Can you imagine a world without social media or the internet? Well, some for sure can, but most of us probably cannot, especially the younger generations. This is how we keep in contact with each other and the world today, which makes us feel connected no matter where we are. When you look around, you feel like everyone spends at least 3-4 hours on the internet keeping up with the latest trends, memes, and news. However, have you ever actually checked out the time you spend on your phone? How do you think your social media usage affects you? If you spend at least 9-10 hours everyday on social media does that mean you are addicted? Would the use of addiction be correct?

** It should be noted that social media addiction and internet addiction is not in the DSM-5. It is still being investigated and discussed among researchers in the field.

This article will cover the following points:

• Definition of addiction
• What are internet addiction and social media addiction
• Why is social media not classified in DSM-5?
• Theories about social media addiction
• Strategies to decrease your social media usage

Definition of addiction

The American Psychological Association (n.d.) defines addiction as “a chronic disorder with biological, psychological, social and environmental factors influencing its development and maintenance.” There are many types of addiction such as substance addiction, gambling addiction, alcohol addiction, cigarette addiction, gaming addiction, shopping addiction and so on (2).

What are internet addiction and social media addiction?

In this article, I will focus on Internet Addiction and social media addiction. Internet usage turns into addiction when you use it too much, or when actions and impulses related to internet usage are not regulated well. This results in distress in the person or impairment in their lives (10). These two types of addiction are highly related to each other, where social media usage can increase your addiction towards the internet. There are three subtypes of internet addiction.

These are:

1. Excessive gaming,
2. Sexual behaviors (cybersex)  
3. Messaging (10).

People who are internet addicts may spend long periods of time on the internet and isolate themselves from all other types of social interaction. Essentially, their focus is towards their lives on the internet rather than their everyday “real” life (10). Social media addiction on the other hand is classified as a maladaptive psychological dependency on social media channels to a point where action-related addiction symptoms can be seen (9).

Why is social media not classified in DSM-5?

The diagnosis of internet addiction has been controversial for some time now. Social media addiction is not listed in the DSM-5 due to lack of scientific evidence to demonstrate that it is truly an addiction or a disorder (8,9). Most of the researchers in the field have not reached a full-on consensus about the subject of social media and internet addiction. Another problem is the term social media addiction. Some researchers suggest that this might decrease the severity of traditional mental disorders. Thus, they think that the expression “problematic use” might be better to distinguish it from other mental conditions (9). There are many other arguments made in this debate, but in this article I will not be delving into them.

Since it is not in the DSM-5, we should approach the current topic with caution. However, it should be noted that Internet Gaming Disorder is instead included in DSM-5!

Theories about Social media addiction

Research (1,5,6) made on prolonged social media usage shows that the more time you spend on social media, it is more likely that you will encounter mental health problems such as stress, anxiety, and depression.

Here are some theories that are being used to test problematic usage of social media:

• Uses and gratifications theory (Katz, Blumler, & Gurevitch, 1973): This outlook focuses on certain motivations and needs people have, which result in their prolonged use of social media (9). This theory suggests that social media users seek to find pleasure from usage of social media based on their individual needs or wants (7). Individuals may use social media excessively to maintain relationships, interact with others, get social support from friends etc. and to relate to other peers. Additionally, people may want to use social media to be informed constantly. Some people can use this as a coping mechanism to escape the stress of the real world and the negative perceptions related to oneself (9). Of course, in the long-term there is a high chance this will contribute to addictive usage of social media.
• Cognitive – behavioural model (CBM): This model was proposed by Davis, and it explains components linked to internet-based addictions (1,4). There are two components: distal and proximal, which result in pathological internet usage (PIU). The distal factors are at the beginning of the chain where they are not enough to cause PIU by themselves, whereas proximal factors are at the end of the chain, and they are enough to cause PIU. Examples of distal factors would be internet-related activities (e.g., watching videos, browsing Instagram) and instances of proximal factors are situational, like the sound of the keyboard. Moreover, the theory focuses on maladaptive thoughts and social isolation or lack of social support as the main causes of PIU. These maladaptive thoughts can be about yourself and about the world around you (1). Using the internet as an alternative to the real world would be an example for the world around you and cognitions that lead to low self-esteem, and high self-doubt are instances for maladaptive cognitions about oneself. Basically, it says that social media influences maladaptive cognitions you produce from the usage of it which ultimately leads to social media addiction and behavioural symptoms of social media addiction (1). For example, you open social media to run away from reality and talk to your friends for hours online, which messes up your sleep schedule while keeping you away from what is really happening. As this continues, it contributes to negative behaviours such as sleeping and eating less, not caring about academics and so on.
• The attachment theory: This perspective suggests that people with different dispositions are more likely to be addicted (9). The well-known theory of attachment (3) focuses on distinct types of attachment people develop based on the interactions they have with the main caregiver in early stages of childhood. These experiences highly contribute to how an individual perceives people and how they manage social relationships. People who have an anxious attachment style are more likely to not trust their caregivers and they seek approval from the caregiver. These types of people may find it hard to show love and connection to their friends, family, and partners (8). Using social media can be a way to support their connections with friends and seek reassurance as well as attention from their social circle (9).

Strategies to decrease your social media usage

1. One personal tip would be to limit your screen time for certain apps. Do you find yourself scrolling on Instagram for 5 hours straight? Then, limit your time to 3 hours per day. Start in small step! This has helped me control my time on social media apps enormously :)
2. You might want to try deleting the apps and see how you perform without them. Who knows, when you cannot reach them, it might be easier to enjoy the moment and make you happier.
3. Only follow accounts that make you happy and unfollow accounts that make you stay on your phone for too long, or that you are not actually interested in. Many have been there for years and we just feel “lazy” to unfollow them.
4. When you go to sleep, put your phone away from your bed so you do not get lost in it for a few hours (e.g., plug your charger on the other side of your room, where you are forced to get up).

Conclusion

The main takeaway of the article is that excessive social media usage is very relevant today, and there are many users that are affected by it. Due to the lack of evidence and the problem of naming it as an addiction, we cannot call it as such. After reading this article, take a moment to investigate your social media usage and how it affects your mental, social, and physical health.

Additional resources:

1.       How to break your social media addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGe_cG3g6kw

2.       Social media addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcIgk94Fp6Y

3.       TED talk on social media addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH5bC-SLvb4&ab_channel=TEDxTalks  

4. App: Not Less But Better

References

1.      Ahmed, E., & Vaghefi, I. (2021, January). Social Media Addiction: A Systematic Review through Cognitive-Behavior Model of Pathological Use. In Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (p. 6681).

2.      American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Addictions. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.apa.org/topics/substance-use-abuse-addiction

3.      Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss, Vol. 1: Attachment. Attachment and Loss. New York: Basic Books.

4.      Davis, R. A. (2001). A cognitive-behavioral model of pathological Internet use. Computers in human behavior, 17(2), 187-195.

5.      Hawi, N. S., & Samaha, M. (2017). The relations among social media addiction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in university students. Social Science Computer Review, 35(5), 576-586.

6.      Hou, Y., Xiong, D., Jiang, T., Song, L., & Wang, Q. (2019). Social media addiction: Its impact, mediation, and intervention. Cyberpsychology: Journal of psychosocial research on cyberspace, 13(1).

7.      Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1973). Uses and Gratifications Research. The Public Opinion Quarterly, 37(4), 509–523. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2747854

8.      Pies, R. (2009). Should DSM-V designate “Internet addiction” a mental disorder?. Psychiatry (Edgmont), 6(2), 31.

9.      Sun, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2021). A review of theories and models applied in studies of social media addiction and implications for future research. Addictive behaviors, 114, 106699.

10.  Weinstein, A., & Lejoyeux, M. (2010). Internet addiction or excessive internet use. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 36(5), 277-283.

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