is driven by an uncontrollable urge to use social media, causing the affected individual to devote so much time and effort to it that other important life areas become impaired. As many as 10 percent of Americans may meet the criteria for social media addiction. Research has shown that the overuse of social media can negatively affect adolescents’ school performance, social behavior, and interpersonal relationships.
Psychological dependency on social media can form when someone views social networking sites as an important coping mechanism to relieve stress, loneliness, or depression. Social media interactions cause a dopamine rush, providing an endless amount of immediate awards in the form of attention from others for minimal effort. According to a 2022 study of university students in China, some major risk factors for social media addiction include impulsivity, low self-esteem, anxiety, social anxiety, and a tendency to pay attention to negative information. It also affects females more than males.
A 2019 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association revealed that teenagers who use social media for more than three hours a day may be at a heightened risk for mental health problems. A 2023 Familial and Adolescent Health Survey by Gallup found that more than half of U.S. teenagers spend at least four hours a day on social media, putting them at risk. Research has also found that nearly three-quarters of adolescents who use social media for more than five hours a day are twice as likely to show depressive symptoms and significantly more likely to commit suicide.
