Dangers of Social Media: Is Social Media Addiction Real?

By: Alyssa Cole

Have you ever found yourself grabbing your phone often to check a notification or alert from one of your favorite social media sites? Do you get this anxious feeling to keep up with what's going on with all of your social media networks? Addiction is one of the real dangers of social media! Many of us experience this on a daily basis. Some people may not realize or want to believe that they may in fact be addicted to social media outlets. Is it strange? In the society we live in, of course not! But is it good? That also gets a answer of of course not. However, lets talk about a few facts you should know about social media addiction. 

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210 Million People Are Estimated To Suffer From Internet & Social Media Addictions

This number is constantly growing as technology develops. As stated before, the uses of social media has become a daily part of the average person's life. 

Social Media Statistics: 

A 2018 study found that teens who spend 5 hours per day using their phones, were twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms vs teens who only dedicate around 1 hour on their phones. 

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Young, Single Females Are Addicted To Social Media Apps More Than Any Other Group

A recent study with over 15,000 participants between the ages of 16 and 88 found that being a young, single female was most strongly associated with displaying addictive social media behavior. Addictive social media behavior was also strongly related to narcissistic personality traits and low self-esteem.

71% Of People Sleep With Or Next To Their Mobile Phone. Social media addiction doesn’t just affect behavior during the day; it even damages people’s ability to sleep. A study found that 71% of Americans sleep with or next to a mobile device.

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Some 47 million people in America do not get enough sleep and 55% more teens were sleep deprived in 2015 than in 1991 because of social media today. Exposure to screens before bed is a large factor in exacerbating sleep disorders. 35% of people using phones less than average experienced sleep difficulty compared to 42% of those with average or above average phone usage. 

Some of these facts may come as a surprise and some may not, but the real question is what can we do as a community to beat this addiction if at all possible? Will we remember to better our face to face communication more than communication on social media? Will communication ever be as good as it use to be? Will it be more mentally ill and low self-esteem people as time goes on if there isn't a solution found? Many questions can be raised when learning the facts behind social media addiction.

It's important to remember that although social media is a great platform to express yourself, it is an accessory and not a necessity. Taking breaks every few months can be extremely beneficial and could also help you track just how proactive you are without it, as well as help you notice how distracted you are by utilizing it. Are you addicted? If so, what will you do to be better off? 

THIS ARTICLE IS RELATED TO: social media addiction, social media addiction facts, social media addiction study, social media addiction statistics, addicted to social media

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